[Lemmy]

My sister-in-law is so fat, when she goes camping, the coyotes hide their food from her.

[ShepherdsDog]

We did a lot of camping(living actually) when I was younger in bear country, so bear repellent was always taken....a rabbit wasn't passed up either, even if we were fishing or just out on horseback. Usually it was a .410 , 12 guage(using a bird load) or a .22. We also had a shotgun whenever we went berry picking too. 9 times out of 10 the bears would haul ass out of the area or just give you a look see and wander off. That 1 time out of 10 required some encouragement

[Lemmy]

I spend a bit of time in the bush every year (Aug 17 this year, can't wait!) The bear you see isn't the dangerous one. A bear looking to hurt you will be on you before you ever see it. Bear repellent is really just seasoning...for your dead body. If they get close enough for you to use bear spray, you're likely fucked. A bag of small firecrackers is the best anti-bear defence. Just let one off every so often and they'll stay away. Mind you, we have black bears in Ontario, not Browns or Grizzlies.

[ShepherdsDog]

Fire crackers can set off forest fires. A load of bird, which was the repellent I was referring to, usually no. The best way to keep them away is to take your dogs, unless you have a dog that is a chicken shit and tries to claw his way into your tent when he hears a strange noise true story....but not my dog, a friends rottie.

[fifeboy]

BartSimpson BartSimpson:

fifeboy fifeboy:

A coyote is a large predator? Go get your eyes checked

Go check your facts before you dismiss me as a coyote is large enough.

http://www.google.com/#hl=en&output=sea ... 06&bih=585

While the attacks are infrequent I don't care to add to the statistics of infrequent victims.

Well Bart, that link took me to google so I looked up coyote attacks on humans. Although they do happen they are rare and usually on kids. I don't leave my 11 year old kid alone in the bush for any reason. Attacks on adults occure mainly on very small people. I don't think you fit the profile. I am not going to spend the time looking up "proof.". I also suspect more people are killed each year by unnecessarily armed fellow campers than by bears, cougars, wolves and coyotes. Go camping in a Canadian National Park with a gun is going to get you in trouble. Your national parks use your rules.

Watch out for the vicious members of the Genus Sorex. They are also a dangerous large predators.

[Caelon]

andyt andyt:

I've done a lot of backcountry travel when I was younger, including in grizzly country. Never had a problem.

Like you I did a fair bit of back packing into remote sites when I was younger. Saw lots of wildlife including bears eating berries, but never felt the need for a gun. Basic precautions are all that is required to keep you safe from harm.

The biggest problem was a pair of Whisky Jacks that had discovered bags hung in trees meant food was inside. Bringing the food to the ground would protect it agianst the birds, but not against other animals. The solution was to line the bag with all the metal plates, pots, etc. Kept the food safe, but the tunking of beaks on the metal was annoying in the morning.

[raydan]

Caelon Caelon:

andyt andyt:

I've done a lot of backcountry travel when I was younger, including in grizzly country. Never had a problem.

Like you I did a fair bit of back packing into remote sites when I was younger. Saw lots of wildlife including bears eating berries, but never felt the need for a gun. Basic precautions are all that is required to keep you safe from harm.

The biggest problem was a pair of Whisky Jacks that had discovered bags hung in trees meant food was inside. Bringing the food to the ground would protect it agianst the birds, but not against other animals. The solution was to line the bag with all the metal plates, pots, etc. Kept the food safe, but the tunking of beaks on the metal was annoying in the morning.

Same here, I've seen bears, cougars (briefly) and coyotes on my camping trips and hikes. But the animal that scared me the most was a bull moose. Just had time to get out of his way but still felt the shock-wave as he rumbled by me.

[ShepherdsDog]

Mule deer are another nasty beast. Mind you, more people have been killled by cattle than wolves.

[fifeboy]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

Fire crackers can set off forest fires. A load of bird, which was the repellent I was referring to, usually no. The best way to keep them away is to take your dogs, unless you have a dog that is a chicken shit and tries to claw his way into your tent when he hears a strange noise true story....but not my dog, a friends rottie.

A guy who had a cabin down the street from me got himself a karelian bear dog. If you have a bear problem, that dog is the ticket.

[ShepherdsDog]

I only had a Black Lab as a kid...still worked well....unless a skunk or a porcupine was within 10 miles.

[fifeboy]

ShepherdsDog ShepherdsDog:

I only had a Black Lab as a kid...still worked well....unless a skunk or a porcupine was within 10 miles.

Oh yeah, know what you mean.

[SprCForr]

Cull them. Then them fleabags will once again run the other way at the slightest sniff.

[RumRunner]

Never under estimate a coyote!
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot ... -died.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot ... dport.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scot ... field.html
Just a few examples.

[bootlegga]

Odds are someone left some beef jerky or something in the tent - that's the dumbest thing a camper can do.

Every animal in the forest will raid your tent for food left behind - on one trip, a friend left some chocolate bars in his tent while we went hiking. When we came back, squirrels (judging by the tiny size of the holes on the floor of his tent) had torn his tent, sleeping bag and everything else inside to shreds.

As for taking a gun camping - I've never felt the need to - and I've back-country camped in country overrun with grizzly, black bears, wolves and cougars (not the 45 year young man chasing ones either).

I'm not opposed to it, I just never felt the need to lug around 15-20 (more if you want a ton of ammo) pounds of metal that the odds say I won't need or use. My backpack is is already more than heavy enough thank you!

[BartSimpson]

bootlegga bootlegga:

As for taking a gun camping - I've never felt the need to - and I've back-country camped in country overrun with grizzly, black bears, wolves and cougars (not the 45 year young man chasing ones either).

I'm not opposed to it, I just never felt the need to lug around 15-20 (more if you want a ton of ammo) pounds of metal that the odds say I won't need or use. My backpack is is already more than heavy enough thank you!

I just carry my Star .45 with a spare clip. All told, about six pounds. I also use Hydra-shok hollow points so, arguably, I save a little on weight.