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I'm planning on visiting the area this spring or fall with my 75 lb dog. Is there such a thing as a campground with no bears anywhere in the area? KOA, in town or anything? Or does any woman have a back yard & bathroom access I could rent for a tent? I would not be around much at all. I'm a quiet woman in my 50's & polite. But no bears... Otherwise no one would be able to sleep with the dog barking.
Does anyone know of a kennel that would take my dog during the day and allow for a late pick up? I'd be willing to pay someone who had a fenced yard.
Wyoming does have bear throughout the state; Teton County has more than its share. If one strolls into your campsite, it won't be unusual. The aforesaid notwithstanding, few people experience this. However, I believe that you would be far more comfortable staying in a motel'
Years ago, we had a very friendly and mild-mannered dog. One night, however he awoke us barking in an enraged fashion that I had never heard before. He kept it up for some time and wanted to go out, Needless to say, we kept him in. The next morning there were tracks and scat visible around the house.
Better safe than sorry.
Tip: bears are attracted to bright colors. People in bright colored tents have had more problems than those in dark or neutral colors.
Tip: bear spray works very well provided that it hits the bear. This has led some people to spray tents, packs, etc. This does not work. Although bears do not like being sprayed in the face, they find a soupçon of the spray very appetizing, something like the attitude of people to Tabasco.
Wyoming does have bear throughout the state; Teton County has more than its share. If one strolls into your campsite, it won't be unusual. The aforesaid notwithstanding, few people experience this. However, I believe that you would be far more comfortable staying in a motel'
Thanks. I'd be very surprised to find a hotel room last minute though. Chances are I won't be able to plan everything till a few weeks before at the most. Maybe airBNB might work.
So, I guess there are no campgrounds public or private without bears in the area? No KOA in city limits?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming
Years ago, we had a very friendly and mild-mannered dog. One night, however he awoke us barking in an enraged fashion that I had never heard before. He kept it up for some time and wanted to go out, Needless to say, we kept him in. The next morning there were tracks and scat visible around the house.
Better safe than sorry.
Tip: bears are attracted to bright colors. People in bright colored tents have had more problems than those in dark or neutral colors.
Tip: bear spray works very well provided that it hits the bear. This has led some people to spray tents, packs, etc. This does not work.
I camped north of JH about 20 years ago without knowing much at all about grizzlies. I also had no idea they were very far outside Yellowstone. I pulled into a primitive campsite in the mountains and wondered why someone had hacked a tree in the site with an axe for no apparent reason. And why so high up in the tree? (Duh)
I set up my tent and went hiking, came back sick as a dog and was so sick I could not move much from the tent and pretty much just slept for 2 straight days. Every once in a while I'd wake up to someone walking around my tent in the middle of the night. Weirdly breathing. Kind of huffing. Maybe to scare me? I was too sick to care much and would just drift back to sleep. After 2 days I was well enough to make it to my truck. I noticed the 2 other people in the campground had left.
It didn't dawn on me that those were grizzly claw marks in that tree until I had left. If I had realized that a bear was circling my tent at the time I would have died of a heart attack. No bear attack needed. I had idiot protection on that trip. Maybe the bear didn't want to eat something sweaty sick.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming
Although bears do not like being sprayed in the face, they find a soupçon of the spray very appetizing, something like the attitude of people to Tabasco.
I'm torn between being horrified and finding that very very funny.
Thanks. I'd be very surprised to find a hotel room last minute though. Chances are I won't be able to plan everything till a few weeks before at the most. Maybe airBNB might work.
So, I guess there are no campgrounds public or private without bears in the area? No KOA in city limits?
Bears come within city limits. Besides, I don't believe that Jackson has an ordinance forbidding them to enter the city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn 123
I camped north of JH about 20 years ago without knowing much at all about grizzlies. I also had no idea they were very far outside Yellowstone. I pulled into a primitive campsite in the mountains and wondered why someone had hacked a tree in the site with an axe for no apparent reason. And why so high up in the tree? (Duh)
I set up my tent and went hiking, came back sick as a dog and was so sick I could not move much from the tent and pretty much just slept for 2 straight days. Every once in a while I'd wake up to someone walking around my tent in the middle of the night. Weirdly breathing. Kind of huffing. Maybe to scare me? I was too sick to care much and would just drift back to sleep. After 2 days I was well enough to make it to my truck. I noticed the 2 other people in the campground had left.
It didn't dawn on me that those were grizzly claw marks in that tree until I had left. If I had realized that a bear was circling my tent at the time I would have died of a heart attack. No bear attack needed. I had idiot protection on that trip. Maybe the bear didn't want to eat something sweaty sick.
I'm torn between being horrified and finding that very very funny.
I hope that you and your dog come and have a good time. If you come by the middle of June or even a bit later, you shouldn't have trouble finding a motel.
Every county in Wyoming has recorded snow in every month of the year. Jackson has recorded snow many times in June and late August. May is one of our three snowiest months along with March and April. It's not really bad. I live just across the continental divide near Cody. I've had bears on my property several time without mishap. Wyoming is paradise for those of us who live here. I grew up in Chicago; nothing could get me to move back there.
Bears come within city limits. Besides, I don't believe that Jackson has an ordinance forbidding them to enter the city.
Hmm... I stayed with a friend of a friend for a while before the campsite. She was in JH. I can't imagine grizzlies in her back yard...?? Maybe black bears? I would imagine black bears aren't very aggressive in grizzly habitat? Not that I appreciate black bears sniffing my tent either, but I can't imagine bears on a regular basis in town?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming
I hope that you and your dog come and have a good time. If you come by the middle of June or even a bit later, you shouldn't have trouble finding a motel.
Thank you, that's reassuring. Would rather camp and stay longer, but safe is better than sorry. I'll also try airBNB etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming
Every county in Wyoming has recorded snow in every month of the year. Jackson has recorded snow many times in June and late August. May is one of our three snowiest months along with March and April. It's not really bad. I live just across the continental divide near Cody. I've had bears on my property several time without mishap. Wyoming is paradise for those of us who live here. I grew up in Chicago; nothing could get me to move back there.
Thank you, it's nice to be welcomed. Yes, Wyoming is much more peaceful than Chicago. So beautiful. Sounds like you have a beautiful area. I would be tempted to live near JH if it wasn't for the extreme cold. And expense.
An inch or few of snow is no big deal even with my wimpy car if I'm already in the valley.
Thank you, it's nice to be welcomed. Yes, Wyoming is much more peaceful than Chicago. So beautiful. Sounds like you have a beautiful area. I would be tempted to live near JH if it wasn't for the extreme cold. And expense.
An inch or few of snow is no big deal even with my wimpy car if I'm already in the valley.
Wyoming winters aren't that bad although it depends upon the specific location. Winter here is far easier than Chicago. There's no late January warmup there. Cody normally doesn't get much snow, but last winter was a nightmare. I had ten foot drifts and it was cold.
Jackson is incredibly expensive because there's hardly any private land. A forty acre parcel that sells for 250k-300k around Cody could easily be ten million or more over there. That does not include a house. People who work in Jackson often commute long distances because of this.
Bears seldom come into populated areas because they don't like noise and commotion, but it's not unknown.
Down Snake River Canyon if you can find a camping spot, less chance of a bear and if there is one in probably be a black bear. but most camp site are filled with summer Transients , that work in Jackson.
Wyoming does have bear throughout the state; Teton County has more than its share. If one strolls into your campsite, it won't be unusual. The aforesaid notwithstanding, few people experience this....
The two statements in bold contradict each other a bit, and while I won't put words into Happy's mouth, I will give my opinion. It's probably not unusual that a bear strolls into a public campground somewhere in the valley on any given day, but it would be unusual that one wanders into any specific campground on any specific day, and that's how I read the above. In that context, the apparent contradiction makes sense. I've spent hundreds of nights in Wyoming campgrounds from the Black Hills to the Tetons and never seen a bear in one.
If one were to pay you an evening visit, it most likely would be a black bear, simply because they outnumber grizzlies in the area. (Not that your dog would care whether it was a black or a grizzly.)
I could be mistaken about this, as I live in a relatively bearless part of the state, but I *think* bears that habitually hang out in campgrounds or (especially) towns will be moved far away.
My sister-in-law, who visits us most summers for some mountain camping, is afraid of bears and doesn't like the idea of tent camping in NW Wyoming because of them. She's done it and has never seen one in our campgrounds, but she's heard stories... like yours, Lynn. It happens, but like Happy says, "few people experience this."
I have "camped" in Canada and Alaska where bears were thick, but that was unusual. Katmai National Park in Alaska has cabins at Brooks Lodge, which you MUST rent if staying there. They have grizzly/brown bears constantly roaming the area. They're THICK. We had them on our porch at night! I've had to step off a narrow trail to let one pass. I've had to cut my fishing line when brownies approached while I had fish hooked. Katmai is, I believe, the only Park in the world where brownies/grizzlies are allowed to "mingle" with people. So far, I don't believe anyone has ever been mauled in that park, although a National Geographic photographer was run over by one when I was visiting -- knocked down and run over when the bear came from behind him headed for his fishing hole at Brooks Falls. The bear didn't slow down, just continued a few more feet and splashed into the river. I was at the Falls that same day. (That's the time I met one on the trail to the Falls.) The photographer wasn't hurt, except for some scratches and bruises from taking the tumble.
Campgrounds with black bear don't seem too unusual in Canada. I've shared many campgrounds with them while camping in an RV. No dog. And I've shared many fishing holes with black bears. No dog. I show them respect and give them plenty of room, but so far they've always been willing to share. (I wouldn't do that with grizzlies!)
But in the lower 48, forest service and park officials try to keep bears and people apart. Decades ago, when I was just a pup, Yellowstone black bears were allowed to beg for food on the Park's main roads. That hasn't been the case in the past 50 years.
Once every several years a bear or mountain lion will wander into "my" town on the prairie. They get a dart in the butt and are hauled off to the mountains. My guess -- and it's only a guess -- is that Jackson does the same thing. People like bears but not in their garbage cans, and authorities usually haul off city bears.
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