Looking for Nitty-gritty Info on Bears & things that'll eat me. (Post Falls: house, camping)

[MoToIdaho]

Hi all! I'm new and already have an intro. thread going, so I'm not sure if it's kosher to start a new topic or not. Yell at me if I'm messin' up!

I'm an avid outdoors-woman and have relished the time I've spent burrowing into & finding places few people visit out here in Missouri. I love the wild places, the wilder the better. By kayak or foot, doesn't matter. So over time, I've gotten pretty familiar with our region's flora and fauna...behaviors of the wildlife, the sounds they make, tracks, how to act when I'm out and run into them etc. This season, I began to realize that I was even able to identify some of them before they came into view, by their noises (squeaks, grunts, chittering...and chewing in some cases.) If you know what you're doing...kayaks are silent & sneaky...and I've discovered, animals can be VERY noisy!! LOL I've been blessed to see some pretty awesome things and have had more than my fair share of "once in a lifetime" experiences.

That said...I'm know that most everything I know here, won't be worth squat...there. Missouri and Idaho are two very different lands with some very different critters. My Dad, a native born & raised in Idaho, has reinforced that. I'm on top of the food chain out here (as the saying goes), there...not so much. I'm careful and respectful here...even non-predators can hurt and/or kill you if you scare them, invade their space, etc. Let's not forget the snakes either! But...in a nutshell, here I'm the "stalker," there...depending on the situation and animals involved, I could be the stalk-ee. Lunch.

I've learned alot from Dad (he had several uneventful run-ins with bears in his youth...he's teaching me what he knows and he'll teach me more when we get there), but I want to know more, while I'm here. As much as I can. I know "book learning" differs drastically from first hand experience. But, experience I can't gain until I'm there. I won't venture out solo for quite some time...I'll defer to Dad's judgement on when he'll figure I'm ready.

So, this "green-horn" is looking for leads to books, online resources etc. ....and especially, first hand advice about the big predators that I will inevitably, eventually run into in the back-country.

I'm especially interested in the behavioral aspects, warning signs, first-hand accounts of attacks and escapes, situations NOT to put oneself into and etc. I'm also interested in learning about vital areas for these same beasties. I love animals...I'm one of those that gets irate when I see animals being mistreated or trampled on. I don't even like to kill spiders anymore. (Sad, huh?) But, if it comes down to a loved one or me....or them. Well, I'm going to protect loved ones and self without flinching.

I've found some info. here & there on the internet (some of it quite informative), but I'm looking to go deeper.

Where bears are concerned, I've discovered that there are two main camps of thought re: protection: the gun advocates and the pepper-spray group. I told Dad about the new "bear spray" movement and he laughed and snorted until tears ran down his face. His response was basically, "How thoughtful to season the meat for the bear!!"

So anyway!

I'd love to talk to or read stuff from some bear experts and other nitty-gritty material if anyone knows of some sources for me. None of the politcally correct stuff. If noone can help me or doesn't feel comfortable chiming in, I understand and that's okay too. I thank you anyway.

I'm still researching and actively hunting down the information here on the net...and eventually I'll probably find what I'm looking for but sure would love some good sources of information if anyone has any.

Thanks bunches!

[Clark Fork Fantast]

MTI,
I'm interested in the same question myself, so here are some useful websites. What they don't tell you is that it's not only the predators you should watch out for (as you mentioned yourself): Moose (which are abundant) can be very dangerous, and I wouldn't want to tangle with a bull elk, either. #1 rule is generally to make a lot of noise, and #2 rule is to back away. For some animals you'll want to maintain eye contact, for others, avoid eye contact! Look at the websites below. I don't think you can classify the bear approach as gun vs. spray. You always bring the spray, but you don't always have access to your weapon, and in national parks guns aren't an option. They're not mutually exclusive, even ideologically. This from a plinker/non-hunter, so you'll need more knowledgeable advice once you get to ID. Besides, you don't have to be in the backcountry to encounter major wildlife--within 1/2 hour we ran into two elk and a bear on our own property which is not all that remote...

A Guide to Living and Playing Safely in Bear Country
Learning to Live and Play Safely in Carnivore Country
Idaho Fish and Game - Fish/Wildlife
http://www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/

[fearnofish]

After many years of hunting in North Idaho I have run into Bears, Cougars, a Wolverine, Moose, Elk and about anything else. The only animal ever to charge has been moose. I have been charged or bluff charged by Moose atleast 10 times. Bear, cats, and especially Elk just run away. Oh unless you count grouse. In the spring we have had sooo many Grouse get all fluffed up and run right at us trying to scare us away its comical.

My deterrent is a .40 caliber pistol but if you don't want to carry then get some bear mace you can guy at any local sporting good store. I would not carry a pistol unless you understand it and are willing to use it. In Post Falls go to CENTER TARGET SPORTS by Wal-Mart and talk to them and they can set you up with the gun and the classes to learn how to shoot and carry it properly.

The last poster was wrong on one item. You ARE ALLOWED to carry concealed loaded firearms in National Parks as of Februaury. When that times rolls around i would double check just to make sure but as of now you can.

As far as experiences go everytime we were bluffed or actually charged it was a female moose and we had gotten between her and her calf or just were to close for her comfort. I have never had bear charge or bluff yet. It does happen and my hunting buddy has been run over by a bear, but in all fairness that was after he put a arrow into it and he was knelt down 15 yards away and the bear just ran him over and died about 20 yards away so it was more conincidence than anything.

All the cougars we have came across ran the other way or held there ground until we passed. Hunting late into December with about 5 feet of snow on the ground one year I ran across a cat laying under a tree where hardly any snow had piled up. We did not see each other until we were about 15 feet apart and he did his little roar and started to get up. I drew my pistol and held him at gunpoint, I guess you could say, as i walked backwards around the bend then briskly left that area. He never left under the tree and we got a few hundred yards away and watched him for a few minutes.
Once we called a nice Cougar in while turkey hunting. He came in to about 20 yards looking for dinner but a nice loud shot gun blast in the air sent him spinning in circles running away as fast as he could. It was rather comical actually.

[GrammasCabin]

[coriwithaK]

GrammasCabin, now that is funny!

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by fearnofish

The last poster was wrong on one item. You ARE ALLOWED to carry concealed loaded firearms in National Parks as of Februaury. When that times rolls around i would double check just to make sure but as of now you can.

Wow, that's interesting news! Thanks for pointing that out! Will double-check it.

And GrammasCabin, thanks for the laugh! You had me going there for a sec...

[MoToIdaho]

Mornin' all! Sorry to have posted and disappeared.

Clark Fork Fantast...

Thank you so much for the links (only one of those looks familiar to me, so I'm tickled pink here!!) AND I appreciate your perspective too.

Besides, you don't have to be in the backcountry to encounter major wildlife--within 1/2 hour we ran into two elk and a bear on our own property which is not all that remote...

That is just amazing to me!! To be able to see all that...wow. The most I can hope to see around here are squirrels and maybe the occasional 'coon or three. Unless, I can get back into the woods a bit...then the scariest we've got are regular old deer 'round here. Granted, I've run into beaver, muskrat & otter in the kayak...but again...nothing like elk and bear!
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Wow Fearnofish...I really appreciate the time you took to share all of that. I was really hoping that someone would. The advice and guidance you've given is priceless. Thank you!

Now see? I KNEW I didn't know anything!! *chuckle* I wouldn't have imagined that the moose are like that. Boy, I have a lot to learn. Dad has mentioned the moose, but hasn't gone into it a whole lot.

I'm all focused in and worried about the beasties with teeth and claws...when it sounds like, the hoofed ones will be more than likely what stomps my butt. ...thanks for helping me to expand my must-learn list. I'm soaking your info up like a sponge. Big thanks!

My Dad is insisting that I carry, if I'm eventually going to be out exploring on my own. I've been resisting, but I know he's right. Appreciate the tip on the classes...have written it down in my moving/settling "to-do" notebook. It'll be a priority, once I get there.

Good to know about the National Parks situation too...adding that tidbit to my notebook. I'm guessing that they'll probably cover that in the classes, but if they don't, I'll know to bring it up.

The stories you've shared have just fascinated me and given me much to think about, and more research starting points. I sure do appreciate your time. Big thank you!
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Grammascabin....ROFL!! My Dad's gonna enjoy that one for sure!!


Thanks everyone...very much!

[Poqui]

Grew up in SE Idaho and met all kinds of animals camping and I would concur that moose are the meanest animals on the hills. Everything else runs away from you or just sniffs your tent and keeps walking. SE Idaho is desert farm country but it sits at the foot of the Rockies where you can go and find all the animals you care to see and then more.

[Trace_Rinaldi]

Apparently we have a few bears and moose around our place.. I have never seen them myself, but have seen plenty of Elk and deer... Its been 5 years we have been coming to my property before we actually moved and I have never felt like I needed to pack heat around my place which is 25 heavily treed acres.. We have left food out on many occasions just to see if a bear would show up but nothing so far. Now if Im heading way out into the back country on my ATV, I will definitely be rolling with my Ruger 454 Alaskan..

[Fisherman 100]

Gee Trace sounds like you are out in the boonies sounds great. Just read an article in the paper where a guy shot a wolf near his house and got prosecuted for it. So I guess unless one of them is attacking your Basset hound or Pot Bellied Pig you had better leave em alone.