Cue was sent but----

Voodoo Daddy said:
June 3, 2008 I was driving OTR for Werner, came out of Idaho in Mt on 90...it was snowing and late so I pulled over to rest and wait for the plows. I had to use the bathroom so I climbed out and took the 40 steps to the stall. After washing my hands I read a sign on the door that said "Beware of Bears", now Im thinkin to myself "self, you cant outrun no bear" but I didnt want to spend the night in a bathroom so I took off for my truck ala Jesse Owens. I got in the rig, laughed like a goofball and went to sleep...I cant imagine living so close to something bigger than I am, with claws !!

Voo~~bears didnt freak me out as much as the SNOW in JUNE did!!
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Heh I think that was the year we had snow on June 10th - Arizona grandkids made snowmen:smile: If you are still driving and stop at Muralts at the Y (I90 & US93) for the night let me know, maybe we can meet up and play some --- several guys & their gals who drive long distance have done that over the years.

CUEBUDDY,
Northwest Montana is pretty fantastic - good fishing, great scenery, not too many people. If you are around next summer, stop by --- I am 90 miles south of Glacier Park (20 miles south of Flathead Lake).
 
Scat here, scat there, scat everywhere.

Show us the pics are it didn't happen! :D j/k

Mike B (in AK) used to send me pictures of the grizzlies that darkened his front yard. The grizzlies were fast and furious and would destroy a large wooden bee hive with one swipe, scoop the honey comb and be gone in a flash.

One of them wasn't fast enough and Mike's got the pics to prove it.

Just curious how effective the bear spray is????

Stay safe and don't step in any scat.
 
Jack Madden said:
Heh I think that was the year we had snow on June 10th - Arizona grandkids made snowmen:smile: If you are still driving and stop at Muralts at the Y (I90 & US93) for the night let me know, maybe we can meet up and play some --- several guys & their gals who drive long distance have done that over the years.

CUEBUDDY,
Northwest Montana is pretty fantastic - good fishing, great scenery, not too many people. If you are around next summer, stop by --- I am 90 miles south of Glacier Park (20 miles south of Flathead Lake).
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You just made my day:thumbup:. I don't know when I will be back that way but I can assure you I will stop in to say hi, I know the area well and will never stop by with out notice, Thanks.
 
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Scaramouche said:
Katmai takes the bears seriously. Years ago, when I was there, the food storage for the campground was a small log cabin about 12 feet in the air.

Before going to Katmai, I was backpacking in Denali, I stopped at a ranger cabin to find out which side of the river was the better choice. The ranger was cooking, and the conversation meandered. Part of which went something like this:

Ranger: There is a momma bear out there with two cubs.
Me: (thinking he is just having fun with a tourist from a big city) I've never had any problems with bears, and I've done a lot of backpacking in the Canadian Rockies.
Ranger: She mauled a kid two days ago.
Me: They never told me when I registered to hike in this area. Do you want me to go someplace else?
Ranger: No. A hiker came through yesterday with no trouble.

The kid had tried to take a photo of the cubs, got too close. upsetting momma, and she took a swipe to express her displeasure.

So I head out. Hours later I see three bouncing brown spots ahead, upwind. Not wanting to overtake them I made camp. Next morning, a few feet from where my head was resting inside the tent, was a gouge in the earth, about a yard across. Similar gouges led out of camp in either direction.

Nothing was touched, neither my pack, tossed into bushes (no trees) about 100 yards away, nor my cooking gear and water bottles lined up near the tent.

Me and the three bears got along just fine for the rest of time I was in the area. But, as far as I know,:grin: they never came through my camp again.
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great post!!!!
 
Jack Madden said:
Where was your Dad in MT?

The bear experts say a bear sees as well as humans but their smell is a gazillion times (can't remember exactly - Corey you know?) better than ours. Thats why experts say the spray should work --- bear is only interested in getting away from the "thing" in his noise so should leave. But if you shot him (and it takes a big gun and right shot) he is likely to get really pissed at you and you are then fair game.

Over the years have seen quite a few bears on the property and about. They don't seem too interested in us (we are not normally on the food menu). But I do take extra precautions when hiking, fishing and on four wheeler. Have a friend in Gardner MT (entrance to Yellowstone) - he says when you go out of your house or shop the s.o.p. is to look both ways before proceeding since there is usually a bear lurking about.
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All good points. My dad is in Missoula and elk hunts near by there. I forget exactly where he said. I just thought it was funny you posted this around the same time he told me the other.

Yea, Gardner definitely can have the bears at the right time of year. They can be trouble for people and we can be trouble for them. Once a bear takes kindly to campgrounds or garbage dumps, they usually go bye bye. I think they get a couple of helicopter rides to the backwoods before they shoot them, but garbage is a grizzly's crack cocaine. You get between a bear and his garbage, watch out. . .They don't make a gun big enough and hopefully if you stay on the spray, it will walk around you at least. Once they take to garbage, it seems they have a hard time quitting, even when dropped a couple of mountains away.

You are probably right about the spray. My brother in law says that also, but WTF does he know. . .He's an Easterner!!!! Just a little inside humor for people from MT. :slap:

I have always liked guns, but I do believe what you say about the spray makes a lot of sense. It is my understanding that Grizzly/Brown Bears work on scent and movement. This means they smell you, mock charge you. . .if you run, adrenaline kicks in for them and it is game on! If you hold your ground with noise, spray, etc, I hear they are more likely to decide you called their bluff and move to other grounds. If you wound one, well again, the adrenaline kicks in and it is game on! but. . .if you have garbage. . .all bets are off!
 
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