Trip wires for bear

[Nuts]

I have been investigating using trip wires with alarms to place around meat or late day kills in AK for bear protection. Knowing from a distance something is messing with things would be helpful besides scaring them off. I am not a fan of the 209 primer or 12gauge ones unless its in front of a buddies tent after he goes to bed. Its once and done as a detergent and the audible alarm keeps going. Has any one used these? Any recommendations.

 

[Jonas]

I’ve never used that exact setup, but the concept makes sense. An audible trip wire alarm around a meat cache or a late day kill could give you early warning that something is investigating the area without relying on a one time use primer device.
My main concern would be false alarms from wind, smaller animals, or branches moving in bad weather. Reliability is probably more important than volume when you’re depending on it overnight or from a distance.
The reusable electronic alarms seem more practical than 209 primer or 12 gauge perimeter alarms since they can continue sounding after activation and don’t require resetting with specialized components. If you’re hunting in bear country, I’d still view them as an alert system rather than a deterrent once the alarm goes off, you’ll want to assess the situation from a safe distance and follow local wildlife safety guidance.

 

[Nuts]

I’ve never used that exact setup, but the concept makes sense. An audible trip wire alarm around a meat cache or a late day kill could give you early warning that something is investigating the area without relying on a one time use primer device.
My main concern would be false alarms from wind, smaller animals, or branches moving in bad weather. Reliability is probably more important than volume when you’re depending on it overnight or from a distance.
The reusable electronic alarms seem more practical than 209 primer or 12 gauge perimeter alarms since they can continue sounding after activation and don’t require resetting with specialized components. If you’re hunting in bear country, I’d still view them as an alert system rather than a deterrent once the alarm goes off, you’ll want to assess the situation from a safe distance and follow local wildlife safety guidance.

Pretty much how I was looking at it.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Yes it’ll work, I always had an Acme Thunder whistle on my vest while guiding on the penninsula. A long hard blast worked just as well as a warning shot, actually better. It was easy to see the bears did not like it.

 

[El Jason]

What are the advantages of this over an electric fence?

 

[Okie84]

What are the advantages of this over an electric fence?

It would alert you from a distance that something had tripped your wire and there could possibly be a bear on your meat.

 

[El Jason]

It would alert you from a distance that something had tripped your wire and there could possibly be a bear on your meat.

I guess I don’t see the advantage of that over a hot wire fence that will just keep them out.

 

[Okie84]

I guess I don’t see the advantage of that over a hot wire fence that will just keep them out.

For black bear I agree. But in grizzly country it would be nice to know if there’s potentially one nearby that’s shown interest in claiming your kill. It would be an added layer of prevention. I haven’t ever thought of using a trip alarm on a kill, but I’m going to look into it. I’m up in northwest Wyoming and walking back to where your meat is when packing it out will make your butthole pucker

 

[El Jason]

For black bear I agree. But in grizzly country it would be nice to know if there’s potentially one nearby that’s shown interest in claiming your kill. It would be an added layer of prevention. I haven’t ever thought of using a trip alarm on a kill, but I’m going to look into it. I’m up in northwest Wyoming and walking back to where your meat is when packing it out will make your butthole pucker

Yeah I’ve packed meat out of grizzly country. I talked to an outfitter in the South Fork of the Flathead who used a hot wire fence around their meat pole and had tremendous success with it. I just assume there is a bear around.

 

[Mountain Mule]

My buddy in bear management often uses the Amek Critter Gitter's at work to help with Grizzlies on grain bins, etc. He recommended it to me for this purpose.

 

[Nunyacreek]

Many years ago on the first dall sheep hunt I ever guided I set up a small tarp lean-to to put the sheep meat in about 50 yards from the tent. The first two nights a quarter disappeared each night. On the third night my I tied a line of parachute cord from the remaining quarters to a cooking pot next to my sleeping tent. The bear happily removed the last two quarters on following nights and took the cooking pot several hundred yards as well. I never woke up and I’m not sure what I would have done anyway. I really didn’t have a plan so I never tried that again and never had a similar experience. I’m really not sure what I planned to do.

 

[Nuts]

One of the deciding factors in why I went trip wire is from what I found when researching electric fences. We will be on foot backpack hunting. So it needs to be light weight. And small enough that it also works for a day pack. If there is electric fence kits that are as light weight and small I haven't found it. If you know of one please tell me what it is.

 

[Okie84]

One of the deciding factors in why I went trip wire is from what I found when researching electric fences. We will be on foot backpack hunting. So it needs to be light weight. And small enough that it also works for a day pack. If there is electric fence kits that are as light weight and small I haven't found it. If you know of one please tell me what it is.

I primarily solo archery backpack hunt, so I’m in the same boat. I was down at our local thrift store a while back and they had an unused bear fence marked down to a third of new price, so I snagged it. I plan on using it more for camping with the wife and kids. The weight isn’t awful and I could probably lose it from the gut to make up for the added weight if I wanted to, but it’s still cumbersome. If you had a partner to split it up and divide the weight it wouldn’t be bad. I don’t use my horses for hunts anymore, but if I ever do I’d bring the fence for the camp area. Check out the great marketing on the box

 

[cgasner1]

I have that fence with batteries it only weighs a few pounds. It works real well especially when you get up and it’s knocked over definitely kept a bear out of camp that night

 

[Salmonchaser]

Wake up before he sticks his head in the tent

I guess I don’t see the advantage of that over a hot wire fence that will just keep them out.

The fence works like most things regarding grizz most of the time. We use to use tin cans on a string when I was a kid. If a bear wants in he will defeat bear boards or efences. Bastards are every bit as smart as a border collie. But just like spray, if I was camping in grizz country no way I don’t have an e-fence. Actually had one around our fish processing cabin. We would sit on the deck of an evening and typically around 2200 a bear would show up after things got quiet. Bump into the net and go through all kinds of gymnastics getting out of there. I’ve seen the same bear return a couple days later and try again.

Had a trip wire on the ramp going to the dock did a good job keeping bears off the dock as well as keeping intoxicated guests from falling off the end of the dock. Don’t know why drunks have go piss off the dock in the middle of the night.

 

[Okie84]

I have that fence with batteries it only weighs a few pounds. It works real well especially when you get up and it’s knocked over definitely kept a bear out of camp that night

My buddy has one and uses it regularly. He swears by it. I had one collapse part of my tent in the middle of the night a few years ago and it got me considering them. I usually use limbs and brush to build a little barrier around my tent hoping it’ll alert me if something tries coming through. Our neighbors down the road use hot wire to keep the bears out of their yard. I’ve considered it myself. We border the Shoshone National Forest and the grizzlies are thick enough in the area that you don’t want to leave your grill outside over night. I’m not nearly as concerned about an encounter in camp as I am hiking in the dark, stalking dark timber, or packing in and out from a kill site.. but that’s just part of the experience in grizzly country.

 

[cgasner1]

My buddy has one and uses it regularly. He swears by it. I had one collapse part of my tent in the middle of the night a few years ago and it got me considering them. I usually use limbs and brush to build a little barrier around my tent hoping it’ll alert me if something tries coming through. Our neighbors down the road use hot wire to keep the bears out of their yard. I’ve considered it myself. We border the Shoshone National Forest and the grizzlies are thick enough in the area that you don’t want to leave your grill outside over night. I’m not nearly as concerned about an encounter in camp as I am hiking in the dark, stalking dark timber, or packing in and out from a kill site.. but that’s just part of the experience in grizzly country.

I’ve been known to put the tent up in a wall of brush and sleep in the back of it. Figure if something happens I’ll be the hero when I start shooting and save my buddies