Bear with me!

Phar0e · 03-27-2012, 01:05 PM

Thought I would start a thread on bear stories and would share mine with you and perhaps others will offer theirs as well.

It was a bright sunny warm day in the end of June, my friend and I decided to celebrate our last day at school where we both work, by going on a canoe trip (our husbands were both at work for the day) . I brought the canoe and she offered to bring the lunch. We drove up to our local National Park and took the twisty old road up by the church camps to a quiet secluded picnic/boat launch site. (some of you will know the place I mean....and yes, you know who you are!) We took a beautiful leisurely paddle along the South West shore, a warm breeze stirring the leaves, the crystal clear blue water sparkled in the sunshine. Refreshed we returned to our picnic site and set out our spread...and what a spread it was, sandwiches, puff wheat cake, fresh cherries etc. We were just about to start when Judy looking out past me sputtered out "Ann there's a bear behind you", I turned around and yes, there was a big brown bear sniffing its way up towards our table. Meanwhile, Judy had jumped up and was running towards the road. I yelled at her, not to run and slowly began to pack up my backpack, I was not going to leave all my gear behind. I suddenly remembered that I had one of those loud horns that you use to frighten off predators. "hold on" I yelled to Judy and I grabbed the horn, pointed it at the bear and squeezed...out came the most pitiful squeak I ever heard. I pushed the horn again and this time it made quite a noise, the bear looked startled and began to back away. I looked at Judy and said..."see, I came prepared" I turned back towards the bear who at this point decided that the "loud noise" was not going to distract it from getting its food. At this point I thought better of trying to grab the food and headed off to the road as well. The bear climbed on the table and had a feast with all our wonderful food sighh. My friend Judy still tells everyone about how calm I was during all this commotion, but she doesn't seem to remember that about an hour later, we were trekking around the Wishing Well by the golf course and a cat jumped out of the bushes at me and I screamed blue murder and took off at great speed towards the car! go figure!

Ladywendolyn · 03-27-2012, 03:38 PM

Here is my bear story.. Camping in a tiny pup tent, in a valley in new Mexico with my new husband. 20 years old. We roasted hot dogs over the fire, and being inexperienced campers threw the extra wieners into the fire pit as we had no fridge. Went to bed and shortly after heard a heavy thumping footfall of a very large animal. We can hear him digging around in the fire pit etc... But I guess it was too hot. Next thing I know he is pushing his nose against the tent and snuffling away trying to get at us... At this point I start screaming like a lunatic.. And so does my husband... Bear leaves area... We make a run for the car... We leave tent behind.. No tent camping for a while...
Years later while out walking I came around a corner and walked right into a bear.. Literally ... We both slowely backed away.. I think he was more scares than me... Honestly.. I still don't like bears... I like my hardwall camper just fine.. and I hope the bear in new Mexico is enjoying my pup tent!

Phar0e · 03-27-2012, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ladywendolyn

Here is my bear story.. Camping in a tiny pup tent, in a valley in new Mexico with my new husband. 20 years old. We roasted hot dogs over the fire, and being inexperienced campers threw the extra wieners into the fire pit as we had no fridge. Went to bed and shortly after heard a heavy thumping footfall of a very large animal. We can hear him digging around in the fire pit etc... But I guess it was too hot. Next thing I know he is pushing his nose against the tent and snuffling away trying to get at us... At this point I start screaming like a lunatic.. And so does my husband... Bear leaves area... We make a run for the car... We leave tent behind.. No tent camping for a while...
Years later while out walking I came around a corner and walked right into a bear.. Literally ... We both slowely backed away.. I think he was more scares than me... Honestly.. I still don't like bears... I like my hardwall camper just fine.. and I hope the bear in new Mexico is enjoying my pup tent!

Now that's precooking your site! Lol

Phar0e · 03-31-2012, 09:10 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/video/sacramen...-28778375.html

Now that's a Bear story! Found on RV net

Lady Fitzgerald · 03-31-2012, 12:17 PM

I've been fortunate to never encounter a bear in the wild. I've seen fresh scat on occasion but not the critter itself. One time gave me a big scare though. I was hiking one time by myself (I know, bad idea) in Cibique Canyon from where it joins up with the Salt River Canyon up to a waterfall with a nice swimming hole at the bottom. Because of brush growing up against the walls of the canyon, most of the trail is in the creek itself. As I was hiking out, I saw some fresh bear tracks in the mud going up stream. They were so fresh, the water was just barely starting to ooze into the track. Somehow, I had managed to pass the bear in a 50-60 foot wide canyon without seeing the darned thing.

Westerncanuck · 04-18-2012, 09:21 PM

Reminds me of a incident when I was 16, we went camping in Paradise Valley just past Squamish in BC and set up next the river. In the morning we hiked up a road across a set of railroad tracks and continued up a hill. At the top of the hill was a small lake my friend called Crater lake. We were yakking and all of a sudden my friend who is a hunter tells me to freeze and not move. I said what? and turned around, not more than 40' away were a couple of black cubs and a mother bear up on her hind quarters. Well, needless to say, I took off as fasr as my les would carry me all the way down the hill and straight into the car. A few minutes later my friend shows up and asks me what I was thinking...that bear could have chased me. Needless to say I didn't tent camp for a few years until I got married, we ended up going to Revelstoke Provincial park for our Honeymoon and arrive at 2:30 in the morning only to wake up next to a bear trap..lol

Phar0e · 04-19-2012, 06:52 AM

Been to Revelstoke a few times, good stopping point between Manitoba and BC. Never seen a bear there though. Did see one once in Banff campground. It was calmly walking through' the grounds. Thankfully we were in our vehicle looking for a campsite. I was watching the people outside in their sites and one father playing catch with a toddler with a beach ball panicked and grabbed the ball instead of the child and ran in the tent. Bear just kept walking and we went to another campground

82corvette · 04-20-2012, 04:24 PM

A good friend of ours pulled their Jayco 5er out to Cripple Creek, Co. last fall and liked it so much they bought property. They bought a used travel trailer with a slide to leave there & came back to Nebraska. When they went back out a month later they found the front door tore off & a huge bloody "paw print" in the fridge! The game warden told them to spray the area with ammonia and set up an electric fence. They said there was no food or anything in the camper & was glad the bear never came when they were there with the new 5er. They did stop at Cabellas on the way back home & bought a Smith & Wesson 500 magnum pistol for peace of mind when they stay there!

mtbell · 04-20-2012, 06:05 PM

I've been camping in Franklin, NC for almost 35 years. I have only seen a bear in the wild once in all that time. We were coming back from a hike up Table Rock and heading back to where we camp in Franklin, and there on one of the small back roads, a BIG bear just kinda ambled across the street just yards from my truck. The cool part of this is that all of this happened on my 50th birthday. What a great way to remember turning half a century old!

Phar0e · 04-20-2012, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mtbell

I've been camping in Franklin, NC for almost 35 years. I have only seen a bear in the wild once in all that time. We were coming back from a hike up Table Rock and heading back to where we camp in Franklin, and there on one of the small back roads, a BIG bear just kinda ambled across the street just yards from my truck. The cool part of this is that all of this happened on my 50th birthday. What a great way to remember turning half a century old!

What a grea t BD present ( when you get to see a. Bear and be safe)

bayleightucker · 04-21-2012, 04:03 AM

two friends Mike and Jeff tell this story. on the trail to an overnight camping trip in Yosemite they encountered a rattlesnake . Mike kills snake. that night in their tent Jeff hears a bear in the camp and is quite concerned. he says Mike,Mike, there is a bear in camp. Mike,exhausted from a day of hiking and setting up camp tells Jeff, I'll take care of the snakes, you take care of the bears.

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