# Camping in Canada (Bears?).



## Brandane (14 Mar 2013)

My ambition is to cycle from Vancouver to Toronto. I would need to take an extended break from work, so it would be an expedition on a budget which would not allow for too many hotel stays. Camping being the only real alternative, I am wondering how much of a problem our Grizzly friends are, particularly around British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains. Is there an abundance of proper campsites? As presumably they might have fences to keep the bears out.

If there is a significant risk of being torn limb from limb by an angry bear then this is one ambition which I would be happy to put to bed before I build my hopes up.

I would be hoping to do this soon; either this summer or next summer, before I get too old for all this!


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## neil_merseyside (14 Mar 2013)

All the campsites I saw didn't have any fences at all, all your food needs to be kept in a camp cache - a swag bag hung high from a high tree and well away from the camping area. No food in the tent, not even in (supposedly) sealed packets. You could carry a fire extinguisher of pepper spray just in case, but ideally you need to go with a slower running companion...


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## bianchi1 (14 Mar 2013)

I had an outdoor instructor once who told me how to tell the difference between bears we could meet in Canada. 

If you climb up a tree to escape the bear, and it climbs up after you and kills you it's a brown bear, if it knocks the tree down and kills you it's a grizzly bear. 

He added that you could buy pepper spray and such stuff, but that would just make them angry.

Comforting stuff


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## gavintc (14 Mar 2013)

I did lots of backwoods camping when I lived in Canada. The important aspect is to keep your bags free from the smell of food. If you have had food in them, you will need to cache them with the food. A simple system of hauling them up a tree away from the sleep area is all that is needed. A longish rope, you sling over the arm of a tree and leave the food swinging. The only thing to worry about is chipmunks which can climb trees and come down rope! If you are in a main tourist area - big camp site with cars etc, you don't need to worry.


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## Brandane (14 Mar 2013)

Hmmm; 2 3 replies and I am already reconsidering my ambition . That's in addition to the feedback I'm getting on TripAdvisor. Perhaps my original idea of doing France from north to south might be safer and more realistic.

Edit: The one thing I am not understanding is this idea of keeping food out of the way in case a bear smells it. Would they not be able to smell a human lying sleeping in a tent, and be tempted to help themselves to some defenceless meat? Or do we not give off an attractive smell? After a days cycling, I know I don't smell too appetising!


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## bianchi1 (14 Mar 2013)

Brandane said:


> Hmmm; 2 3 replies and I am already reconsidering my ambition . That's in addition to the feedback I'm getting on TripAdvisor. Perhaps my original idea of doing France from north to south might be safer and more realistic.
> 
> Edit: The one thing I am not understanding is this idea of keeping food out of the way in case a bear smells it. Would they not be able to smell a human lying sleeping in a tent, and be tempted to help themselves to some defenceless meat? Or do we not give off an attractive smell? After a days cycling, I know I don't smell too appetising!




I got charged at by wild boar while wild camping in France.


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## Brandane (14 Mar 2013)

bianchi1 said:


> I got charged at by wild boar while wild camping in France.


 
So glad I started this thread now. LE/JOG?


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## Yellow7 (14 Mar 2013)

Ah, maybe take heed of the warnings but don’t them deter you, after most news stories I wouldn’t be getting out of bed! Have fun!


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## bianchi1 (14 Mar 2013)

A trip's no fun without a bit of adventure! 

The sight of my mate, stood up, naked, with his sleeping bag around his ankles, shouting "BONJOUR BONJOUR (that's all the French he knew) at charging, tusked giant pigs will never leave me.


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## Brandane (14 Mar 2013)

Yellow7 said:


> Ah, maybe take heed of the warnings but don’t them deter you, after most news stories I wouldn’t be getting out of bed! Have fun!


 
Nothing planned yet, this thread was my first enquiry as to the practicality of this ambition. The information I am getting from Canadians over on TripAdvisor isn't filling me with enthusiasm either. There are plenty of alternatives if this one is a non-starter. I would rather find these things out now than at 3am in a forest somewhere up the Rockies in August . I saw that film "Grizzly" back in the 70s (the bear version of Jaws, for those of lesser years!).


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## Canrider (14 Mar 2013)

Brandane said:


> Hmmm; 2 3 replies and I am already reconsidering my ambition . That's in addition to the feedback I'm getting on TripAdvisor. Perhaps my original idea of doing France from north to south might be safer and more realistic.
> 
> Edit: The one thing I am not understanding is this idea of keeping food out of the way in case a bear smells it. Would they not be able to smell a human lying sleeping in a tent, and be tempted to help themselves to some defenceless meat? Or do we not give off an attractive smell? After a days cycling, I know I don't smell too appetising!


In general terms, the bear doesn't really want to be too near humans. Most of the time a bear will avoid humans, and attacks tend to happen when people inadvertently surprise a bear, or get too near to a mother bear with her cubs. They certainly don't, as a group, predate humans as a preferred source of food, so that's why keeping 'real' food out of reach works.

People cycle through the BC mountains all the time in safety. It's not (southern BC) nearly as deserted as people expect Canada to be. If you look at the routes, cycling along the Trans-Canada from Calgary to Vancouver you could mostly jump from town to town, meaning motel to motel, and rarely have to camp out. Also, since you'd be following essentially a large A-road through the mountains, most bears are likely to stay well clear of the motor traffic.

Link us to some of this TripAdvisor advice you're seeing--I can't find anything specific on the topic with a quick search.


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## Yellow7 (14 Mar 2013)

It's always the bad news that travels, never the good. Stories of failure, rather than success. "ooh don't do this, don't do that". Fear breeds failure.If you've got a plan, got for it.
I'm likewise of the lesser years, Saturday Night Fever scared me, I could never get on a dance floor thereafter. ;-))


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## Profpointy (14 Mar 2013)

bianchi1 said:


> A trip's no fun without a bit of adventure!
> 
> The sight of my mate, stood up, naked, with his sleeping bag around his ankles, shouting "BONJOUR BONJOUR (that's all the French he knew) at charging, tusked giant pigs will never leave me.


 

I'd not mess with wild pigs myself. Saw a wildlife film of four wild pigs very nearly killing a cheetah. Note that the pigs attacked the cheetah as soon as they saw it, and the Cheetah was a bit too slow realising it was the prey not the hunter. It only just got away quite badly hurt, with a big patch of fur & flesh gouged off its arse, and its tail was broken in several places a la Tom & Jerry. It may not have survived these injuries.


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## Profpointy (14 Mar 2013)

oh and on the bears thing, one of the biggest risks apparently is startling a bear, hence some say wear bells on your ankles Morris Dancer style, and have a pepper spray as last resort. Apparently it's worth being able to distinguish between the dung of black bears versus grizzly bears, It seems black bear dung has bits of nuts and berries in it, but grizzly bear dung has bells in and smells of pepper..

..... I thank you.....


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## Nigeyy (15 Mar 2013)

As someone else said, there won't be fences around your campground.

On the bright side, so long as you don't keep food with you, you make loads of noise, and/or don't stumble onto a mother with cubs or a bear with a kill, keep your distance, chances are, they'll leave you alone. I've never seen a bear when out cycling and it's one of my ambitions -I once missed seeing one by a couple of seconds when I was mtbing, and had one run in front of the car on the way to camping in New Hampshire (it was right in front of the car; I was so excited to see it, I forgot to reach for a camera -I'd seen it lumbering over the grass towards the road and had slowed to a stop). Both times they were black bears -still capable of killing you (very unusual though) but nowhere near as big or dangerous as grizzlies or brown bears. 

Wild animals are always bigger in Canada anyway; mosquitoes are the national bird. If it's any comfort to you, you might want to worry about moose ....and skunks. Or more than likely, other road drivers.


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## ayceejay (15 Mar 2013)

I would plan a trip around cheap accommodation other than camping if I were making that trip. My concern would not be bears but the micro creatures like black flies and mosquitoes that could make your trip miserable. You will encounter them on your bike too but deet will mostly cover that just keep your mouth shut but sleeping out - not for me.


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## Crankarm (15 Mar 2013)

"Boo Boo such generous campers! What have we here?"


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## slowmotion (15 Mar 2013)

We have been hiking in the middle of nowhere in Northern BC, but it was in daylight. If you make a noise, jangle the bear bells, and keep your bear spray close, you will almost certainly be as lucky as we were.

Quite how you could keep up such a regime of deterrence, asleep, at night and under canvas, stretches my definition of optimism.


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## Trail Child (15 Mar 2013)




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## ufkacbln (15 Mar 2013)

Wear a cycle helmet!


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## BigonaBianchi (15 Mar 2013)

i would get eductaed on bears before i went.

make noise.
dont surpise a bear
never run from a bear
know the difference between a grizzly and brown/black bears
carry bear spray in an easy access place and know how to use it...

...and dont go walkabout trying to find a bear like this bloke


View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-pn_JSE8rE


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## Brandane (15 Mar 2013)

Cunobelin said:


> Wear a cycle helmet!


 
At least they seem to be useful for something then......


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## Brandane (15 Mar 2013)

Canrider said:


> Link us to some of this TripAdvisor advice you're seeing--I can't find anything specific on the topic with a quick search.


 
I posted on the British Columbia forum. To be fair, the bottom line seems to be that the chances of a bear encounter are remote, but there is always the chance. The link on one of the first posts to Wikipedia makes interesting reading!

Slowmotion raises the point which is my main concern:


> We have been hiking in the middle of nowhere in Northern BC, but it was in daylight. If you make a noise, jangle the bear bells, and keep your bear spray close, you will almost certainly be as lucky as we were.
> 
> Quite how you could keep up such a regime of deterrence, asleep, at night and under canvas, stretches my definition of optimism.


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## coffeejo (15 Mar 2013)

Since the bells/noise advice is to avoid startling a bear, I would have thought unless you're prone to extreme bouts of flatulence in your sleep, you'd be fine at night so long as there's no scent of food on you or anything else in your tent.


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## BigonaBianchi (15 Mar 2013)

Put all your food and cosmetics ..even toothpaste etc in a bear box if there is one on the campsite or at least 100m away from your tent if there isnt one. I slept at night with music playing from my cell phone in my tent...but then I was awake all night tring to decide if it would be better to hear them coming or not...also i was told by rangers to cook away from the tent, and change my clothes before i slept as the cooking smells embed in your clothing and bears like that!

I'd also be aware of your bike....i met a cycle couple who had had a bike destroyed by a bear once...

also be aware of the wind direction

...i think the chances of a close encounter are slim if you do th eright things...but then i wasnt in canada


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## BigonaBianchi (15 Mar 2013)

..another thing..re bear spray.

They come with safty catches...you may want to make 100% sure it's applied at night in your tent....you wont want that thing going off by mistake in your sleep !


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## Canrider (15 Mar 2013)

Thanks Brandane.
Regarding 'emptiness', the most remote part of the entire Van-Tor route won't be the Prairies but the bit around the top of Lake Superior in Ontario. And I knew a guy (cycle courier in Winnipeg) who rode from Winnipeg to Toronto and back for the hell of it.

Bears, well, there's risk, but there's always risk, bears/moose/drivers/weather/plane crash.


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## Star Strider (15 Mar 2013)

Strip down to your undercrackers, cover yourself in fire ash mud and leaves.


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## rich p (15 Mar 2013)

Star Strider said:


> Strip down to your undercrackers, cover yourself in fire ash mud and leaves.


or...
..._Strip down to your undercrackers, cover yourself in fire ash mud and leave_


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## BigonaBianchi (15 Mar 2013)

dress up as a bigger bear?


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## Lee_M (15 Mar 2013)

just search bear attack on google images- that'll make sure you never leave your hotel room


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## Dave Davenport (15 Mar 2013)

BigonaBianchi said:


> dress up as a bigger bear?


 
Better make that an unattractive bigger bear, having an 8' grizzly wanting to shag you could turn out worse than it wanting to eat you.


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## Haitch (15 Mar 2013)

I have driven/camped the Canadian Rockies from Seattle to Alaska.* What the others said: stash all your food at night, either hang it from a tree or put it in a reinforced locker (where available) away from the tent, and have absolutely nothing in the tent with you (including sweets, snacks, some sites even advise against lip balm). Some of the campsites are very big and comfortable and the biggest threat is asphyxiation from the nightly mass-barbecue ritual, others are little more than a metal bucket and instructions to swill it out in the stream before returning it. My biggest concern about cycling would be making it to the next campsite every night. Some are very spaced out, man.

* That sounds rather grander than I intended, but grand it was.


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## vernon (16 Mar 2013)

Brandane said:


> So glad I started this thread now. LE/JOG?


 
Exmoor beast?


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## Brandane (16 Mar 2013)

vernon said:


> Exmoor beast?


 
Good point; forgot about that. Perhaps a circuit of the Isle of Cumbrae then?
10 minutes away from home by ferry, and a nice flat 10 mile route. 
The only wildlife to worry about are hedgehogs on the road.


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## BigonaBianchi (16 Mar 2013)

When.being charged by a bear...stop to ask it if it is a grizzly or a black bear. That way you can decide whether or not to lay down and play dead or fight back.


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## snorri (16 Mar 2013)

Brandane said:


> , I am wondering how much of a problem our Grizzly friends are,..... Is there an abundance of proper campsites? As presumably they might have fences to keep the bears out. .......If there is a significant risk of being torn limb from limb by an angry bear


 Stop looking for excuses, MTFU and get on with it.


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## Somebuddy (16 Mar 2013)

Brandane - There is a guy from UK that has flown into New York, cycled south to Florida, headed west across the southern tier, is now in LA and plans on cycling up the west coast into Canada, and back across country and back down to New York again. You might be interested in his blog as he will be cycling your dream. You can see how he gets on with the wildlife!! The website is Vaguedirection.com


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## ayceejay (16 Mar 2013)

I have encountered black bears on several occasions, their main interest seems to be food. They love dustbin diving and like nothing better than seeking food we would consider garbage. If a black bear is discovered munching on food you consider yours let him have it and he will leave you alone. A male bear weighing 400lbs running is a thing to behold and you sure don't want him/her running after you. The mythology is that you shouldn't try to run from a bear but if you can't help yourself be sure to run downhill, the theory is that with front legs shorter than back legs (yes they run on all fours) this will put him at a disadvantage but I don't suggest you put this to the test.
When I lived in Cape Breton the local dump was a hole in the ground and with no collection you had to dump your garbage yourself. There was a bear fence around the pit and the gates would open to let people in and staff who were sorting out the garbage. Bears would show up at a certain point to help with the sorting and this was a sign for people to leave - no shooing, no pepper spray just leave quietly.


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## stephenjubb (16 Mar 2013)

have a look on www.crazyguyonabike.com and search for canada.

lots of folks have crossed canada on bike and written up their experiences their.


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## neil_merseyside (16 Mar 2013)

stephenjubb said:


> have a look on www.crazyguyonabike.com and search for canada.
> 
> lots of folks have crossed canada on bike and written up their experiences their.



Only the ones that survived could do that though!


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## HelenD123 (16 Mar 2013)

stephenjubb said:


> have a look on www.crazyguyonabike.com and search for canada.
> 
> lots of folks have crossed canada on bike and written up their experiences their.


 
Me! Have a look at the link in my signature. I camped most of the time, both on sites and wild and survived the bears. I took the recommended precautions of not having any food or toiletries in my tent and stashing them a good distance from my tent every night. I used all sorts of ruses for this such as stashing them in the toilet block on a campground, in the back of bear proof bins as well as the traditional hang from a tree (this was a last resort as I found it difficult and there wasn't always a suitable treet). Very few campsites had bear proof lockers for food. On the few occasions I asked for advice I was told to put the food in my car . I also avoided cooking near my tent when wild camping.

To be honest I'd be more worried about the traffic than the bears. Looking back at some of the stretches where I was mixing with trucks it was crazy.


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## albal (16 Mar 2013)

Never came across any bears on my transam, but, did hear many tales of encounters in the rockies. One guy, riding early in yellowstone, so as to avoid the tourist traffic, and luckily for him was warned by an oncoming motorist of a grizzly near the roadside. Bear spray to hand is good advice i'd say.


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## ianrauk (17 Mar 2013)

Bears look like friendly chaps to me.


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## Brandane (17 Mar 2013)

HelenD123 said:


> Me! Have a look at the link in my signature.


 
Helen, your blog on CGOAB is actually one of the reasons why a Trans Canada ride has become one of my ambitions. I haven't managed to sit down and read all 152 pages of it as yet, but the sections which I have read are an inspiration.
In all honesty, despite posting this thread, I think this will remain one ambition which will not be fulfilled. I would love to do it, but when thinking about these things I tend to conveniently forget that I have one or two medical issues. The major one being a heart rhythm problem which rears its' ugly head now and again; particularly in the past month or so. My GP has warned me against any strenuous exercise meantime, although I tend to define "strenuous" loosely (i.e. managed a hilly 40 miler last week with no ill effects).

Sods law says that I would have problems in Canada requiring medical attention, and any travel insurance company would wash their hands of it as it is a pre-existing condition. So it is a non starter this year, but there is now an operation available to correct my condition, involving a laser beam and a Surgeon with a steady hand. Fingers crossed!


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## slowmotion (17 Mar 2013)

ianrauk said:


> Bears look like friendly chaps to me.



We were driving on a fairly remote road on the North end of Vancouver island a couple of years ago and came across a group of black bears by the roadside. They were on their back legs, daintily removing blackberries from the bushes. The thing that struck us was how beautiful and shiny their coats were.
They move with lightning speed. I didn't wind down the window to wave. We didn't want a passenger.


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## Gravity Aided (17 Mar 2013)

All areas in North America have their hazards, critter wise. In Illinois, much of the area under cultivation has been planted in corn, providing a nice Buffet for the White-Tailed Deer, which get very nearly the size of a small Jersey cow in my area. South of here, this abundance has attracted the attention of the Cougar, a sort of big, brown Panther the color of dead leaves. They much prefer to eat cyclists when they have them. These are spreading from the Southwest into Illinois, in the deeply forested southern part. Rattlesnakes like to cozy up to you for warmth when it's cold out. Grizzly Bears and Brown Bears and Black Bears. Truth be told, I have photographed and traveled from Canada to the Southeast U.S. and have only seen the White Tailed Deer and the Rattlesnake. Of course, I listened to the radio when I was in Minnesota. They had Bear alerts, so you knew where to avoid. My point, arrived at after a fashion, is this- There are times when you can be in the wilds and have a lot less probability of wildlife encounters. It pays to know your neighbors and their habits, even in the woods. Look out for the Wolverine.

​



​Courtesy Wikipedia


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## Gravity Aided (18 Mar 2013)

Oh- and another thing- Coyotes- not so bad, mostly will avoid you, although I had a litter of pups come up and investigate my bike on the road. Wolves a whole different matter entirely. There are many who live in Canada, our Northern Neighbor.


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## Crankarm (18 Mar 2013)

Don't forget Jehovah's Witnesses. They strike at any hour and are very difficult to get rid of.


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## ianrauk (18 Mar 2013)

Crankarm said:


> Don't forget Jehovah's Witnesses. They strike at any hour and are very difficult to get rid of.


 

And usually hunt in pairs.


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## Nigeyy (18 Mar 2013)

Crankarm said:


> Don't forget Jehovah's Witnesses. They strike at any hour and are very difficult to get rid of.


 
And can stalk a prey for miles and for a very long time.....


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## Nigeyy (18 Mar 2013)

Brandane, good luck with that! I hope everything works out well.



Brandane said:


> ....I have one or two medical issues. The major one being a heart rhythm problem which rears its' ugly head now and again; particularly in the past month or so. ....but there is now an operation available to correct my condition, involving a laser beam and a Surgeon with a steady hand. Fingers crossed!


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## Nigeyy (18 Mar 2013)

There are quite a few coyotes in the woods near my house; hear them now and again (enough for the kids to call the woods "Coyote Woods"). Coyotes occasionally will kill pet dogs (even when out with their owners, and I'd definitely not let a small kid go wander in there alone either -not that I'd let a small kid go alone without coyotes anyway!). We also know we have a Fisher Cat (not a good thing to come across, but not deadly) in the neighbourhood. We also supposedly have brown recluse and black widow spiders (I think I've seen a brown recluse, but I've never seen a black widow).

It's never put me off touring in Massachusetts. Honestly, you'll usually never see or come across this stuff.


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## Dave Davenport (18 Mar 2013)

When we were in Australia years ago we wild camped all over the place and never gave a thought to all the bitey, stingey things they've got over there.


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## ayceejay (18 Mar 2013)

Our two dogs were sprayed by a skunk last night. This is another animal you don't want crawling into your tent believe me.


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## Crankarm (18 Mar 2013)

Dave Davenport said:


> When we were in Australia years ago we wild camped all over the place and never gave a thought to all the bitey, stingey things they've got over there.


 
You're not wrong there! When I was there I never went in the seas for fear of being bitten (sea snakes, sharks, stung (box jelly fish tenticles which can be 5km long or leave severe burns over skin) or eaten (shark). Mind you I did a fair few bush walks, seeing quite a few King Brown snakes which are pretty bad tempered things. One morning about 7am I was driving a minibus through an orange plantation in South Australia where I was working for a few weeks and this snake came straight out of one row of oranges across the dirt road in front of the van into another as fast as a man could run. No time to brake or swerve. Blink and you would miss it. We were doing about 20-25mph. It must have been about 8-9 feet long moving fast with it's head up about 4 foot off the ground. Scary.

Picking bananas in Queensland was the worst. Venomous snakes would slither down the frond and go to sleep around the huge fronds of bananas inside the huge foil lined bags used to ripen and protect bananas for harvest. You had to reach up into the tree and cut the main stem with a machete then take the whole weight of the huge frond (stack) of bananas on your shoulder. Any sleeping snake would rapidly wake up and bite you on the neck killing you within a couple of minutes. We always had dogs that would bark like mad if there were any snakes around the fronds. I didn't get bitten but a couple of my co-workers did and when we got back to the shed there were always snakes sliding out of the huge bunches as they were divided and packed. King Browns, taipans, scary scary work it was. And the sap was awful black sticky goo that wouldn't come off any clothing. It was bin your clothes at the end of every week. Spiders were a nightmare as well.

In the outback I was always told to sleep on a picnic table if you could off the ground as come morning you could well have an unwelcome visitor snuggled up against you or even inside your bag ..................

Saw quite a few snakes wrapped up inside wheel arches and around suspension parts adjacent to exhaust systems or actually around silencers. You always had to check shoes or boots before putting them on. A maintenance guy at one of the hostels I was staying nearly died as snake slithered into a large black bucket he was using for tools etc I guess for the heat. Anyway guy reached in for a tool without looking into the bucket and was bitten by a King Brown snake. He spent a couple of weeks in hospital and luckily lived.


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## Dave Davenport (18 Mar 2013)

Blimey, sounds like you had my share of the bitey, stingers! The only thing I had to contend with was removing the Red Back spiders (which aren't really very dangerous) from the train air con units I worked on in Brisbane. I did get stung by a non-lethal jelly fish one time and once whilst snorkelling in north WA came face to face with a 'big' shark, it was probably only about 4' long really but I would have beaten Mark Spitz the speed I swam back to the beach!


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## MarkF (18 Mar 2013)

How many people die from bear attacks in Canada a year? 1 or 2 maybe? There are what, 30/40 million inhabitants? And camping is national past time.............I once got bitten by a squirrel in Vancouver but it's still a place I'd like to cycle in again.


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## Gravity Aided (20 Mar 2013)

ianrauk said:


> And usually hunt in pairs.


I believe you are thinking of Mormons, who hunt in pairs and use bicycles ,. Jehovahs' Witnesses hunt in swarms.


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## Gravity Aided (20 Mar 2013)

ayceejay said:


> Our two dogs were sprayed by a skunk last night. This is another animal you don't want crawling into your tent believe me.


I have seen skunks while touring . They saw me coming, and ran off across an open field . In rural areas of the U.S. I worry more about farm dogs. Even my own are not big fans of bicycles.


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## slowmotion (20 Mar 2013)

My BIL came from Canada this evening. He hikes a bit.
http://www.camping-expert.com/bear-repellent.html
Very few people get killed . In terms of statistics, two wheels in the UK is way more dangerous.
They still scare the life out of me when I'm there.


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## bianchi1 (20 Mar 2013)

slowmotion said:


> My BIL came from Canada this evening. He hikes a bit.
> http://www.camping-expert.com/bear-repellent.html
> Very few people get killed . In terms of statistics, two wheels in the UK is way more dangerous.
> They still scare the life out of me when I'm there.



Great web site. Best quote (amongst many) "Tuck your head between your lifted legs and wrap your arms around your legs. If it starts to eat you though, fight back"


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## RWright (20 Mar 2013)

You might want to also do a search for black flies in Canada. I had to deal with them in Minnesota. I heard they are worse in some parts of Canada, not sure which. I know I would plan my trip around them. I think there is a season for them.


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## slowmotion (20 Mar 2013)

bianchi1 said:


> Great web site. Best quote (amongst many) "Tuck your head between your lifted legs and wrap your arms around your legs. If it starts to eat you though, fight back"


 Not bad for gallows humour.


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## ufkacbln (20 Mar 2013)

A Canadian park ranger is giving some ramblers a warning about bears, ‘Brown bears are usually harmless. They avoid contact with humans so we suggest you attach small bells to your rucksacks and give the bears time to get out of your way. However, grizzly bears are extremely dangerous. If you see any grizzly-bear droppings leave the area immediately.’ ‘So how do we know if they’re grizzly bear droppings?’ asks one of the ramblers. ‘It’s easy,’ replies the ranger. ‘They’re full of small bells.’




Two men go out for a walk in the forest when they see a bear. The first takes off his backpack, takes out a pair of trainers, and puts them on. The other looks at him and says, ‘That’s pretty stupid. You can’t outrun a bear!’ ‘That’s true,’ says his friend. ‘But then again, I only need to outrun you.’


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## Trail Child (20 Mar 2013)

RWright said:


> You might want to also do a search for black flies in Canada. I had to deal with them in Minnesota. I heard they are worse in some parts of Canada, not sure which. I know I would plan my trip around them. I think there is a season for them.


Worse in the more heavily forested areas. Black fly season is May to end of June. Mosquitos overlap that and continue from there. Horse & deer flies take over in July.


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## ianrauk (20 Mar 2013)

Trail Child said:


> Worse in the more heavily forested areas. Black fly season is May to end of June. Mosquitos overlap that and continue from there. Horse & deer flies take over in July.


 

So tell me about these black flies.
Bitey little buggers are they?


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## Trail Child (21 Mar 2013)

ianrauk said:


> So tell me about these black flies.
> Bitey little buggers are they?


They're small, attack in large hovering groups, and draw blood. A lot like school children.


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## Poacher (21 Mar 2013)

ianrauk said:


> So tell me about these black flies.
> Bitey little buggers are they?


As Trail Child said, they draw blood. In fact they actually bite living lumps of flesh out of you, the little sods!


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## Canrider (21 Mar 2013)

ianrauk said:


> So tell me about these black flies.
> Bitey little buggers are they?


They're related to midges. You have been warned.

Personally, I'd worry about moose. Herbivores whose attitude is 'Why should I run away? I'm HUGE!'...


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## Brandane (21 Mar 2013)

Canrider said:


> They're related to midges. You have been warned.
> 
> Personally, I'd worry about moose. Herbivores whose attitude is 'Why should I run away? I'm HUGE!'...


 
Living in the west of Scotland, I have lots of experience of midges. If these black fly things are bigger versions of midges then bears pale into insignificance. Canada might well be joining the list of "popular holiday destinations that do not appeal". 

Is that the Mooses' attitude to humans? Presumably if a bear arrived on the scene it might decide to do a runner?


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## Canrider (21 Mar 2013)

Twice as big as an adult grizzly and there's three times as many of them? I'd wager you're more likely to be injured by a moose than a bear, TBH. Having said that, as others have pointed out, cars are your biggest danger when cycling, no matter where you may be.


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## Gravity Aided (22 Mar 2013)

Cover some chain mail with a mosquito net, and you should be all set. Beware the Wolverine. Even bears run from him.


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## stephenjubb (22 Mar 2013)

Cunobelin said:


> Two men go out for a walk in the forest when they see a bear. The first takes off his backpack, takes out a pair of trainers, and puts them on. The other looks at him and says, ‘That’s pretty stupid. You can’t outrun a bear!’ ‘That’s true,’ says his friend. ‘But then again, I only need to outrun you.’


 
Absolutely brilliant!! Love the sense of humor


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## ufkacbln (22 Mar 2013)

stephenjubb said:


> Absolutely brilliant!! Love the sense of humor




You think it wasn't serious advice ?


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## Trail Child (22 Mar 2013)

Our bears are quite polite ...

View: http://youtu.be/O6Xo21L0ybE


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## Gravity Aided (25 Mar 2013)

Obviously a well-bred bear.


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## BigonaBianchi (29 Mar 2013)

The Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, fishermen and golfers to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while hiking.

They advise people to wear noise producing devices such as little bells on their clothing to alert but not startle the bear unexpectedly. They also advise carrying pepper spray in case of an encounter with a bear.

It is also a good idea to watch for fresh signs of bear activity and know the difference between black bear and grizzly bear droppings.

Black bear droppings are smaller and contain berries and possibly squirrel fur.

Grizzly bear droppings have little bells in them and smell like pepper spray


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## Brandane (10 Apr 2013)

All you need to be safe from bears is a Samsung washing machine:


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## Gravity Aided (11 Apr 2013)

Won't see a wolverine doing that. They go to the dry cleaners.


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## Banjo (14 Apr 2013)

On the road to Yellow Stone Park in a hire car we spotted a bison laying in the dust on the side of the road. Got out for a photo but it just lay there switching flies off with its tail. Waved our arms and shouted at it trying for a better pic (terrible behaviour I know and I wouldnt bother a wild animal now) but it just opened one eye gave us a withering look and continued its nap.

Bit further up the road we came across a sign saying "On no account should you approach Bison .Several people attacked each year on this road." Lucky for us he couldnt be arsed on thjis occasion.


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## Sunny Portrush (19 Apr 2013)

Dave Davenport said:


> Better make that an unattractive bigger bear, having an 8' grizzly wanting to shag you could turn out worse than it wanting to eat you.


 
I`ve just had to explain to my 11 year old why i`m crying with laughter when reading something on the PC!


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## BigonaBianchi (19 Apr 2013)

The problem in Yellowstone isn't the bears...it's the endless oversized RVs


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## Sterba (19 Apr 2013)

Canada is lovely, but most of the route you are talking about is a two lane main road stretching endlessly across a flat unchanging landscape interepersed with trucks and camper vans whose drivers are falling asleep with boredom at the wheel as they come up behind you. Bears would be the least of your worries.


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## Gravity Aided (20 Apr 2013)

BigonaBianchi said:


> The problem in Yellowstone isn't the bears...it's the endless oversized RVs


Super-Volcano. Overdue to erupt.


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## Gravity Aided (20 Apr 2013)

Sterba said:


> Canada is lovely, but most of the route you are talking about is a two lane main road stretching endlessly across a flat unchanging landscape interepersed with trucks and camper vans whose drivers are falling asleep with boredom at the wheel as they come up behind you. Bears would be the least of your worries.


I'd still worry about the wolverine. Then the oversized vehicles, then all bear encounters.


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