Bears

Good advice.
We had a near-bear experience in Yellowstone while sleeping in a tent (which you should never do).
After that, I always have my spray on me in the woods.

In Sequoia Nat'l Park three of us were sitting around a campfire. My wife sensed something beside her, when she looked to her right there was a brown bear just a few feet away from her. All three of us got to our feet and move to put the fire between us and the bear. I yelled and clapped my hands and the bear took off running right towards the open door of our trailer. Luckily the bear turned and headed down the road.

In Yosemite we were sleeping in a tent and we could hear a bear walk right by our tent over to the metal food box. It tried the lid on the box to see if it would open and then went on to the next campsite.

If you ever come across this again and there is a church close, climb a tree instead of going in the church. Moral of the story: Never run in a church with a bear behind. Have a great day

I was pulling into a OHV staging area at the East end of the famous Rubicon Trail one morning. There were a few rigs there, mostly trucks with empty trailers. But there was this one van. Next to the passenger door was a man in a heavy coat and hood trying to break into the van through the vent window. As I got closer, I could see it wasn't a man at all, but a bear! I drove over for a closer look and the bear took off and climbed a tree in the lot. I pulled over to the tree and the bear had climbed maybe 5 feet or so higher than my window. I rolled down my window and started taking pictures. The bear must have freaked out about this time because it starting pissing and crapping itself right there in the tree. Suddenly it dropped to the ground and ran. It ran in a straight line. Along that line was an enclosed trailer. One of those thin aluminum jobs that some folks will haul their OHV's in. The bear it the side of that trailer, maybe 25' long, and went right though it and out the other side! I couldn't believe my own eyes! This bear, running full tilt, didn't even slow down when he hit that trailer. BAM! Punched quite a hole in it.
I later wrote a note and placed it on the truck's windshield so the guy would know what happened when he got back. I left another on the van where I first spotted the bear, so the guy would know how close his rig came to being pried open as well.

Many, many years ago as a young boyscout, our troop went on a back pack trip in Yosemite. First night we slept in a campground in the valley in sleeping bags on the ground. In the middle of the night, I woke up, peaked out of my sleeping bag and saw a bear sniffing the face of my dad sleeping about 10 feet from me. I froze and seconds later the bear just wandered off into the woods. Scared me to death! My dad couldn't believe it when I woke him and told the story. None of us got much sleep the rest of the night!

Was tenting in Canada, many years ago, traveling on a motorcycle, with my young daughter. We put our tent a little back in the trees, in a CG to enjoy our own space. Late night, something woke us, shaking our tent. With the thin nylon tent, and bright moon, I could clearly see it was a bear that got tangled in our tent support strings. I reached for my weapon/hammer, and told her not to worry, I will deal with the bear, while you go to safety. Her concern....if the bear gets you, how am I going to get home? Well we had no food, nothing the bear wanted, so it moved on. Sure made me laugh later on, thinking that if the bear killed me, the only real issue would be a way home for her!

Jerry

As a youth had close encounter with Mama Bear and her 2 cubs while deer hunting.
SHE had our full cooperation!

Had a few sightings of ones running across backroads when we were FT Traveling.

One close encounter was at a day use park we stopped at for lunch. Down and across the road was a large picnic area that a group was setting up -----lots of various food items being placed out on tables.
Just about the time they were ready to chow down we noticed a large bear standing in the tree line about 50 yards above them. It was swaying back/forth and sniffing the air

We honked our truck horn....got their attention and pointed at the bear.
They all got up, slowly moved to their vehicles and LEFT.
Bear watched them depart then meandered down the hill and had a feast.
When it looked like BEAR was getting close to being done ------WE departed :B

I am reminded of the words of Kipling (Poem: The Female of the Species)

When the Himalayan peasant meets the he bear in his pride he will shout to scare the monster who will often turn aside
But the She bear thus accosted rends the peasant tooth and nail.
For the Female of the Species is more deadly than the male.

Folks.. I much prefer seeing bears in a zoo. Safer that way

Oh and when at the zoo.. DO NOT PET THE BIG KITTIES.

I woke one morning in Yosemite with a bear nose on my cheek. He was a nice bear so I waited until he was close to one of the other campers and yelled to wake up. The ensuing screaming drove him back into the woods.

Had a nice sized grizzly kind enough to stand up on his hind legs for a picture next to Telegraph Creek hwy, BC. a few years ago. Well...maybe he was not giving us a friendly hello because he then got down a did a charge. We must have crossed that invisible line or maybe he just wanted us back in the truck. Got back in the truck to be sure bases & backsides were covered.