Wilderness areas without bears ?

[BearSprayer]

Hello, I'm a newbie to this site and to backpacking.

I would like to go on my first solo backpacking trip soon, and spend about a week or longer out there. I would like to go some place with no bears, so that I just don't have to worry about them at all (peace of mind, you know ?).

I'm not looking to set up camp in an established backcountry camp, but want total solitude. In other words, I would like to camp out in the middle of nowhere, undisturbed. This is going to be sort of a spiritual journey for me, so it is very important that I am undisturbed (by people).

I realize that deserts have no bears (duh), but of course, I'd prefer an area with vegetation (i.e. a regular forest).

I live in Santa Barbara, California, and the only bear-free wilderness areas I see nearby are Montana De Oro State Park and Point Reyes National Seashore, but that is probably because they are too small to support a bear population.

I'd appreciate any suggestions. What is a reliable source of information on bear populations ? I've tried looking online but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Thanks !

[hunter63]

Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.
There is an intro section at:
http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Introductions

Don't live in California, so can't really advise you on where they are....
Here is a series or maps show number by state.
http://www.covebear.com/BlackBearFactsAndResearch.htm

Now Wisconsin is supposed to have 30000 of them, but hunting the state for 50 plus years, have never seen one in the woods.
Smelled a few...like garbage and old sweat socks BO.
One must take care to stash your food in a bear proof container away for your camp site.

[Seniorman]

BearSprayer, you live right next to a gigantic national forest, Los Padres Nat'l. Forest, with multiple remote areas with a plethora of hiking trails, I suggest you pick up a Los Padres Nat'l. Forest map from a local USFS office. Study it and make some day hikes, then a couple of overnighters, then a few two or three night hikes and camps. You're new to back packing and hiking, so get your feet wet before trying to "swim the lake shore-to-shore."

Good F.S. N.F. maps and a topo map and compass are your friend. You'll be able to find places where there are no people around.

I have hunted, hiked, camped, etc., all over the Los Padres N.F., Angeles N.F., Sequoia N.F. etc., etc., while living in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, for 36 years. During that time I saw only one Black bear and he was about 75 yards away. He spooked when he saw me and ran away. Just keep your camp clean of food waste, etc., and you'll be okay.

Enjoy the area.

S.M.

[TXyakr]

Good advice from Seniorman^
Call and ask Rangers in some National Forest areas near you if there have been any problem bears (no fear of humans) then avoid backpacking in those areas. But the more you learn about black bears and avoid brown bear areas the less concern you should have. Read up at sites like this one:

http://www.americanbear.org/blackbearfacts.htm

Most of TX and much of OK except far east have very few black bear because people shot the heck out of them for so many years. Now concerned wildlife people with the state are trying to re-introduce them and puma (mtn lion/cougar) as well. I hope they are successful. I have not seen black bear in East Texas or SE OK yet but heard some puma/cougar very close to my primitive camp late at night. That was fun. I hope to be able to take a photo of them soon. But I would never bait them, only naturally by being in the right place at the right time.

Have fun, more knowledge and less worries.

BTW: A friend of mine (known since we were in grade school) posted on Facebook yesterday that she came face to face (5 feet from) a black bear near her home in Asheville, NC. She screamed and ran away holding her little dog as fast as she could. EXACTLY what a person is told NOT to do!!! She was ticked off when I told her I was skeptical it was a bear and not a large raccoon and would need a photo for proof. ha ha ha she may unfriend me, should I be so lucky...

Julia_Cinnamon.jpg

Photo of my kid with a cute cinnamon/black bear eating dandelions at Jasper National Park in Canada. We saw a lot of black and black/cinnamon bears there but no true brown bears this most recent time. However, I have seen brown bear there but at a much greater distance and did not have my kids pose for photos with them in the relatively close background. We stay in car or move quickly toward a climbable tree at first sign/sight of a moose. Great respect for those!

[TXyakr]

Somewhat unrelated but this video from East Texas gives you an idea of how difficult it is to find black bears in an area that has had them run out by unrestricted hunting and habitat destruction. Your area in California with drought and habitat destruction may have similar issues even though a very different forest. So don't hang baits with cow blood, fish oil and cherry pie filling near your camp site:

[TXyakr]

Tracking, live trapping and capture of Mountain Lions (aka puma) in high desert of West Texas by TPWD. Part of our outdoor's heritage that needs to be preserved IMO.



Also struck me as funny that someone might go to the desert to avoid black bears of the forest and be in range of mountain lions and rattle snakes. ha ha ha. Most dangerous thing in the wilderness IMO is ignorance.

[LowKey]

The East Coast has many harbor islands that have primitive campsites and offer some good hiking. No bears on the islands.
Does the West Coast have similar?

[Batch]

We use snares down here as well. But, Crispy Creme and Dunkin Donuts donate the bait.

http://www.news-press.com/story/life...fuge/30299587/

[TXyakr]

As you can see by the reports of bear and mountain lion attacks in California you are more likely to be killed by a swarm of bees, yellow jackets, falling rocks or trees, lighting, much more likely by auto accident! So many more worth while things to worry about.

An unconfirmed case in 1993 of a 6 year old boy in the Manzano River area of the Los Padres National Forest attacked by a Mountain Lion but none since then and none for many decades in that area before. I could not find and estimate of number in Los Padres NF an expert tracker could find them, but I don't know I have not been there, perhaps 6000 cougars in entire state of California, you are more likely to run into a purple space alien than a cougar.

http://tchester.org/sgm/lists/lion_attacks_ca.html

http://www.lpfw.org/archive/about/cr...untainlion.htm

As far as I could find no documented cases of anyone killed by a black bear in California in the last 100 years:
http://www.kcet.org/living/travel/so...lack-bear.html

Your current or future mother-in-law is probably more dangerous to you, or father-in-law for sure!
Joking. Sorry I was being a bit autobiographical there. My M-I-L is very accurate with a sidearm.

edit: Seriously I have taken groups of boy scouts on river trips and while on the banks had one swatting at a honey bee that was buzzing him (probably spilled some sweet drink or food on himself). I told him never swat a bee the foolish kid would not listen. And we had had some very aggressive swarms of bees attack us right near there while we were removing kayaks, ran into river to protect ourselves, minimize stings. Palm to face, explain that to kid hyped up on sugary soda drink. So here are some Facts/stats from CDC with pretty graphics, on USA total: about 58 people killed by bees, wasps and hornets in average year, 52 by other mammals like moose and deer, 28 by dogs, 20 by cows but only about 1 by a bear or cougar. But check other sources similar numbers from there as well.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...u-this-summer/

[BearSprayer]

Thank you so much, to everyone who replied ! Especially, TXyakr ! I really appreciate all the info.

Yes, I'm aware of Los Padres, and that had been my plan all along, but I thought it'd be nice to not have to worry about them at all.

[TXyakr]

You have some wonderful hiking/backpacking trails near you so take reasonable precautions but be sure to not let your fears prevent you from enjoying the outdoors. A very good friend I have known since 3rd grade lives with her family near Santa Barbara, someday I would like to visit her and go hiking with them around there, if I saw an elk or dolphin it would be a major highlight. I seriously would not expect a bear. I have seen large dolphin while kayaking off the coast of Texas but the water is so silty it was very brief and they were gone. (Matagorda Bay). I did see an elk cow and calf in Real county, Texas near the Frio River once, it had gotten lose from one of those high fence canned hunt ranches I am guessing, a very unusual sight.

My point is: "You have to get out there to see and experience fun things!"

[Gary]

Great advice on Moose. During the rut they are the most dangerous animal you can run across in the forests of North America. To be avoided at all costs for sure!

[Zack]

Hello, I'm a newbie to this site and to backpacking.

I would like to go on my first solo backpacking trip soon, and spend about a week or longer out there. I would like to go some place with no bears, so that I just don't have to worry about them at all (peace of mind, you know ?).

I'm not looking to set up camp in an established backcountry camp, but want total solitude. In other words, I would like to camp out in the middle of nowhere, undisturbed. This is going to be sort of a spiritual journey for me, so it is very important that I am undisturbed (by people).

I realize that deserts have no bears (duh), but of course, I'd prefer an area with vegetation (i.e. a regular forest).

I live in Santa Barbara, California, and the only bear-free wilderness areas I see nearby are Montana De Oro State Park and Point Reyes National Seashore, but that is probably because they are too small to support a bear population.

I'd appreciate any suggestions. What is a reliable source of information on bear populations ? I've tried looking online but couldn't find what I was looking for.

Thanks !

If you're willing to travel, try somewhere on the central East Coast. I've never hiked them, but I hear that southern Pennsylvania has some pretty nice trails.

[Seniorman]

If you're willing to travel, try somewhere on the central East Coast. I've never hiked them, but I hear that southern Pennsylvania has some pretty nice trails.

That's only about 2,800 miles from where this guy lives. Easy weekend jaunt.

S.M.

[hunter63]

If you're willing to travel, try somewhere on the central East Coast. I've never hiked them, but I hear that southern Pennsylvania has some pretty nice trails.

Really?, and you haven't tried them, or know the names?.....

[Zack]

Really?, and you haven't tried them, or know the names?.....

A few people I know have had enjoyable experiences hiking the Appalachian Trail in Southern/Central PA. I'd have to get the details from them, though. Hope that helps...

[bob3663]

I live in nw pa. Central pa has bears. The whole state does.


Bob

[hunter63]

Well we had the 2013 WSF Jamboree in NC, in the Blue Ridge Mountains....camped in Transylvania County, on Halloween, during bear season (They have bears in the Blue Ridge Mountains)....and the hunt them with dogs.

So on Halloween, with a full moon, (pic's upon request) you could hear the hounds howling in the distance....wasn't that far as in the mountains, sound kinda stays on "your side of the mountain".....Sleeping with the "Hope them dam dogs don't chase that pizzed off bear over here". ..Kinda spooky.

Sooo, maybe not the best bear free zone to travel 2800 miles for. ........Just sayin'

[Sarge47]

Many, many, moons ago, back in the mid 60's,(I was 21) my very good friend decided that he wanted me and my brothers to go with him out West and look for gold, sorta like an old sourdough...'cept he wasn't old. We had amassed a bunch of gear , but he only had one problem. He was scared to death of snakes, especially vipers, and he also knew that they were all over the area he wanted to go into.

Now snakes are going to be just about anywhere you go in the outdoors, maybe even under your house. But he didn't care and decided that before we ever left on our great adventure that he was going to have to come up with some kind of "snake-proof" suit. His stupid idea was to create something that was at least an inch thick and covered him from head to toe yet not suffocate him from the heat. Of course that idea never got off of the ground and we never left.

Here's my point, if you really want to go out into the outdoors then you're just going to have to accept the reality that you're going to have share it with all of God's creatures, including bears; otherwise stay at home and dream about it. Bears exist and if you learn what to do about them then you'll probably be alright. Scouts hike the trails at the Philmont Scout Ranch all of the time and they're trained previously, before they leave on their jaunt, on what to do about the bear population there. 1st hard and fast rule is NO FOOD IN THE TENT! Many backpackers tie small bells like the kind used for goats around their hiking staff so the bears hear them coming and leave them alone.. And yes, you better have a hiking staff. also carry bear spray. I suspect you're not very old given the way your thread reads so just remember, jumping off right into a solo backpacking trip without experience stands a good chance of you getting the Darwin Award.

Finally, before going out solo into the wilderness be sure and have those organ donor cards filled out, make out your Last Will And Testament, and remember this, in the unlikely event that you are attacked by a bear, Quickly hunker down, tuck your head between your legs, and kiss your butt goodbye...

A footnote: Bears are usually large and will leave you alone, snakes however are a lot smaller and many are venomous, so keep your eyes peeled for them.

[finallyME]

I agree with Sarge... you need to learn how to deal with bears. Don't let fear keep you from enjoying life. I have hiked a lot of places that have bears, and the only place that I actually saw one was in Philmont. We saw 6 in 5 days. I didn't even see one when we went to Yosemite. Carry bear spray, don't eat where you sleep, hang your food (or carry a bear canister), and don't carry bear bells (unless you want to be called "mister jingles"). And remember.... the difference between black bear scat and grizzly bear scat is that grizzly bear scat is bigger, smells like pepper, and has bells in it.