Camping in Bear Country

I’ve made 2 trips up the Dalton Hwy and did a little camping on the way. I’ve been in Barrow, AK and hiked in the Chugach mountains and I’ve never had a “problem” with bears. They were always around (hell, you can’t toss a stone on the Stewart-Cassier Hwy and not hit a black bear) but I had a small grizzly come very close to camp one morning on the north side of Atigun Pass that had me a little concerned. I had a shotgun with me but there were all of those pesky forms to fill out at the Canadian border. Handguns are a non-starter with the Canadians but a break-down double bbl. just fit in my pannier. Also, as I know someone will chime in… Yes, I believe in bear-safe camping..no food in camp.

My next trip is up through Alberta into Yellowknife, NT. and now I’m thinking about one of those electric bear zapper fences. Kits are available in the $250-$350 range. I think that’s kind of pricey, no? So I started to piece one together on web-sites dedicated to the farming/ranching community instead of the fancy-assed Yuppy hiking web-sites. The results were both better and cheaper.

So I thought that I’d share my findings and ask any “experts” out there for their input. First, the electronics, which are called “chargers” or “energizers”. Their output is measured in both voltage and “Joules”. Now I don’t know what the hell a “joule” is, other than its description of “energy required to push 1 watt thru 1 ohm of resistance for 1 second” Meaningless crap to me...but more is better right? Those pre-assembled kits used a charger that produced .03 joules. The farmer/horse folks recommend nothing less than .5 joules for bears and large predators. By the way, my decimal point is in the right place. .03 and .5 sounds like a big difference to me. The voltages are more or less in the same area of 5k to 7k. (a minimum of 4,000v is recommended for large predators.) I have a thought that the relatively small coverage area needed for a campsite vs. a corral or pasture may explain this….but still...more is better, right? Priced around $100.

So, how do I power it? Some of these use 2 D-cell batteries and claim to last 6-8 weeks. Others use a small solar charger but my choice would be the 12v models as I plan to plug it right into the bike. I’ll use the cigarette lighter adapter or battery tender cable. Surely, if two D-cells will power these things for several weeks, my motorcycle battery can handle an overnight stay.

OK, so now you need the wire. This comes in the form of rope or flat tape with metallic fibers stranded within. I like the flat tape in ½” width but both sell for about $18-$25 for 200 meters.

Now, some fiberglass poles. The same sites sell poles in heights of 36, 42 and 48” for about $9 bucks a piece. But...I want something that will break-down to the same size as my tent poles...so replacement tent poles (again fiberglass NOT aluminum) Found these in generic, cut to size, put a bungee cord thru the center for $10 for a set of 2. (Ebay) If you can find them in ⅜” (9.5mm) diameter, the horse fence people sell plastic clips that snap right on to hold the wire/tape. $4 for 20 of them.

Now, you’ll need a few minor parts and pieces to suit your needs. Most are probably hiding in your garage. A 8 inch grounding rod, a few lengths of connecting wire, maybe some alligator clips. These were Zero dollar items for me. So I’m under $150 for a .5 joule system and possibly a few better nights sleep.

I’ll try to post a diagram and links (don’t know if the moderators will get pissy about the links).

A saw a few common concerns regarding electric fencing. First is keep the wires away from grass and vegetation as this can put a load on the system and reduce its output and battery life.

The next is lack of grounding of the animal due to soil conditions. Dry, rocky soil or frozen earth will reduce the shock to Yogi and Boo-boo if you wire your system with the positive + leads on the fence wire and the negative - lead to your grounding spike. See diagram (A).




Diagram (B) shows a set-up of alternating positive and negative wires/tapes mounted to the fence poles (also uses a ground stake). This will deliver a shock when the bear touches touches both the pos/neg wires and may also work (depending on soil conditions) with just the positive lead.



http://www.electric-horse-fence.com/chargers/field-guardian-patrol-fgb-50-product-01-27-1-0-5-joules

http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=21478&cat_id=46


http://www.statelinetack.com/item/fi-shock-polytape-white/BXW01%2010/?srccode=GPSLT&gclid=CNm9zIjh5cQCFUEV7AodliMAuw&kwid=productads-plaid^80632138788-sku^70839-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^40405968348

http://www.statelinetack.com/item/powerfields-poly-tape/BXJ47/


So....any thoughts on the validity of all this ?

Sounds like an interesting idea. Hopefully it would shock and scare the bear to run off...instead of shocking the bear who gets really, really pissed and goes on a camp rampage. My main concern would be to ensure enough current so that the bear would actually feel the shock.

When you test the system in your yard, can you videotape it for us as you walk into it?

I never heard of such an idea....how small does this all pack down? It's interesting, for sure. There would have to be lots of testing using the bike's battery....and what if you go dead? Do you carry one of those power bricks to jump the bike? I've camped in bear country a fair amount and never had issues...mostly in Glacier Park, MT. I've often wondered about a good deterrent while traveling to AK someday.

I like the side-by-side 12guage idea better...just seems much more convenient. Of course, as you mentioned, the border crossing and paperwork might be a hassle. Did you have to make special arrangements or just declare it as you crossed in to Canada? Barrel length restrictions?

The most sure-fire way to test an electric fence installation is to urinate on the fence. If there is no shock, then then fence needs work. I don't think an electric fence will keep out bears - but that's just my opinion and I would gladly eat crow based on video footage. Some (non-graphic) footage of the fence being tested would also be appreciated.

as someone who's spent years dealing with predators eating chickens...i can attest to the success. We don't have bears in our woods, but we do have dogs, cats, foxes, possums, hawks and owls. My chicken pen version 2.0 looks like it could be used for the set of a WWII movie.

I use one of the electric fences for cattle as the first line of defense. I bought the plug-in version Zareba 2 mile energizer. I can't find specs on how many joules it has, but i an attest to it's effectiveness. I've 'tested' the fence a number of times and it's a pretty substantial jolt. I used to see dig marks all around the fence and now i see prints, but nothing stays around to dig after getting a touch of the fence.

Only problem I'd see is that these are very susceptible to grounding. If anything that can ground the Pos leads (weeds/branches/deadfall), the entire fence is deactivated. Bears are pretty smart and if given time, they'll figure out that after the first jolt to take down the fence, it's no longer going to hurt them.

With my fence, it ticks fairly loud and the time between the ticks can indicate if it's shorted out by weeds or leaves. So, you may have an early warning...but hard to say if that's enough when you're sleeping.

If you guys want to get even more paranoid youtube grizzly bear bluff charges, stalking, or attacks. The video of a guy riding a mountain bike is a real gem. I wasn't worried until I watched some of those videos.

I wish I had a picture of the set up I use just so you guys could get a good laugh. Basically I use fishing line and prop up and stack sticks all around my tent and hang every noise maker I can find on it. unfortunately noise makers that don't smell like food are hard to find when traveling (no pots and pans, no tin cans, etc...).

I think hooking a electric fence to your bike is a bad idea for the reasons that tuonobiker says, if a tree branch falls on it your battery will drain and then you will walking in bear country instead of riding.

I will be watching this thread with interest because it is quite unnerving being trapped in a fabric tent or sitting with your pants down doing a number two and hearing a bear in the woods only a stones throw away (true story).

Timothy Treadwell

I heard that the bear that killed Treadwell was shot by the trooper with a 12 gauge in its face/skull and it kept coming.

I pack bear spray but the only time I thought I was going to need it was when my pants were down and it was 100 yards away at my camp.

It's great to hear your responses and questions. Mostly because I forget that we all live in different parts of the country with different camping conditions. I never gave a thought of a tree branch falling on the wires because the areas where I would have used this were mostly open (some just tundra)...so good point!

The D-cell charger would be an option if you were concerned about running the motorcycle battery down but they're a bit larger to pack. Someone had a question of packing size... no bigger than the nylon bag that holds your tent poles. The charger, depending on model, is about the size of a medium sized set of binoculars.

Then the question of what's required for a firearm in Canada. Declare it, fill out their form and pay $25. Permit is good for 60 days. Long guns only, 26 inches overall and 18.5" bbl.

That guy was a loon. Anyone that does what he did will, sadly, meet a similar demise.

Yeah, bears can be snarly creatures - from what I've seen, one that's determined enough, is not going to be stopped by a portable electric fence. I'm thinking their thick fur can insulate too well from the voltage.

If my shorthair pointer can ignore a shock collar on level 9 of 10 when he wants to, I think a grizzly could ignore the fence.

My money would still be on the shotgun.

Bear hide is tough. Black bears will eat honey while the bees are trying to sting the crap out of them and they just sit down and enjoy. Grizzlys are tougher than Black Bears.

Is your fence stronger than a bee sting? Is it strong enough to deter a Griz, or will they just investigate it and be drawn in closer?

I agree on all of your points, but packing a 12g on a bike? Really? In my experience I have found that I have a far greater chance of being harassed and mauled by pigs than by bears.

I don't think the electric fence is going to do much either, I would rather have an alarm system to wake me up so at least I could make some noise and defend myself (I.e. scream like a little girl and flap my arms like a epileptic chicken).

I agree totally - all I was saying was out of the two options, I'd go shotgun.

Personally, I wouldn't carry anything. Not that I'm opposed to it, but just wouldn't want the hassle...

I could talk about this stuff all day. I'm fascinated by bears and the wilderness in general.

Another idea for the O.P. Is to carry a small bottle of bleach and put some stinky bleach in cups or on rags (that you could repack /reuse) and place it around your sleeping area. A bears sense of smell is 7 times better than that of a bloodhound so maybe they might avoid it?

Is stinky bleach a repellent for stinky bears? I've had a bear walk by a tent I was in and you could definitely smell it. What if stinky bleach was actually something they liked? Any data to back this up? Seriously...sounds like a good way for nighttime protection if it worked...a few sprinkles around the tent.

iPhone gun

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=kyisfzUT7Ys

Have you thought of using bear bangers, instead?
Cheap and widely available once into Canada.

There's a bunch of videos on the tube showing the effectiveness.

This one is probably the best...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHKMFRrFkCI

Just smaller black bears in this one, others have grizz and even a polar bear vs. the electric fence.