my wife made me ask.

starcrafttom · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 7:14 pm Post subject: my wife made me ask.

have any of you that have been to alaska ever heard of or seen a bear swim out and try to board a boat by way of swim latter. I told her it would have to be a escaped circus bear but she made me ask.

B~C · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 7:29 pm Post subject:

I've never been to Alaska, and I've never seen a bear swim, but, there's a beach on the Columbia river where people swim bear

Larry H · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 7:39 pm Post subject:

I have been to Alaska, and yes, bears can swim. They can also climb onto your boat from the water, no ladder needed.

However, I have never heard of them swimming out to your boat and climbing aboard.

I have heard of a bear climbing onto a boat when the stupid boaters were passing very close to the swimming bear.(harassing the bear)

STAY AWAY FROM SWIMMING BEARS!

Mr. Fisherman · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject:

Sneaks · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:39 pm Post subject:

Helen O · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 8:51 pm Post subject:

B~C · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:03 pm Post subject:

Aw, it aint a pretty sight, we drove by there once and gave it a wide berth. It was several days before the binocular indentations disappeared from around the crews eyes.

Adeline · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:35 pm Post subject:

TyBoo · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 10:46 pm Post subject:

B~C · Posted: Mon Sep 13, 2004 11:02 pm Post subject:

durn binoculars wouldn't let me see through the hill...had to climb to the top.....hummmm, who took that picture I wonder

Helen O · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 12:03 am Post subject:

B~C the bare hunter.

Chivita · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 1:33 am Post subject:

Starcrafttom,

Just let your wife know that if she's really worried about bears, she should attach some small bells to her tennis shoes (so the bears can hear her coming and get away) and to carry some of that special pepper spray just in case they don't.

Also, keep an eye out for bear scat while your walking around. This is one of the best ways to tell if there are bears in the area. If you've not seen bear scat before, it's pretty easy to identify. It smells like peppers and has little bells in it.

AK Angler · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 4:58 am Post subject:

HAHAHAHA!!! Man- that just never gets old!!! HA! Smells like pepper! HAHAHA!!! Laughing

Aiviq · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:30 am Post subject:

I once had a friend tell me about a black bear trying to board a skiff she was riding in on the Yukon river (near Tanana Alaska). The idiot driving the skiff kept buzzing it, and the bear several times got his paws over the gunnel and tried to crawl over the side. One of the passengers in the boat had to fend it off with an oar. They were lucky they didn't capsize and all end up in the river with it. I'll definitely go along with the advice to stay away from any bears you see swimming. I also agree with the statement that bears are attracted to cooking (and garbage) odors, so keep a clean camp in bear country (even if your camp is a C-dory anchored off the beach). Still, if your wife is worried about a bear boarding your boat while it's at anchor, I think it's pretty unlikely. Go ahead and tell her it's unheard of. The last thing you need is a bear phobia as a reason to avoid boating.

Aiviq

Mr. Fisherman · Posted: Tue Sep 14, 2004 9:34 am Post subject:

I think I would take my chances on the boat.
The following is a true story as told to me by the person... in the tent....

An aquointance of mine told me that he went to Alaska and decided to camp in a tent on the beach. He had an idea for making it bear proof, this was his idea and yes... he tried it Rolling Eyes

He used his friend and his boat to pull over a pine tree. They staked the tree over and tied it. They pitched their tent and tied it to the tree. The idea was that if a bear came to call they would cut the rope and the tent would spring up off the ground and hang them from the tree, safe from the bear.... Shocked

Well later that night a bear did come to call. my friend, lets call him Darwin just to change his name, reaches out of the tent and cuts the rope expecting to be catapulted up into the air safe and sound.... right.... wrong!
When he cut the rope the tree sprung up as expected but the floor of the tent ripped out leaving him and his buddy right there like a California Delicatessen Shocked

I can just imagine the look on the bears face looking into the surprised eyes of Darwin!
Well Darwin and his buddy beat feet for the beach and swam for the boat. I guess that cold water isn't much of a refresher after you let a tent fly from around you while making a presentation much like a fancy restaurant where they remove the silver cover on your dinner plate.
The bear didn't follow them into the water and I didn't have the heart to ask if they ever got their tent back out of the tree. I don't know about you but I'll be looking for a tent hanging from a tree when I make that inside passage trip in a few years,,, Xmas LOL

Oh and listening for the sounds of the fabled "Laughing Bear"