Bell as bear defense?

[mtngunr]

The joke in bear country being, "how could I tell it was bear scat? It smelled like pepper spray and had little bells in it!"

 

[Sunray]

"...there are deaf bears out there..." Deaf bears are dead as cubs.
Yogi isn't interested in you. Nor is he out there looking for people to eat. People smell of nothing but trouble for Yogi. Yogi will avoid you like the trouble making bad smell you are, if he can.
A jingle bell, attached to your person, will let Yogi and Cindy with cubs(far more dangerous) that you're there. So will your natural stomping about in the bush.

 

[jlbraun]

A bear that will run at the sight or sound of a person will run at the sound of a bell.

A bear that will investigate and possibly eat a person will investigate and eat a person with a bell. I fail to see what a bell would ever do for anyone.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

A bear that will investigate and possibly eat a person will investigate and eat a person with a bell. I fail to see what a bell would ever do for anyone.

As noted above, the bell serves to eliminate surprise encounters between humans and bears. Surprise encounters are one of the leading reasons for bear attacks against humans, especially when the bear is a sow with cubs. One of the responses by bears when surprised by what is perceived as a threat is a brief and often quite violent attack. The attack is almost purely defensive (the bear doesn't then eat the person) and ends when the bear perceives the person to no longer be a threat.

Surprise enounter attacks by bears are not usually lethal, but even the relatively minor injurious attacks require medical attention and/or hospitalization.

 

[charby]

Rest assured they smelled you, though. Their sense of smell is legendary.

I kind of figured that figuring how they can find food just about everywhere. I'm hoping to be going hunting for black bear in couple years when I start drawing tags and I'm going to have to learn to deal with the smell aspect.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Yeah - bears are really scarey!! The forest is a terrifying place! Any time I'm not on pavement I go heavily armed!

Bells are annoying, even if they're fairly quiet. On the other hand, they're lighter a huge revolver. Both are usually pretty useless. The bear more than likely will know you're in the area regardless. I see black bear all the time - sometimes when I'm carrying, sometimes when I'm not. My fear level is about the same in both instances. Really - anybody who's that terrified of scarey bears should probably think about staying out of the woods until they overcome thier neurosis.

As far as Griz/Browns are concerned, I'd either carry a large caliber magnum rifle or nothing at all. About the only good a handgun will do you in this situation is it's easier to shoot yourself in the head (or, as somebody already stated - your partner in the leg) with a pistol.

 

[m4coyote]

Just today, a man and his son were attacked by a black bear in Cades Cove in the Smokey Mountain National Forest. They were hiking on a remote trail, and were stalked by a young male bear. The son was attacked first, and the father beat the bear with sticks and rocks. The bear retreated, and disappeared, then made a second surprise attack.

The two were treated for puncture and laceration wounds, and then released at a near by hospital. This bear only weighed 55 lbs. and was killed by rangers when it acted aggressively towards them.

I say, let us be armed in the National Parks!

 

[paintballdude902]

i would but id still have a gun or atleast bear spray

alot of people i know that have hiked in bear country like to sing or even talk loudly to bears to let them know they are there (saying thinks like hey bear just passing thru go away just out for a walk)

 

[dhoomonyou]

ring the dinner bell.

 

[kurtiss]

Sorry they had that incident, but glad they were not killed. Definitely another clear example of why carrying a gun in a National Park needs to become legal. When we are hiking in Bear country, we always make sure we are known by yelling "hey Bear" every few minutes. However, hunting is a different story. You are in the woods amongst them and trying to be as stealth as possible.

 

[A man with a gun!]

There are two types of bear attacks. Offensive and defensive. If the bear's got a notion to make an offensive attack the bells ain't going to help.

 

[Double Naught Spy]

There are two types of bear attacks. Offensive and defensive. If the bear's got a notion to make an offensive attack the bells ain't going to help.

True. Most attacks, however, are defensive. Contrary to popular belief, bears don't naturally fear humans per se, but do prefer to avoid encounters. So if the bear knows you are coming, chances are, the bear would rather avoid you than confront you.

There are exceptions, of course. A bear may be inclined to stay and defend a kill whether he hears you coming or not.