Bears in the Adirondacks

jackman2

jackman2

Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Messages
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I live in upstate Ny. First of all it is ridiculous that I have to say that, as I am literally 5 miles from Pennsylvania. but if you are not from the city, you are upstate. Whatever.

Anyway, I have some concerns about black bears when camping in the Adirondacks. I have been reading a lot recently about camping with guns and having protection and what not. I do not own a gun and don't see myself purchasing one in the near future. I am not against them, but my love for fishing trumps my desire to learn how to hunt. And my wife and I just had a baby and another expensive, time consuming hobby is not an option right now.

Rambling.

What should I do if I encounter a black bear in the wild. Obviously all my food is stored in a tree or canister far away from my camp. I have read p[laces that running away or playing dead is not what you should do with black bears as it could trigger a predator prey response.

When i set up camp, i have taken to making a long spear (~8 feet long and thick wood) to keep nearby. Would this really be an effective deterent. I always figured i could yell a lot and hold the spear out. Or is this a ridiculous idea.

I guess my general question is, what do people who do not travel with firearms do when they encounter a bear in the woods? Bear spray? Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
 
Bear spray is probably your best bet if you are not interested or able to purchase a fire arm.
 
A BIG ASS can of bear repellent for each of you would do you good.
I'm going to the Adirondacks at the end of Oct, but I will have 30-06 :D
 
Bear spray is a good and inexpensive option.. a spear is good I guess if bear spray fails... In all honsety.. I;ve logged a fair amount of bush time in areas that are heavily populated by Black bears.. I have never felt that have been in any danger.. Most bear encounters I have seen involve a view of there arse as they are diving into the bushes. or a casual glance and an indifferent saunter... Bears are not out to get us.. but they will take advantage of opportunites we provide.. so be prepared with spray if you like but the best defense is not to be a good target.. Prepare food away from camp.. Burn all scent contaminated paper.. seal all items that have been exposed to food in a bear proof bag or nacister, and store far from camp.. just my 2 cents fwiw
 
First of all, stay away from shelters. The marcy dam shelter areas up there are full of bears cause they know they can get food.
As far as I know, black bears are shy-ish and will take off if you make enough noise. When I go upstate I carry bear deterrent spray, but last time we saw one he ran away before he could even get whithin range, that was in jersey though.
It's true what they say of playing dead, it's supposed to work with grizzlies but not black bears.
Always cook/prepare and eat your food at least 150/200feet from your camp and make sure you don't carry any food or any sweet smelling substances (lotions/ perfume) into your tent.
Like I said before, just make lots of noise. They have been known to attack whenever they're surprised or with cubs.
 
One thing I would recommend keeping in camp, is a caned air horn, like the ones used in boating. I have never had to use it for bear, but did have a raccoon that was pretty persistent in sticking around for a free meal, it worked well.
 
You are giving away my secret with the boat horn.:D I also use them for deer drives. I personally have shared territory with black bears my entire life. While I EDC a handgun I have never felt concerned about wildlife when I didn't have it. Loud noises and standing tall works well with blackies. In fact I treat them more like big coons than bears. I know that is not the right attitude but it is the truth.

Jack, while I have never had a need for bearspray it is never a bad idea. Enjoy the Dacks and don't worry so much about the 4 legged vermin.
 
Haha. Thanks. Ya I am very careful and am not really too concerned. I just like to analyze everything and it seemed like an interesting discussion topic. Funny how the members of this site have discussed and researched in great detail almost every scenario one could possibly encounter. Talk about being prepared. The boy scouts would be proud. I love it. This place is great.

Like the air horn idea. I carry a whistle and that would probably work well too.
 
DaveinNY said:
One thing I would recommend keeping in camp, is a caned air horn, like the ones used in boating. I have never had to use it for bear, but did have a raccoon that was pretty persistent in sticking around for a free meal, it worked well.
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great idea
 
I don't worry about them. I guess it depends on whether you are planning to go to established camping areas where they are used to capitalizing on sloppy campers.

I've been hunting for years in Essex county and have never seen a bear. I think only bobcats are probably harder to catch sight of in the woods.
 
I camp up there regularly, they are a bigger danger in populated areas than out in the boonies. Was just up there staying in a hotel in Old Forge (my two year olds aren't ready for roughing it just yet) and they had an electrified fence around the dumpster to keep out a regular visitor. I've hiked in the Adks for many years and have yet to even see a bear in the wild, they clear out long before you get near to them in my experience, even when hiking in places where there was lots of bear scat and prints on the trail. They will get your food if it isn't properly hung (and sometimes even if it is). I'm far more concerned about a pack of overly confident coyotes. That said, I used to carry a 38 snubbie loaded with snake shot just so I could make some noise and not have to worry about where the slug went. These days I just carry pepper spray and a hatchet or machete and my walking stick. When the kids get big enough to backpack I'll upgrade to a larger can of bear spray. Just observe basic rules concerning cooking in your pajamas, keeping food in your tent/bivy, watch out for cubs, and you should be fine. As far as if you do make contact, drop your pack and try to make yourself look bigger while slowly backing away. Playing dead with a black bear is a bad idea, as is running without dropping something for them to play with while you make a get-away.

I'm no expert.
 
I have always enjoyed this joke:
The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter.
They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge.
Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away.
It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat.
Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.
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Joe
 
The Black Bears here in the Smokies are pretty timid. My general rule of thumb is to not get between them and what they want. Don't be between them and their cubs, them and food, or them and an escape. I was trout fishing once, and saw a sow and her cub crossing upstream. I watched for a while, and just said in a casual voice "Hello". I never actually saw them bolt, just brush moving where the went through. Most of the attacks we have here are food related. Just sayin'. Moose
 
Rule #1 Never run from a bear! Exception-unless you are faster than anyone in your group or you can trip someone up easily. Really just get two cans of bear spray and have fun and don't worry about it. Oh and ALWAYS keep the bear spray on your person, i.e. hip belt or shoulder strap not in your pack. A man and his daughter were attacked by a female grizzly protecting her cubs and they both had bear spray but guess where they had it? Yup in their packs so it did no good. Luckily they both survived but were mauled. I like your spear idea. I always find a 6-7 foot stick when I am in the woods for dual purpose, the main one is a nice walking stick which it's constantly used for and the other is for defense which I have never had to use. Black bears rarely attack people and when they do they are almost always predatory so always fight. Scratching/poking at the eyes is the best way to ward off an attack from any animal including humans. Every animal has a natural instinct to preserve their vision even at the cost of an empty stomach because they know they will die if they lose it. Just my two cents worth.
 
Like HeavyHanded said, most bear encounters are in the towns. I've seen more Bears in and around Old Forge than I've ever seen in the High Peaks region. If you are even reasonably careful to pack your edibles and stinky stuff away (I believe that they require a bear canister in the Adirondacks now) and avoid heavy bear activity areas like Marcy Dam (as mentioned above), you should be fine.

I've spent many, many days and nights in the Adirondacks and have never had a problem. I've never run across a mother with cubs, which would be the only situation where I'd be worried, but I figure that they will see/hear/smell me before I notice them and they'll head off away from the guy dressed head to toe in synthetics.

Also, be sure your tent mate doesn't stash a Snickers bar in his/her sleeping bag too!
 
For some reason, people assume that if you have a firearm...the first thing you are going to do is shoot any bear that you come across. Far from it! Discharging a firearm is an absolute last resort, but it gives you one extra tool to fall back on, that the unarmed individual will never have. A word to the wise!

Some day, you will need to protect your wife and child from both 2 or 4 legged predetors. Today, you have an opportunity to prepare in advance for that event, so don't pass it up. Think about it....
 
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reconranger said:
For some reason, people assume that if you have a firearm...the first thing you are going to do is shoot any bear that you come across. Far from it! Discharging a firearm is an absolute last resort, but it gives you one extra tool to fall back on, that the unarmed individual will never have. A word to the wise!

Some day, you will need to protect your wife and child from both 2 or 4 legged predetors. Today, you have an opportunity to prepare in advance for that event, so don't pass it up. Think about it....
Click to expand...

What he said.....:thumbup:
 
reconranger said:
Some day, you will need to protect your wife and child from both 2 or 4 legged predetors. Today, you have an opportunity to prepare in advance for that event, so don't pass it up. Think about it....
Click to expand...

Good call. Good advice. Moose
 
One never knows what habits a bear has acquired, or what
humans have been in the area leaving food.
So, prepare first, and then "do not worry too much".

Prepare in a number of ways, take your pick; mix and match.
A used single shot 12 guage might be had for less than $70, 5 buckshot shells est. $7.
Find a camping buddy who has and brings a gun.
A few knives of various sizes are useful to have on ones person, in any case.
Put a string line with noise makers around your sleeping area. (bells,can with rocks)
A light brush hook or ditch blade would be awesome, for camp.
(if a heavy implement is swung, you can miss and never recover fast enough.)
A small (12 inch blade) machete might be had for $10, it is useful as a gp tool as well.

Watch craigslist for cheap tools. Some internet sellers have inexpensive knives/tools.

I am not discouraging bear spray and other suggestions.

Edited to add:
Op, think in terms of long weapons and also short weapons, in case the intruder gets
past your long range weapons. Your idea of an 8 foot sharp stick is creative and may
work really well; why not cut a 4.5 foot sharp stick as well, for closer fighting.
Likewise a long knife and a shorter knife would be useful.

Long sticks and knives can be defeated, by just moving beside them, before you can
react; or by moving or hitting the long weapon out of the way, and then attacking.
On this last point, consider the tremendous mechanical advantage an attacker has
on the end of an 8 foot lever. I'm Not saying "Do not use an 8 footer", just have something else, as well.
 
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