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  1. #1
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    Default Best Spray necessary?

    Been hearing mixed opinions on this. I don't get the impression that bear spray is necessary in BPS. We will hang our food and smelly items, etc. Want to be on the safe side but wondering if I really need it.

  2. #2
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    Ah stupid phone...*bear spray

  3. #3
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    Default

    If you want a definitive answer ask a park ranger, not the internet.
    Springer to Katahdin: 1991-2018

  4. #4
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    Default

    What's BPS?
    If you need bear spray, it probably says so on the park website or ask a ranger.
    is it grizzly country?
    You don't need bear spray for black bears.

    Bear spray is considered a weapon and illegal in many parks in California (Yosemite, SEKI). From personal experience, yelling and throwing a rock (very poorly!) works fine in those parks.

    Have a fun trip.

  5. #5
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    Default

    BPS = Baxter State Park.
    Blackheart

  6. #6

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by DLP View Post
    What's BPS?
    If you need bear spray, it probably says so on the park website or ask a ranger.
    is it grizzly country?
    You don't need bear spray for black bears.

    Bear spray is considered a weapon and illegal in many parks in California (Yosemite, SEKI). From personal experience, yelling and throwing a rock (very poorly!) works fine in those parks.
    Have a fun trip.

    Speaking in absolutes can be problematic. You don't need seat belts in a car either, until you do. You don't need bear spray for black bear, until you do.

    The bear spray issue is more of a personal decision, if one feels better with it and its not illegal to have, it really shouldn't affect anyone outside of that person who carries it.

  7. #7

    Default

    In another thread here today about Panthertown, in the bear aware section, there was an instance where a bear was undeterred by spray.

  8. #8

  9. #9

    Default

    Unless something unusual has happened recently at BSP, bear incidents have not been an issue for years. They have bear lines at the major backcountry sites and enforce that all food is be locked in cars overnight at drive in campgrounds. In general problem bears inherently are usually human habituated bears, they start out in dumpsters and poorly secured campsites and then perfect their skills. There really isn't a lot of chances of that happening at BSP as the rangers wouldn't let it happen. There are significant raccoon issues at most of the drive in campgrounds. Leave an unsecured cooler out at night and it will be raided by dawn. There are also beggar deer on occasion that can get aggressive if not fed.

  10. #10

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    The only time a bear got my food was at Chimney pond in BSP. Took it right out of a tree in front of the shelter. I guess we helped by shinning our headlamps on him. It was Columbus day weekend, on our last night. We had a big bundle (mostly trash) hung from a tree branch. Ranger came by and looked at it, said it looked okay. It was a problem bear and he was advising people to put their food in the Ranger cabin.

    The bear woke us up when he knocked over our pots which were sitting on the edge of the shelter. Then he noticed the trash bag up in the tree. In one second he was 20 feet up the tree and holding on with three paws, swinging the forth to try and snag the bag. He couldn't quite reach. After 3-4 tries he made a heroic lung and managed to get the bags swinging. Then with perfect timing, he again swiped at the bags, got a purchase and with that one swipe snapped a 1/4" nylon rope!

    Apparently this bear was shot and killed the next spring as it continued to be a problem bear. This was in the mid 80's.

    The next year by buddy carried in 100 feet of 1/2" climbing rope. Said the bear wasn't getting our food this trip. This time we hung the food between two trees. But in the morning with the rope laying on the ground between the trees, a big cow moose wandered by and got tangled in the rope! As the poor moose kicked and bucked trying to get free, we stood aghast wondering if the Ranger had a tranquilizer gun. Eventually, she managed to free herself from the rope, took a few steps away, shook her head and snorted like she was thinking "what the heck was that?" and ran off.
    Last edited by Slo-go'en; 06-28-2017 at 12:07.
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  11. #11
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  12. #12

    Default

    Strange the permanent bear line at Chimney has been around since the early to mid eighties, I guess your encounter may have been the last straw.

    Quote Originally Posted by Slo-go'en View Post
    The only time a bear got my food was at Chimney pond in BSP. Took it right out of a tree in front of the shelter. I guess we helped by shinning our headlamps on him. It was Columbus day weekend, on our last night. We had a big bundle (mostly trash) hung from a tree branch. Ranger came by and looked at it, said it looked okay. It was a problem bear and he was advising people to put their food in the Ranger cabin.

    The bear woke us up when he knocked over our pots which were sitting on the edge of the shelter. Then he noticed the trash bag up in the tree. In one second he was 20 feet up the tree and holding on with three paws, swinging the forth to try and snag the bag. He couldn't quite reach. After 3-4 tries he made a heroic lung and managed to get the bags swinging. Then with perfect timing, he again swiped at the bags, got a purchase and with that one swipe snapped a 1/4" nylon rope!

    Apparently this bear was shot and killed the next spring as it continued to be a problem bear. This was in the mid 80's.

    The next year by buddy carried in 100 feet of 1/2" climbing rope. Said the bear wasn't getting our food this trip. This time we hung the food between two trees. But in the morning with the rope laying on the ground between the trees, a big cow moose wandered by and got tangled in the rope! As the poor moose kicked and bucked trying to get free, we stood aghast wondering if the Ranger had a tranquilizer gun. Eventually, she managed to free herself from the rope, took a few steps away, shook her head and snorted like she was thinking "what the heck was that?" and ran off.

  13. #13

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by peakbagger View Post
    Strange the permanent bear line at Chimney has been around since the early to mid eighties, I guess your encounter may have been the last straw.
    Could be. I know there wasn't a bear cable when we went back the next year. That might have been our last trip. I forget exactly what year, 83-84 maybe.
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  14. #14

    Default

    Bear spray in Baxter is a waste of money imo

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