Wilderness areas without bears ?

**kyratshooter** · 07-21-2015, 10:00 AM

Forget the bears, they are easy to deal with under normal circumstances. They are just big cuddly beggars.

It's the raccoons that are going to get you!

If you are a truly evil person you are reincarnated as a raccoon.

**TXyakr** · 07-21-2015, 10:08 AM

Excellent points Sarge47. Concern about snakes that are not easy to see I understand better, but if you are walking quietly with no bells or noisy pots in backpack you can sneak up on feeding bear without knowing it as well. So some people like going far north were there are no venomous snakes just moose which in far less populated areas I am guessing may kill or injure more outdoors people. Therefore a greater concern perhaps, even though few people accidentally sneak up on such a noisy animal crashing thru brush and splashing around in a swamp.

When camping with a group in areas that the BLM requires that we use a EcoSafe or other solid walled reuseable toilet or we just use one anyway to carry out our solid human waste (water craft not backpacking) so as not to leave the mess of cat holes behind I strongly prefer not to set up a little tent around it. But sometimes there is a woman or shy man with us who wants the privacy. This is silly just leave a flag indicating you went down that path. A no floor popup tent only blocks your view of approaching wildlife like brown bears, puma and provides a place for snakes to curl up and hide. Also it is a shame to block your view of the valley while you sit there and rest, dropping solid human waste... Best to seal up tight, feral hogs and bear like that smell, I'm not sure why? ha ha ha

**liwi11** · 07-21-2015, 04:12 PM

I have been around a lot of black bears while hunting in the trinity alps of north cal they run away. I worry more about a pit bull. Just use your head and you will be fine

Sent from my VS985 4G using Tapatalk

**BearSprayer** · 07-23-2015, 03:27 PM

Hi guys, again, thanks for responding, but ...

My fault for not clarifying this earlier on. A few things ...

- I am NOT and DO NOT intend to be, a professional backpacker. So, while I understand your point about "dealing with wildlife or dreaming about it at home", it does NOT help me one bit. It's like telling a soccer mom trying to lose 5 lbs that she needs to do decline bench presses. If that makes sense.
- My aforementioned trip is more of a spiritual journey than a backpacking trip, and hence, my wanting to be undisturbed (by bears or by people). The emphasis is going to be on experiencing peace, NOT on survival, endurance, taking pictures, or acting macho.
- I AM SURE that there have to be wilderness areas out there without bears. Either you can help me find one, or I'll have to find one myself. I was hoping someone here would know of one.
- Since I will be fasting, I will NOT be taking any food with me, only water
- I plan on taking (scented) incense with me ... laugh if you must, but I need this for my own reasons

**hunter63** · 07-23-2015, 04:24 PM

Good luck on your journey......don't know of any area personally.

**DTRobers** · 07-23-2015, 04:36 PM

Hi BearSprayer. I am another newcomer to this site and know much less than the other posters on this and any other threads. But when you have a few more years on your bones you will learn that it is bad form to ask a question and then cop an attitude with those that attempt to answer. TXyakr, hunter63, and Sarge47 (to name a few) put in time to try to educate inexperienced people such as you and I. They seemed to give you courteous answers. Hard for me to understand the tone of your last post.

Get it?

**kyratshooter** · 07-23-2015, 07:14 PM

Location, Location, Location....

**BearSprayer** · 07-23-2015, 07:24 PM

DTRobers, I bow to your divine righteousness. You win !

**BearSprayer** · 07-23-2015, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by kyratshooter

Location, Location, Location....

Sorry ! Santa Barbara, CA.

P.S. I'm sure that someone else is going to assume that I have not done my basic homework, so I will point out that I know of Los Padres nearby. It HAS BEARS. Amen.

**Sarge47** · 07-23-2015, 08:02 PM

"Spiritual journey" huh? For all you know the Bear might be in your totem. Or you could scare them off with the incense! Just sayin'...

**hunter63** · 07-23-2015, 08:07 PM

Brother Bear is in my totem....Has been for many years....We get along fine....I don't mess with Brother Bear, so far he hasn't messed with me.

Not sure about incense,..sweet grass is offered to the 4 winds.

**crashdive123** · 07-23-2015, 09:00 PM

Can't offer advice for your location, but good luck with your journey.

**kyratshooter** · 07-23-2015, 09:04 PM

Originally Posted by BearSprayer

Sorry ! Santa Barbara, CA.

Yes, we saw that.

Honeychild you need to jump the border and camp over at Red Rock. They can channel you up a spirit that will let you talk to those bear and get things sorted out.

**BearSprayer** · 07-23-2015, 09:13 PM

Originally Posted by Sarge47

"Spiritual journey" huh? For all you know the Bear might be in your totem. Or you could scare them off with the incense! Just sayin'...

Thank you, Sir

**Seniorman** · 07-24-2015, 02:54 PM

BEARSPRAYER - " ... I AM SURE that there have to be wilderness areas out there without bears."

You should understand that there are a LOT of Black bears all over Calif. I don't think you'll find a wilderness area there where there are not a few bears. If you're not taking any food, I doubt that if there were even a bear in your vicinity, he'd bother you. If it were I, I'd not worry about bears. I'd be far more alert for rattlesnakes.

You might call the local Calif. Fish and Game office and ask if they know of an area you could camp alone where there are no bears.

Good luck.

S.M.

**TXyakr** · 07-24-2015, 04:39 PM

Originally Posted by BearSprayer

Hi guys, again, thanks for responding, but ...

My fault for not clarifying this earlier on. A few things ...

- I am NOT and DO NOT intend to be, a professional backpacker. So, while I understand your point about "dealing with wildlife or dreaming about it at home", it does NOT help me one bit. It's like telling a soccer mom trying to lose 5 lbs that she needs to do decline bench presses. If that makes sense.
- My aforementioned trip is more of a spiritual journey than a backpacking trip, and hence, my wanting to be undisturbed (by bears or by people). The emphasis is going to be on experiencing peace, NOT on survival, endurance, taking pictures, or acting macho.
- I AM SURE that there have to be wilderness areas out there without bears. Either you can help me find one, or I'll have to find one myself. I was hoping someone here would know of one.
- Since I will be fasting, I will NOT be taking any food with me, only water
- I plan on taking (scented) incense with me ... laugh if you must, but I need this for my own reasons

That sounds like a great plan to me. Repeating what I said earlier call and talk or email the Park Rangers in the parks that you want to hike in locally and ask if there have been any problem bears or other wildlife and where specifically. Typically a bear or extremely large and aggressive raccoon that has learned that easy meals left by humans are better than wild foods is more of a danger than truly wild bears far out in the wild several days backpack in the remote areas, these are more likely to run from you and sounds like you may never go there.

I know little about incense, but some like sandalwood and cedar should be fine, while the sweeter ones may be a problem. I have found when I ask Park Rangers off the wall questions they may respond with "Well there is a burn ban so leave that hippie stuff at home." Or something a little more polite, but in that general direction most are very polite and want you to visit. In the winter I have used bee's wax candles but only the processed clear white ones because while yellow draws in bees and other insects, bears, raccoons, mice and everything. Bee's wax is very useful for many things besides removing the moisture from your shelter and provides light. Keeps stash out of my food and coffee add peppermint oil to discourage mosquitos, waterproofs fabric, leather, cordage etc. Would not want to rub it on your hat then fall asleep and have a bear bite your skull open, then be the 1 person in the USA for 2015 who was "ATTACKED BY AN AGGRESSIVE BLACK BEAR WHILE SLEEPING UNDER A TREE IN THE AFTERNOON!" OMG such terrible creatures. Animal just thought it found an abandoned honeycomb. So you see how these things can happen even without food.

I asked a Park Ranger in New Mexico about alcohol stoves at the beginning of their rainy season but after there had been many bad wildfires in the area. He did not like the fact that they can tip over and spill a flame/fluid that is almost transparent in the daylight. Preferred canister stoves. But there was no longer a burn band. All wood fires had to be off the ground in a metal fire pan. We used extra large SS dog bowl. So consider using something like that just incase incense stick or rod falls, a long metal SS cup should work, Restaurant supply stores have lots of different shaped stainless steel containers, also Indian and Paki supermarkets which are very thin and light weight.

I like these rectangular SS food pans used in restaurant salad bars about $3 or less if you have a store near you. I stop by one once in a while, great stuff for camping, cooking and basic survival or whatever. 4"x7" is good for pets like parrots and dogs, you can pin it down so they don't tip it over but I imagine you could burn long incense sticks in it and not freak out a park ranger who smelled it and walked up on you, make a base of clay or stone in bottom to hold incense at an angle. BTW Pizza pans make great folding table tops, or plastic food trays are cheaper and very light as well for that use carbon fiber arrow or cross bow bolt shaft for tripod legs, this gets your snack or incense up higher but still stable and is ultra light.

http://www.acemart.com/prod222715004.html

**TXyakr** · 07-27-2015, 07:02 PM

I was curious so called Los Padres National Forest Friday, then after weekend a very nice, polite person returned my call. She said there have not been any "problem" black bears at any of the campsites at the National Forest in the last year. At other parks they are occasionally attracted to human food/trash and ice coolers. Decades ago at one California campsite a particular bear earned the name "hemorrhoids" because he was such a problem with unattended coolers. But it appears that the campers and backpackers have been very responsible with bear resistant bags and canisters. You may see some small mammals, i.e. raccoons and skunks but not black bears near people. Black bear sightings appear to be very rare at Los Padres.

Right now there is not a burn ban but this can change suddenly like in August or Sept so check before you go and look for road side signs etc. Technically even a smoldering incense stick/rod can be considered an open flame and would be banned in that case. A small camp stove if allowed, and they almost always are, even during a burn ban is OK (use it wisely). Most people who burn incense know how to do it (essential oils etc.) with a stove. I am guessing that sage might make a bear think there is a wild fire in the area and send it running away. But you never know if it once got into some sage flavored turkey stuffing for example it may remember and come running. ;-) Same thing for rosemary. Roman's said rosemary was for remembering, bears have great smell memories. Watch out for Roman Black Bears, ha ha ha. Terrible sense of humor, not a source of income for me.