New Bear Deterrent?

[Z Barebow]

I wonder is this would work for keeping grizzlies out of camp?

http://www.grindtv.com/outdoor/blog/51172/kenya+boy+13+gains+fame+for+protecting+livestock+from+lions/

If nothing else, it would be a great idea if someone starts researching this. (No, I wouldn't want to be a test subject!)

 

[RobG]

I've heard of portable electric fences for that purpose.

 

[npaden]

I left a flashing LED light with some elk quarters hung in a tree overnight in pretty dense bear country a couple years ago and they weren't touched. They were in the tree but we only managed to get them hung about 7' high so I think a bear could have got them pretty easily if it wanted to.

We also pee'd on the ground around the base of the tree, hung an orange hat on the tree, and put a glow stick on the tree so not saying the blinking LED was the 100% deciding factor on keeping the meat safe, but we did use it.

With all that said the gut pile about 100 yards away was untouched that night as well so there probably just weren't any bears in the area that night. A grizzly got the gut pile the next night though.

 

[Z Barebow]

I've heard of portable electric fences for that purpose.

I have seen those. I was thinking of something lighter in weight for a lighweight backpack style hunt and LED's don't take much in the way of current draw. (IE Lighter to pack)

On a horseback hunt, I don't know how horses/mules would handle a constant blinking light. (In that case, I would have portable electric fencing since this horses could carry it. Cows are different, they are dumber than dirt!

 

[MThuntr]

Portable electric fencing equipment is still very heavy and some need huge deep cycle batteries and others use smaller internal batteries but they are still pretty heavy.

I'm not sure the blinking lights would work but it's worth a shot.

 

[RobG]

I left a flashing LED light with some elk quarters hung in a tree overnight in pretty dense bear country a couple years ago and they weren't touched. They were in the tree but we only managed to get them hung about 7' high so I think a bear could have got them pretty easily if it wanted to.

Now that is an interesting simple idea. I wonder if the effectiveness of this has ever been tested. I see a grant in the making

 

[RobG]

I have seen those. I was thinking of something lighter in weight for a lighweight backpack style hunt and LED's don't take much in the way of current draw. (IE Lighter to pack)

I was thinking the moving LED setup would be faced with similar weight issues, but maybe something could be rigged up.

 

[Muskeez]

I know nothing about bears, and I'm surprised an electric fence would work, but If you need an electric fencer, for any project, I would recommend this one. I left my hand in the pics for size comparison. It only weighs a few pounds and it has an internal, replacebale battery. I leave them up all summer long to keep deer out of fall only food plots, so they don't destroy the plants as they come up and so they have a chance to mature. I believe they were just under $200 each. Pretty spendy! but they work well. They could be set on the ground, but they have a hole in the bottom so they can slide down onto a steel T post.

 

[npaden]

The biggest issue to me is that even if they are proven effective the blinking lights are only going to be effective in the dark. That works for leaving meat overnight, but you wouldn't want a bear in your camp during the daytime when you weren't there during the daytime.

 

[Z Barebow]

The biggest issue to me is that even if they are proven effective the blinking lights are only going to be effective in the dark. That works for leaving meat overnight, but you wouldn't want a bear in your camp during the daytime when you weren't there during the daytime.

That is where the pee comes in! You need to mark your territory! The old sweaty shirt idea also. (After buku days of elk hunting, I might have one available)

 

[Z Barebow]

Now that is an interesting simple idea. I wonder if the effectiveness of this has ever been tested. I see a grant in the making

More money has been thrown at dumber ideas than this one!

 

[CabinFever]

https://www.kodiakcanada.com/product.php?product_id=CG-001

I've heard of using these in Grizzly country for protecting meat or camp.

Another site to check out:

http://www.bearsmart.com/becoming-bear-smart/home/bear-deterrents

Maybe I'll be packing a super soaker next fall...

 

[RobG]

https://www.kodiakcanada.com/product.php?product_id=CG-001

I've heard of using these in Grizzly country for protecting meat or camp.

Good for hanging meat, but I can imagine a deer setting off the alarm if it was outside my tent! It is bad enough when I wake up and hear them nosing around; don't need an alarm to scare the crap out of me .

I tried googling up some info on using LEDs or lighting for bears but mostly got things like you are more likely to get hit by lightning, or bears could be LED to your camp by odors. A few sites mention motion activated lights for black bears.

 

[Kaitum]

I know nothing about bears, and I'm surprised an electric fence would work, but If you need an electric fencer, for any project, I would recommend this one. I left my hand in the pics for size comparison. It only weighs a few pounds and it has an internal, replacebale battery. I leave them up all summer long to keep deer out of fall only food plots, so they don't destroy the plants as they come up and so they have a chance to mature. I believe they were just under $200 each. Pretty spendy! but they work well. They could be set on the ground, but they have a hole in the bottom so they can slide down onto a steel T post.

There are smaller models than this charger that work well on bears. I use a Dare Sentry 140 charger (runs on 4 D cell batteries) for work in SW Alaska and for my hunts throughout AK. Charger, batteries, plastic posts, and polywire combined weigh in the 7 lb range. Not ideal for backpack style hunts but definitely lightweight to be carried on most other types of hunts where overnight camping is involved. You wouldn't think something with 4 D batteries would repel a brown bear but I've witnessed the results more than once - they're not too fond of being shocked. The important thing to remember is electric fences are not an excuse to forget other wise practices when camping in bear country.

Another trick I've heard used in AK is to leave a portable radio running while away from camp. Probably not the best alternative when you're trying to sleep though.