[cowpony]

I was out walking the puppy when one of my neighbors called out to me. A bear had just walked through their yard and into the woods. I just missed it. Yikes! This neighbor thought it was a cub, but another neighbor thought it was a yearling.

Hmmm. Most of my neighbors have appropriate trash storage. I'm of the few that leaves a trash can outside, The combined waste of two dogs plus a cat tends to overpower the attraction of any discarded food, so I haven't had any wildlife try to get into it. One of my neighbors, however, has left hamburger buns scattered around his grill twice in the past week. I wonder if I want to start carrying bear spray on my walks.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

I would start carrying bear spray with you. Why has one of you neighbors left hamburger buns scattered around his grill🤨? I really like bears, but I don't want a close encounter with one!

 

[cowpony]

I would start carrying bear spray with you. Why has one of you neighbors left hamburger buns scattered around his grill🤨? I really like bears, but I don't want a close encounter with one!

I'm guessing the hamburger buns come from his grandkids being slobs. He's the sweetest guy, but some of his relatives are a bit flaky.

 

[Fenris-wolf]

I'm guessing the hamburger buns come from his grandkids being slobs. He's the sweetest guy, but some of his relatives are a bit flaky.

Wow😑 That's awesome that he's very sweet though.

 

[Asta's Mom]

Yes to the bear spray. When I was having a long visit with a friend in Alaska always wore bear bells. They are awesome. She gave me some bear bells as a keepsake. The bells are said to help repel bears. My bells are beautiful, all the handwork on the necklace and wonderful sounds. Maybe the adult version of potty bells - lol

 

[Whoiscoconut]

They really make bear spray? We don’t have bears here, so I’ve literally never heard of bear spray. About the closest I’ve come is staying in my aunt’s cabin in Canada.

 

[Whoiscoconut]

Yes to the bear spray. When I was having a long visit with a friend in Alaska always wore bear bells. They are awesome. She gave me some bear bells as a keepsake. The bells are said to help repel bears. My bells are beautiful, all the handwork on the necklace and wonderful sounds. Maybe the adult version of potty bells - lol

Can you post a pic of your bear bells, I’m so curious!

 

[cowpony]

They really make bear spray? We don’t have bears here, so I’ve literally never heard of bear spray. About the closest I’ve come is staying in my aunt’s cabin in Canada.

Yes, it's basically pepper spray, except the can is designed to spray further with longer duration. The idea is to put a cloud of fumes up between you and the bear then hit the bear the face if it motors through the fumes.

Hmm. I need to think about this. We have black bears in my area. 300 years of being hunted has left them fairly timid (although feeding them hamburger buns could change that.) I expect most will retreat, the exception being a sow with cubs. I doubt a mama bear who thinks I'm threatening her babies will back off even with pepper spray. Plus, getting pepper spray on my dog will probably cause the dog to freeze or blunder around in an unpredicted direction. That won't help matters much.

 

[For Want of Poodle]

I have genuinely never needed to use bear spray, even in situations where I was working near bears habituated to and unafraid of humans (9+ bears who thought honking a horn meant dinner time at a dump). . I carried it sometimes, but the general consensus was you are lucky if fhe bear is down wind of you to use it (usually you only encounter bears who are upwind and didn't smell you coming). I should mention for anyone else reading this to never ever use it if the bear is upwind of you unless you like the sensation of pepper spray! Grizzlies are a bit different, but I have walked within 100 m of a grizzly sow and her cubs without them even stirring (I didn't see them lying off to the side of a path until I was almost past them).

I would keep the dogs on leash or on a long line, and potentially put bear bells on their collars/on you when you walk, and maybe carry a large hiking stick to look bigger.

 

[bluegirl1997]

I have seen so many bears this year! Is it a super year like with plants some years? I saw a sow with FOUR cubs last week, and another a short distance further with 2. Plus this guy, all in the same few days!

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[bluegirl1997]

Here is a mama with 4 cubs taken through my back windshield lol


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[scooterscout99]

Perhaps with fewer humans out and about the bears are free to roam farther afield. This is true in the urban areas for other wildlife.

 

[Dianaleez]

Normie and I count chubby rabbits on our morning walks. I don't think either of us wants to count bears.

Our bears get picked up by wildlife control and relocated to the national park. That's fine by me.

Bluegirl, where are you located?

 

[bluegirl1997]

Normie and I count chubby rabbits on our morning walks. I don't think either of us wants to count bears.

Our bears get picked up by wildlife control and relocated to the national park. That's fine by me.

Bluegirl, where are you located?

Northern BC where the grizzlies are now protected by law and black bear are as plentiful as bunnies. And I must say, for how many bears and cougars there are, there are remarkably few predator/human conflicts. None here for years


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[Asta's Mom]

Can you post a pic of your bear bells, I’m so curious!

Sorry to wait so long to post pics of my bear bells. Here goes:

 

[Vita]

Sorry to wait so long to post pics of my bear bells. Here goes:
View attachment 470168

Maybe these could be put on the dog's collar?
And do they really work? What about a whistle?

 

[Johanna]

Bears can really be dangerous. We had one in our neighborhood that started by raiding garbage cans, then started killing chickens, and then he graduated to goats. The game warden told all of us that if we could kill him to do so. Someone finally did get him in their rifle sights and put an end to him. The game warden was concerned that he might graduate from goats to children, and we all agreed that that bear needed to go to bear heaven (or more likely to bear hell).

We keep a can of bear spray in the kitchen. We bought it after a woman was severely mauled by a bear who opened her patio door and came in. Most bears are not likely to attack a person, but dogs have no sense of danger and are likely to be hurt or killed if they attack a bear.

 

[Asta's Mom]

The bells must have worked for me as I didn't turn up a bear. My Alaskan girlfriend Joni, says she always wear them when walking in remote areas. She also carries a rifle.. We did have a great time driving a pickup from Phoenix to Juneau. Fabulous. Joni had a cute little A-frame outside Juneau and I really loved the place. I'd never make it living up there and dealing with cold and the longer/shorter days but I would go visit again in a heartbeat. Bells Not much needed here in Alabama just home decor.