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Post by omgcrew on Apr 2, 2007 19:11:31 GMT -9
What does everyone bring with them? As far as gear, bear protection, emergency gear for the long hikes? This will be my first summer hiking/caching in the woods. How long does bear spray last unused?
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powmia
Silver Cacher
Caches Found/Hidden xxxx/x
Posts: 208
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Post by powmia on Apr 2, 2007 19:47:39 GMT -9
What does everyone bring with them? As far as gear, bear protection, emergency gear for the long hikes? This will be my first summer hiking/caching in the woods. How long does bear spray last unused? I use a fanny pack with back and shoulder straps. The bear spray gets velcroed to one strap near my shoulder so I can reach across with my best hand, grab, and aim. The last place you want it to be is in a pack where it is useless. This way, even if you have to eat the dirt, it is right with you. If you ever have to use it, use it until it is empty...you got one chance make it work. The cans are good for 4-6 years and have an expiration date on them. Hope that you are up wind if you have to use it. I got some from a partner that was 20 feet away when he unloaded and it floated to me...bad stuff.You have to be within 15 feet or so for it to be really effect. Believe, me you will not want to be in that predicament. I carry a couple pints of water in mesh pockets on the belt, and some snacks that do not give off odors. T-paper and a couple trash bags, and some light weight rain cover and self aid pack. If you pass by a bear in the woods you will probably be able to smell a rancid odor. Just keep walking and making noise. I have had to back track the same way I went in. When I passed by again the odor was gone. I also take a trekking pole for various uses. On long jaunts I prefer a partner but for basic geocaching I mostly have to go alone.
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Post by oleruns on Apr 2, 2007 22:17:15 GMT -9
I AM NO EXPERT but here is what I have learned about bears: I have a friend that just retired from Fish and Game, he is a bear biologist. We have talked about bears a lot, especially because I have a tendency to run into them. I have been as you know from my brown bear cache, close enough to touch a brown bear. That was one of seven encounters that year. Here is what I know as a fact: Bears run just as fast as a German Sheppard and their acceleration is very similar, YOU WILL NOT OUT RUN THEM. Also, you will have only one chance at best to pull your bear spray out without fumbling. Next you will have to hit them in their little eyes running at dog speed, not in the chest. Dale Bagley, the mayor of Soldotna was mauled by a brown bear. He was able to shoot in the air one time, the bear did not stop and was on top of him. The next shot was into the bear’s chest with his sidearm, a 44 magnum as it was biting into his skull. Dale is a cousin of my good friend, Brian Bagley. I went fishing with both of them just after Dale got out of the hospital. Dale was able to get to the highway and was picked up by a guy in a brand new truck. They guy said he would give him a ride to the hospital but Dale, who was bleeding badly, would have to ride in the bed of the truck. On the way to the hospital, Dale’s eye fell out because the bear had bitten through his orbital bone in his face. After all the reconstructive surgeries, Brian’s wife said Dale was better looking after the mauling. (Nice) Many years ago, the running community lost two well knows runners to a bear attack, Marcy Trent and Larry Waldron, the Glacier half-marathon is now named after them. Runners run into bears every year and normally things work out just fine and they just have their running shorts, no spray or guns. If you run into a bear, he/she may not see you try to back away and contrary to bear experts, I would say make no noise. If it doesn’t see you, why make a situation? If it sees you talk to it, and back away, don’t run. I am sure their eye site is very poor and it may not know you from a moose, stump or another bear. I think if you talk to it, you will eliminate the other possibilities in its brain. If there is a moose kill it is eating, that is the worst case, you will use your bear spray! If there is a cub and you are not between them ( I have had this a few times) the mother will push the cubs off in another direction. I don’t think she will charge unless you are really close, maybe less than 20 yards. I have not found that line and I don’t want to. I hope this helps and please respect bears but don’t be so scared that you don’t go into the woods. If you see a sign that a bear is in the area, it’s probably long gone but act if it is around the next corner, make noise. I like to talk very loud to my make-believe buddy about anything. One last thing, if you hear a twig break, it probably isn’t a bear they sound like a train as they bust down trees. I think 99.9% of the time, they just sit and watch you go by and you had no idea they were there. This all goes out the window if you have a dog with you – good luck. I hope this helps and again, it’s my opinion!
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AKDogMom
Silver Cacher
Kopper & Katie
Posts: 102
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Post by AKDogMom on Apr 3, 2007 10:37:09 GMT -9
Ole
Thanks for the great info. At the end of your post you said, all your suggestions fly out the window if you have a dog along. Of course I usually have at least one dog along, sometimes as many as 4. Is it your opinion/experience that everything just becomes unpredictable when a dog is involved? I figure, as much as I love my dogs, they are still "Bear Scoobey Snacks" if I have an encounter. The only problem with that is they can outrun me, that makes me the Scoobey Snack. I do carry a .44 with me when I cache, worse case scenario I guess would be using it on one of my dogs. I know it is worthless against a bear but it has other possible uses and it makes my husband more comfortable since I usually cache alone.
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Post by oleruns on Apr 3, 2007 13:31:10 GMT -9
I would bet that your dogs will be fine because they have much more agility than a bear. The competition the bear faces after if kills a moose are wolves taking its food. So when you add a dog I think the bear is going to guard its food a little more. The rest will depend on how the dog responds to the bear. Will your dog bark at the bear? What the bear will do will be unknown. Will it attack the bear and bring it back to you? The strange thing when you run into the bear is that you do not know the situation, if it is not running at you with gnashing teeth, you’ll probably be fine. Just try to keep as much distance as you can. I think we have more to worry about from creepy humans than bears. Speaking of creepy humans, don’t forget to vote – Ole
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Post by Malcore on Apr 3, 2007 14:52:45 GMT -9
I know from first hand experance that a can of bear spray can clear a whole warehouse of people ;] I work at Sams Club and a few years back we were selling bear spray and had it stocked in the seasonal area right in the middle of the club. Some kid thought he would be tricky and sprayed a whole can up into the air. It's amazing how fast that smell spreads, in less then 30 seconds the whole werehouse was full of it and people were running for the door. We had to turn on all the smoke extractors and run them for half an hour before it was possable to be inside without your eyes tearing. Only good thing about that is that the kid who did it got the worst of it. I think he learned his lesson. After that we stopped stocking it on the sales floor. One thing I have learned about bears is that if you come apon a sick bear you will have to shoot first. Mainly because they become totally unpredictable. Other then that I feel most situations can be handled using common since.
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Post by knappling on Apr 3, 2007 15:50:10 GMT -9
In the summer time I usually stay away from Campbell airstrip unless I am with someone - it is rare to be attacked in a group.
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Post by shadius on Apr 3, 2007 17:24:18 GMT -9
AAh, the good old days, when I could count on being able to cache with the Captain or Commanda or Even KCCacher. That made the situation safer - mostly we would be gabbing so loud about Dr. Bleh and his machinations that we even scared muggles.
I have been fortunate enough to not yet see a bear while caching, but I always have with me a can of bear spray, a first aid kit, a cell phone, some snacks, water, cache trade items; sometimes I have a cache repair kit and a flashlight.
Oh and a song, I always have a song - usually a Disney tune, though I try to come up with what fits the situation. I haven't figured out if it is my vocal stylings or song choices that have kept the bears away...
Though some have claimed that I am animal repellant. I was in Anchorage for 6 months before I saw my first moose, and the first bear I say was on my move out to Juneau as I was driving through Canada.
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