Bear Boarding Boats in the North Channel

[Montanan]

Rental bear spray saves 10-year-old boy in Yellowstone National Park
Updated: Aug 28, 2018

Rental bear spray saves 10-year-old boy in Yellowstone National - KULR8.com | News, Weather & Sports in Billings, Montana

[Eyeback]

I tried getting bear spray in Little Current this year and the young guys at Wally's there laughed at me and said that the black bear would never come near you. It would be a lot easier to bring it in from the USA.
Last year I met up with a black bear in Moiles Harbor but according to the manager of the YMCA there, it was subsequently trapped and relocated. Of course, this is the line they always give. In truth someone will just shoot it. The same will happen to this bear in the Haywood's.

[cal40john]

Originally Posted by Lihuedooley77

whoa......

Fellow CF'ers,

Think a little bit, and please do not try to fight a bear with your bare hands. That sounds like blarney from someone who has never been any kind of a street fight. Or a single , no honey in his life dude, and boozer, who as to beat on his chest, and let all of us know how big and bad he is. Do not fall for it.

Bears are extremely strong and powerful and determined. With one swipe, they can decapitate a human being, or at least knock you out and eat your human buster badzilla body. Yum, yum. Crunch, crackle, tear, slobber.

I would say, those so called credible stories are bar talk, and we all know that bar talk us generally B.S.

Bears can destroy cars, cabins, tents, boats, trucks, what ever, to get to food.

I agree about super strong bad arsed bear spray or a fire arm. Most places we sail there are no bears, and fire arms will get you tossed into the local bastile.

So that is why we would use a flare gun. But, if I was in bear country, we would pack bear spray. You can even get a holster on your body.

Other , than staying totally clear of problem areas, I agree. If defenses fail, or you have none, Let the bear eat the boat, while we beat a withdrawl in the dink to the local bar . Maybe it will make a State Farm TV commercial . With the bucks from stardom you can buy an new boat.

Hmmmm, I hear the gears of scallwagness grinding and plots being executed.

Maybe the noise or the annoyance of being hit with a flare will scare him away, but as far as damaging the bear -
https://youtu.be/o-NNlMnJ8fg

[malbert73]

I guess Darwin isn’t always right...

[mikereed100]

Originally Posted by Mike OReilly

Very cute , and kinda true. Grizzlies are different than black bears. Black bears generally are not a big deal. They are looking for an easy meal. Killing a human is not easy, so they rarely do it. The vast majority of attacks with black bears occur when someone is being stupid (like not managing their food appropriately), or when they’ve stumbled into a situation with a sow and cubs, or when a bear is guarding a food cache of some sort.

Grizzlies, on the other hand, will look at a human as a possible meal. But to be clear, there are no grizzlies in the North Channel. None.

I was told just the opposite by a wildlife biologist in Alaska. He said that if a grizzly attacks it is in generally in defense, whereas a black bear is looking for a meal. His point being that if you are attacked by a grizzly, play dead, if attacked by a black bear, fight for your life. It's probably all academic, though.

Q: How do you tell a black bear from a grizzly?
A: Shoot him and climb a tree. If the bear climbs the tree and eats you it is a black bear. If it knocks the tree down and eats you, it's a grizzly.

[DavesC34]

I was sailing the North Channel all summer and just returned home today. Of course the Bears at Heywood story was big news on the Cruisers' Net hosted by Roy Eaton. I was very pleased to be contacted by the young journalist named Warren Scholte who wrote up the story for the Manitoulin Expositor. He asked if I would post the following message from him to the various forums where this is being discussed:

*****
Hi everyone! I’m the author of the original story in the Manitoulin Expositor and I just wanted to say thank you for all the shares and discussion – it’s very neat for a budding journalist such as myself to see my story get shared around. I need to give huge credit to Roy Eaton who hosts the local Little Current Cruiser’s Net show. He’s the one who received the reports of the bears and passed them along to our office. Couldn’t have done it without him.

I noticed some talk about using a fire extinguisher. Good thought, and that’s the same thought process that was used when a fifth boat was boarded a few days after the others. There’s a follow-up article you should check out that includes a recollection of the effectiveness of the fire extinguisher, which is good to know in case you should ever find yourselves in a similar situation.

Again, thanks for all the shares and discussion! Really means a lot. As Roy Eaton said at the end of his final show for this season, fair winds, safe harbours, 73.
/Warren
*****

[scottb]

Originally Posted by mottseng

Another dock neighbour followed a swimming bear earlier this season in a very popular anchorage that I frequent in the area of Honey Harbour. I personally haven't seen any bears but would love to see one either swimming or on shore. I plan on doing the North Channel in two years and will be prepared with some bear spray however, I really don't expect to use it.

My son worked at the YMCA camp on Beausoliel Isl, he was in charge of the Bear Bangers to chase the bears out of camp. They called the MNR and they came and relocated the bears when they became a nuisance, but would return later in the summer.

This past summer we were anchored in Chimney Bay, having my morning coffee and watched 2 bears on shore going through a campers cooler left out and unsecured. They wandered off along shore. I've come across a bear walking the trail on Beausoliel, he took off faster than we did in the opposite directions. Luckily I had the dog on a leash and she did not spot it otherwise she have taken off like a shot.

I've seen bears on 3 different occasions swimming to islands just north of Franklin Island ( north of Parry Sound ) and walking across a beach on Shawanaga Isl where my daughter was going to camp out that night.... quickly changed her mind.

Couple years back was anchored at Hope Island and watched a dinghy heading to the East point of the main beach when it kept going and walked out of the water, only this dinghy had a half rack of antlers, young moose.

[Woodland Hills]

Originally Posted by jmschmidt

Poor bear. Give him the stupid fish and he'll go away, or her.

This is so wrong that it must be an attempt at humor. Can the author truly think that feeding bears makes them go away?

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Jammer

I have heard credible reports with multiple witnesses of bears being deterred by fisticuffs.


It is something to keep in mind if escape is not possible.

In NE Greenland this summer, we met a hideously disfigured Inuit man who had survived a polar bear attack by punching the bear in the nose. He was celebrated in the village.


We encountered this guy several miles offshore. They are amazing swimmers.

[mottseng]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

In NE Greenland this summer, we met a hideously disfigured Inuit man who had survived a polar bear attack by punching the bear in the nose. He was celebrated in the village.


We encountered this guy several miles offshore. They are amazing swimmers.



Attachment 180342

Great post !!!!!!

[a64pilot]

Punching a bear has to be a lot like this.

https://goo.gl/images/ekmV7s

[Kenomac]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

In NE Greenland this summer, we met a hideously disfigured Inuit man who had survived a polar bear attack by punching the bear in the nose. He was celebrated in the village.


We encountered this guy several miles offshore. They are amazing swimmers.



Attachment 180342

When are you going to post more of your pictures and some drone arial footage of your trip?

[Delfin]

It would be a service to the bear to give him a couple of rounds from a flare gun while swimming and teach him that humans are dangerous in addition to having yummy food.

[Delfin]

Pro tip on bear spray..... If you do use it, just make sure you are upwind of the bear. The really good bear spray will incapacitate you as well. Serious stuff....

[mottseng]

Originally Posted by scottb

My son worked at the YMCA camp on Beausoliel Isl, he was in charge of the Bear Bangers to chase the bears out of camp. They called the MNR and they came and relocated the bears when they became a nuisance, but would return later in the summer.

This past summer we were anchored in Chimney Bay, having my morning coffee and watched 2 bears on shore going through a campers cooler left out and unsecured. They wandered off along shore. I've come across a bear walking the trail on Beausoliel, he took off faster than we did in the opposite directions. Luckily I had the dog on a leash and she did not spot it otherwise she have taken off like a shot.

I've seen bears on 3 different occasions swimming to islands just north of Franklin Island ( north of Parry Sound ) and walking across a beach on Shawanaga Isl where my daughter was going to camp out that night.... quickly changed her mind.

Couple years back was anchored at Hope Island and watched a dinghy heading to the East point of the main beach when it kept going and walked out of the water, only this dinghy had a half rack of antlers, young moose.

This is exactly the area we cruise, chimney being one of our default anchorage spots. We haven't seen any bears yet but would love to see one at a safe distance. I have heard that its common to see bears while hiking on Beausoliel.

Great story, hope to see you out there next summer.