campbell954 Posted June 22, 2013 Share Posted June 22, 2013 I posted this question over on the GPAA forum and I wanted to also asked you local folks.I had a bear visit my gear stash. Fortunately, he/she is only going to cost me no more then a couple hundred to repair his/her clumsiness. What do you folks do to keep the four legged critters out of your gear? I did not have any food around, should not have been any food odor on the gear and I went so far as to urinate around the stuff.Thanks for your tips,-Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klunker Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Bears have an extraordinary sense of smell I read somewhere that they can smell food through a tin can. If your gear has even been around food being cooked they will investigate it. I just never left anything stashed in bear country that I desperately depended on -food, tent, sleeping bag, mining partner, beer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Au Seeker Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Joe, I don't know if there is much you can do other than up high out of their reach or in a secure container/enclosure, bears are inquisitive critters, they will bite holes in plastic, metal and all other material, just ask Hoser John, I know he has stated that he has had to replace several gas tanks on his dredges in the past, the bears bit holes in the gas tanks even with gas still in them!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 How do you know it was a Bear? Crack Head act the same way. Food or Not. If it was a Bear, you did Good Whizzing on or around it all. Don't let a Girl do it, it will Bring More. If it was a bear, I would Hose down the Tarps or surrounding Ground with Pepper Spray. That will only last until the first Rains. If it is a Bear, Give them a Toy to play with. Take some Cheap Cat Food. Punch a hole in the top of the Can with a Ice pick or what ever. Leave in the Sun for a Few Days. Cover the Hole with Tape and take to camp. Hang them in tree's just out of what you think the bear could do well away from camp. Later check for Prints and you will know if there Bears or not. Bears love that Stank! Peanut Butter on a Tree works too. Bears that have never ever smelled the stuff will go for it. Only other thing I can think of is climb a tree and see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Even if its not food, bears are very curious and will just bite things for the heck of it. We tried something a bit out of the box and it worked. Wrap a piece of bacon around a pepper spray, hang it up from a limb. Bear will get a vert rude awakening and get the message. I spend a lot of time in a bad bear area and the on,y true method for getting rid of bad bad bears is a heavily loaded smoke stick........ Bears are already a problem at my summer hide out and one may not see the manzanita berries ripen this year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
klunker Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Try disguising a bear trap as a tent trailer and when you catch one relocate it to Forest Hill Ca. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 LOL! I like the Bacon/Bear Spray thing. Mental Picture of it gave me some good chuckles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbell954 Posted June 23, 2013 Author Share Posted June 23, 2013 (edited) Au Seeker - funny you should mention it!! I had two plastic muds tubs, stacked inside each other. These were over the motor and all was covered by two tarps. I found these off to the side, still inside each other, but with the addition of a bite mark through both tubs good enough to have made a dental impression for Mr./Mrs. Black. There were muddy foot prints on the fuel tank of the Honda motor. He was heavy enough to tweak the metal fuel tank so that the cap won't seal now. He also broke the snorkel off that I had just replaced after breaking the first one. Again, I feel fortunate this was the only damage.Homefire - I had the opportunity to see my possible suspect last fall. I've seen many blacks in MT and a few in AZ. He was one of, if not the biggest black I have ever seen. I was kind of surprised to see AZ grew them so big. I saw his tracks in there about a month ago, very crisp tracks in the dry sand, so I knew they were fresh. Fortunately for us, most tweakers are lazy @$$&$ and won't put in the effort of a good vigorous hike in the middle of no-where.El Dorado - hopefully I do not have a bad bad bear. Maybe he is only a bad bear and now his curiosity is satisfied. That hanging pepper spray and bacon idea is definitely worth a try.You could almost tell he was just being curious. Took the tubs off the motor, put his front paws up on the motor to survey everything and then left it all alone.Thanks all,-Joe Edited June 23, 2013 by campbell954 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 (edited) We have some Larg ones here in NM. Most are only 150-300lb but some tip the scale at 4 or 500lb. As per Fish and Game sometime up to 700lb but never seen anything that big my self. Everyone I've ever came across scampered as soon as they knew I was there but some are AzZ Holes and stand there ground and you really don't know what they may do. All I ever carry is a Rugger .22 10 shot and really think it would turn one away but ya never know. Moma Bears are Nasty. Edited June 23, 2013 by homefire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakview2 Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Go to the dollar store, and buy either cracked red, or cayene pepper. Apply liberally to affedcted areas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hoser John Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Bear boards. Thin 1/2' planks 4" x 3' with dozens of 3" nails driven through them is the Alaskan answer and works just fine down here in the lower 40 righteously-John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steel Pan Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I've heard them called "Porky Pine Boards". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boulder dash Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Have you tried talking to the bear. Chuckle chuckle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elder-miner Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 Have you tried talking to the bear. Chuckle chuckleTalking did not work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted June 23, 2013 Share Posted June 23, 2013 I found Bear a bit Stingy but ok in the Pit BB-Q! Sorta on the Greasy Side if you don't let it drain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Dorado Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Talking did not workYup, that is now a good bear!A bad bear is a curious bear that gets into camp stuff but is easily chased off by loud sounds, a bad bad bear is one that repeatedly damages things like campers, RV's and trucks and refuses to be scared away or openly challenges humans......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbell954 Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 (edited) H. John - The partner and I packed it all out last weekend. Three round-trips each, 2.4 total miles each, 99 degrees. The good part, half those trips were down hill, bad part - well you know (hint: the truck was not at the down-hill end). Anyways, back on subject, the bear boards will go in next season, in addition to some of the other suggested counter-measures.Boulder Dash - I know you were only joking, but as mentioned earlier, if this is the same one I saw in fall and based on the size of the tracks I've seen in the canyon, he does concern me a bit more then the mangy, large dog sized bears I've seen in the past. I always have a .357 with me, but will probably have the 12 ga., with slugs, in camp now. I always used to tell the girlfriend, to put her at ease, "Sweety, when was the last time you heard of a black bear attacking someone in AZ." Well, last year AZ had three. Kind of shot that theory down. El Dorado - Yep, I'm afraid if this ends up being a bad bad bear, he is going to share the fate of Elder-Miner's bear. My heavily loaded smoke stick is a 338 LM, which will do the job, if it gets to that. I enjoy the wildlife out there and think the occasional sighting are cool, but if he turns out to be a menace or the destroyer of gear, that won't be cool. Packing the gear in/out every weekend is not an option. I think having Yogi around is part of that outdoor experience I know we all enjoy. I hoping Yogi and I come to a mutual understanding. I am hoping the ideas offered here will solve the issue, but, as you all do, hope for the best and prepare for the worst.Homefire - I hear it taste like pork and is best in summer sausage and pepperoni sticks. Thanks All,-Joe Edited June 24, 2013 by campbell954 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbell954 Posted June 24, 2013 Author Share Posted June 24, 2013 Elder-Miner, what do you mean talking did not work - heck, you talked him into that bag!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homefire Posted June 24, 2013 Share Posted June 24, 2013 Dog! You Need a Dog! Even a Chihuahua !! Bears and Dogs Understand each other. I have three dogs and Never Leave home without one of them. Saved my Butt more then a few times just telling me someone or something was around. I keep hearing about the Snake Classes for dogs . Mine Seem to have a Natural Fear of them. Do they have Porky pine Classes. That one cost me a bundle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
campbell954 Posted June 26, 2013 Author Share Posted June 26, 2013 Homefire - I had a Lab back before I got into prospecting. She was the best friend I ever had and would have made a great prospecting partner. I hope to get another dog, more so to keep me company when I'm out alone and secondly no one or nothing sneaks up on me. Definitely have to get her snake trained - the last was not so good around snakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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