Protection when camping on tour up north?

Hang your food in a tree away from you. Make sure you don't have any food, snacks or toothpaste in your tent ever. Cook away from your tent. In 30+ years of camping up north I have never had problems with bears. They have come through camp many times, sniffed the stove and cook area and moved on. At the cottage I have some really loud firecrackers to scare them away, more because generally the renters next to my place are idiots and leave food out on the picnic tables.

I have never needed a gun, but if you go that route 12 ga shotgun alternating buck shot and slugs with a flash bang first. Rifle you would want something like a carbine chambered in a 45/70 Gov't.
 
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skip said:
Hang your food in a tree away from you. Make sure you don't have any food, snacks or toothpaste in your tent ever. Cook away from your tent. .
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I would just add anything that smells: toiletries, makeup, etc has to be hung on tree away from the camp.

I usually pack bear bangers (e.g. http://www.mec.ca/AST/ShopMEC/HikingCamping/HealthSafety/PRD~4007-144/tru-flare-bear-bangers.jsp), just because i know people with me will pack bear spray. If you are hiking trails, bear bells can be useful.
 
When you survive your bear encounter be mindful of the fact that you've now hunted a bear without a license, probably in a provincial park (it's illegal to have fire arms in ANY parks in Canada / US), and as someone said, Moose are more dangerous and so is riding.

Use common sense:
- all scented products, food, juices, chapstick, deoderant, toothpaste, tshirt with food stains - all goes in a bag up a tree, away from the tree itself about 15' in the air.
- food should be far away from your sleeping area
- bring bear spray, learn how to use it.
- stay the hell away from male moose in rutting season, which is around sept-nov if I'm not mistaken. Stay away from them all the time.
- Never look a bear in the eyes, just like any animal. Try looking your dog in his eyes and then move slowly away, the dog will come at you naturally.
 
you are going in the middle of nowhere right??? of the grid right???

Take bear spray.
But it'll be the bugs that'll kill you far before any bear can sniff your sweat...so take bug spray or wear a bug jacket...with the heat wave going on, all we need is a thunderstorm to lay the seeds of column long bugs...

oh...and dig a hole before you " do it" and then cover it up...
 
Redrock said:
Nope, I'm on a Supersport. Hmm wonder where I can mount the shot-gun. anyone ever have a close encounter while touring/camping in the boonies or am I just being paranoid?
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$300 and you can store it in any backpack.
 
Yep that guy's day would've been much easier if he had a 12 gauge slung on his back...
 
daught said:
I really doubt you can do much with a shotgun as the bear is ripping through your tent.
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At the risk of this turning into a guns blazing BEAR THREAD, there was some hunter/guide up in Nunavut who always slept with a revolver, just in case. So the polar bear walks into his tent, STANDS on his gun and has a sniff. Terrified, the man punches it hard, in the nose. Spooked, the bear retreats.

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2010/08/13/nunavut-polar-bear-punch.html
 
WoBblyCaT said:
How far north are you camping? Have you ever camped before?
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Camping experience very little, maybe 2-3 times ever. As to where I'm going, not really sure yet...may not even be able to go this year...being self employed you never really get a day off so we'll see.

I should also mention that this was a thread regarding "protection" from dangerous animals...not about actively going out hunting them. Given everything is done not to attract such wildlife, if one were to advance I want to be able to survive another day. Thanks to those that did understand the initial question at hand and offered excellent advice...
 
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I remember once when camping with my girlfriend in northern Alberta and out of nowhere came this huge brown bear charging us and was she mad.We must of been near one of her cubs.Anyway,if I had not had my little beretta jet fire I would not be here today.......Just one shot to my girlfriends kneecap was all it took.......the bear got her and I was able to escape just by walking away at brisk pace
 
darryle said:
I remember once when camping with my girlfriend in northern Alberta and out of nowhere came this huge brown bear charging us and was she mad.We must of been near one of her cubs.Anyway,if I had not had my little beretta jet fire I would not be here today.......Just one shot to my girlfriends kneecap was all it took.......the bear got her and I was able to escape just by walking away at brisk pace
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So how is the single life treating you anyway?
 
Flywheel said:
At the risk of this turning into a guns blazing BEAR THREAD, there was some hunter/guide up in Nunavut who always slept with a revolver, just in case. So the polar bear walks into his tent, STANDS on his gun and has a sniff. Terrified, the man punches it hard, in the nose. Spooked, the bear retreats.

Link: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2010/08/13/nunavut-polar-bear-punch.html
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Polar bears are a lot different than black bears. They're very belligerent. One of them profs who did research in the Arctic said they never went anywhere without the .300 Winmag. He told me stories about a bear walking in a straight line through the snow, coming across a hut that was in his path, breaking through one wall, walking straight through the hut destroying the inside and busting out the door on the other side. He says they'd try to grab the Twin Otter as they flew by.. Angry bears apparently...
 
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