Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 09:20:39 -0800
Reply-To: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: David Marshall <vanagon@VOLKSWAGEN.ORG>
Subject: Re: RoadHaus - Bear Country Precautions
In-Reply-To: <005101c3f308$a02df440$1edd91a6@laptop>
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Larry and the list,
My experience living in bear country indicates there are two kinds of bears.
City bears and country bears. City bears are basically glorified garbage
dump rats and these are the most dangerous as they associate humans with
food and they are *not* afraid of you. Unfortunately this is the type of
bears most of us see and these can be very dangerous bears because they have
no fear of humans (see the movie "The Great Outdoors"). I had a 2 year old
sow around the property this summer, she was looking for apples from our
apple tree (I and my neighbours was a source of food). She was certainly
not afraid of me or my Boarder Collie who would always bark her fool hear
off at the bear. I though I would tolerate her and in a few days she would
be gone. I came home from town one afternoon and while I was walking my two
children to the house the bear came walking towards us and was huffing and
puffing aggressively. I got the kids in the house and called the
conservation officer for advice. They told me to destroy the bear myself or
they would come by in the next few days and to it themselves. The bear was
still around the house and I went outside with a 20ga shot gun and a pocket
full of slugs. I figured I would be a little more brave and see if I could
encourage the bear to leave by firing a shot into the air. Instead it sort
of looked at me like "I'm not afraid, ya wanna piece of me punk!?" and went
on walking slowly towards me. The bear didn't like what I did next. This
is my big bad encounter with a bear - at my house and not in the back
country. Back country bears, real back country - not bears near established
campgrounds or parks and other places where humans frequent, but real back
country bears are pretty safe unless you totally invade their space. I
seldom see a bear in the back country, as soon as they see us they're gone
as they know humans are bad news and not considered a source of food - with
that in mind - DON'T FEED THE BEARS OR LEAVE GARBAGE BEHIND. The only time
when you are in danger is if you sneak up on one - no one would (I hope)
purposely do that, but when you are on a nice and peaceful walk you could
just happen to go around the next bend and be right next to a bear - we'll
you are now in the bear's personal space (they do need more than us) and it
will protect itself by doing nasty things to you. Best thing to do in the
outback is make noise why you go for a walk and make sure your dog doesn't
get to far ahead. Bears and dogs don't like each other and once your dog
pisses off a bear and decides 'help' it will run back to you with a POed
bear right behind it. Take bear bells or a small bike horn and make
yourself known in bear country - you'll never see a bear and really that is
a good thing - make your dog wear a bell too. I never take a fire arm
camping, but I do have a canister of bear spray which is basically
industrial strength pepper spray in the BIG bottle format (coke can size) -
that's it. The most important thing is knowing how to tell the difference
between Black bear and Grizzly bear droppings. Black bears have little
droppings with little berries in it, Grizzly bears have bigger droppings
with bear bells and it smells like pepper! In short, treat all bears like
city bears, don't be a source of food, don't leave anything behind when you
are back country camping.
David Marshall
Fast Forward Automotive Inc.
4356 Quesnel-Hixon Road
Quesnel BC Canada V2J 6Z3
http://www.fastforward.ca mailto:sales@fastforward.ca
Phone: (250) 992 7775 FAX: (250) 992 1160
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-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Larry Chase
Sent: February 14, 2004 6:41 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: RoadHaus - Bear Country Precautions
John,
First of all .... Thank you taking the time to email and offer
encouragement.
Notes like this provide a great deal of inspiration and motivation to
keep on trucking :)
Secondly, you bring up a very good point and one of concern.
This past year I've traveled from Baja, Mexico to Chicken, Alaska, much
of the Yukon, BC and parts of Alberta.
Any much of it has been in wild back country rather than developed
campgrounds.
As you can imagine, I've been in a fair amount of bear country.
"be sure to keep anything that might attract Yogi & company (that
includes scented stuff like deodorant) well away from the RoadHaus,"
That has posed a real problem ....
When one is traveling and living fulltime in one of these rigs, you end
up with stuff stashed into every available nock and cranny.
Reality ... it's darn near impossible to remove everything each night
that might attract one of these noble beasts.
Of course I do sensible things like not Popping the Top and not leaving
trash and such outside.
I've talked with a fair amount of Rangers and Outdoors people about what
to do.
In short ... I have not identified the perfect solution.
What I do.
1. Put out an outside spot light that can be turned on from inside the
Van.
- Will scare away some critters when turned on
2. Keep my Car Alarm Remote handy so I can activate the ear Piercing
Alarm.
- Will scare away some critters when turned on
3. Keep the Van ready for a quick getaway in the middle of the night.
- Keys in the ignition and pointed at a good evacuation route
Other that those things, I'm a little stumped.
Suggestions most welcome.
Larry Chase
Email: RoadGuy@RoadHaus.com
Web: WWW.RoadHaus.com
Cell: 408.202.1217
What: North American Road Trip
How: RoadHaus - 1990 White VW Westfalia Syncro
Today: Florida
-----Original Message-----
From: John F.
Sent: Saturday, February 14, 2004 2:26 AM
To: Larry Chase
Subject: Re: Antifreeze and pests and pets
Clipped >>>>
Anyhow, just wanted to drop one quick note. Living near bear country as
I do (Yosemite, CA), be careful stashing food and any other scented
items that may attract critters inside of the van. Nutria are harmless
enough, and their maneuvering for your foodstuffs makes for great
storytelling. But animals of greater capacity are just as intersted in
what you might have stuffed away and won't stop at just scurrying up the
side of the van to get at things. If you're ever in bear country, be
sure to keep anything that might attract Yogi & company (that includes
scented stuff like deodorant) well away from the RoadHaus, or you might
get an uninvited (albeit furry and warm) visitor.
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