Bear rips into sleeping family's tent trailer

[Donald]

http://http://globalnews.ca/news/2085696/bear-rips-into-sleeping-familys-tent-trailer-near-lake-louise/

And there were NO attractants in their trailer.

[Quahog]

Yikes! Good thinking on the dad's part.

[Jagiven]

Glad no one was hurt. Making noise is the correct the game to do.

The article stated at the time there was no attractant. I use to be a hard core backpacker. My rule even today is no food or smellibles in any tent I own. It is a good part of why I do not like cooking in my htt.

[1320tech]

I agree with every thing they did but I would have to think there would be no better noise maker then a firearm when a bear is coming thru the canvas and screens of a trailer. i know its not politically correct and illegal in Canada but when it comes to protecting your family I would rather have a firearm than a stove to bang on

[tugboat95]

I slept the last two nights in a tent with bear spray attached to my hip. Just in case.

[motorbreath]

Originally Posted by 1320tech

I agree with every thing they did but I would have to think there would be no better noise maker then a firearm when a bear is coming thru the canvas and screens of a trailer. i know its not politically correct and illegal in Canada but when it comes to protecting your family I would rather have a firearm than a stove to bang on

I have been living in Canada (Southern Ontario) for 4 years now...Canadians have plenty of guns, just not handguns. The big difference I have noticed compared to where I grew up (MD) is that they use guns here for hunting and target practice, not for self-defence. I am sure there are plenty of Canadians camping in bear territory (everywhere up here!) with a long gun.

[Donald]

Originally Posted by Jagiven

The article stated at the time there was no attractant.

No attractant in the trailer, or the empty tent that the bear also went through.

Another camper took a video of the bear going site to site rummaging through the fire pits etc.

Unfortunately this bear has been trained to think of people as an easy food source, most likely from being fed. If the rangers attempts to scare it away from the campground fail, it will be destroyed.

[cariboocreek]

Originally Posted by 1320tech

I agree with every thing they did but I would have to think there would be no better noise maker then a firearm when a bear is coming thru the canvas and screens of a trailer. i know its not politically correct and illegal in Canada but when it comes to protecting your family I would rather have a firearm than a stove to bang on

It is not uncommon or illegal in Canada to use a firearm for wildlife protection. As a legal matter the firearm regulations relax the storage rules for those living and working in remote areas. Handgun usage is still problematic but Yogi is unlikely dissuaded by a Saturday Night Special.

[Donald]

Originally Posted by cariboocreek

It is not uncommon or illegal in Canada to use a firearm for wildlife protection. As a legal matter the firearm regulations relax the storage rules for those living and working in remote areas.

Aren't the rules more stringent within the federal parks, which is where this incident occurred?

[canuckowner]

No firearms allowed in a Canadian national park. Even the park wardens don't carry them (although they would have access to long guns when needed).

[Jim-n-Ash]

In the 30 years or so we've been camping in SE Arizona (mostly), we've seen evidence of bears, but no actual bears - though a couple of years ago I thought I caught a glimpse of one lumbering up a hill, away from the trail we were hiking. The worst thing we've encountered is a rabid bat. We assume it was rabid because it was out in daylight, attempting to come into the tent-trailer, holding onto the screen and flapping its wings. It was alarming only because one of our party was still out collecting firewood, and when we hollered at him, he thought we were kidding. (Nobody was touched/bitten.)

[tuckerdog1]

Firearms are one of those issues people feel strongly about, be it pro or con. For me, it's about being able to protect my family. That is MY job. Not the park ranger, police, etc. Besides, by the time they arrive, it's generally too late to be of any help anyway. You can say you've been camping for X number of years, and never seen any threats. But the day real danger sticks it's head under your tent flap, you're gonna wish you had more than a pointy stick, etc...You might get lucky, or you might be a sad story on the evening news. I will likely not go to places that deny me the right to protect my family.

Tuckerdog1

[arkhillbilly]

Over the past 76 years, I have observed several news stories of bears tearing into tents, ect., and pulling kids out. One I remember well occurred is southern Utah, several years ago. Bear rip into a tent full of family, and pulled a four year old boy from the tent, and started dragging it away. Family gave chase and the bear let the child go. Be aware that humans, large or small , can attract certain bears.

[SilverEscape]

Scary. Wonder if they've ever cooked inside that trailer. The tenting will hold smells indefinitely, that while a human may not realize they are there, smell like a very tasty meal to a bear.

When we got our PUP, we stopped camping in bear country as with little kids, we did end up needing to cook inside it occasionally. And I wanted snacks close by and not have to go out to the TV to grab a toddler a late night snack in the rain.

Missed camping in all my favourite places for 10 years due to that PUP. (But gained other conveniences and found some other nice lakes)

[campingva]

Not blaming the children but kids always seem to take food places they should not. Maybe this trip none but how about previous trips? Bears have really sensitive noses and will investigate anything that has an odor even the smell from soap used to take a bath. Glad all are OK.

[DocBrown]

I think there is more to this story than the press is reporting. No interviews with park rangers? No interview or comment from bear experts? When bears do this sort of thing, there is a reason for it.