Bear safety please help i'm scared

Question

I'm going camping next week at Grundy Lake and i'm scared that a bear is going to attack me and my family while we are going on a hike and I also heard that a bear will get attracted more to your scent if its during your menstrual cycle so what if i'm on it and when i'm sleeping in my tent and the bear try's to get in so he can eat me!!! please help i'm really scared

Please give me some good tips to keep bears away from me and my family and what kind of bears are in grundy lake and if so what type?

thanks your answers are muchly appreciated

Michaela,

Answer 1

the idea that a bear is attracted to the scent of menstrual blood is completely untrue and was made up by teenage boyfriends trying to scare their girlfriends. the type of bears that are in the area of the lake will be black and brown bears, if you are talking about Grundy lake in Canada. If your talking about the one in Arkansas, then you it black and you don't really need to worry about them. What you can do to keep them away is to keep your food secured away in a bear proof container. you should be able to hire one for a small price from a ranger station if bears are actually a problem. When hiking,  you wont have a problem. no bear has ever attacked a group of 4 or more. ever. if you are really that scared, get yourself a can of bear spray to protect yourself. just remember to only use it if being attacked, it doesnt repel them so dont spray it around your campsite. youll be fine. bear attacks are rare and the majority of encounters are fine. relax

Answer 2

cero gave you good advice.  Get a can of bear spray, some firecrackers (only use them if you actually see a bear), if you have a dog take him with you, and make lots of noise when you walk snapping twigs and such.  It might scare away a lot of animals you would like to see, but includes some you don't want to see up close.

Stick close to camp and don't go walking alone.  Keep food tightly wrapped and away from your tents.  Pay attention to what the local Conservation Officers tell you.  If you do all that you should have no problems.  

The secret is to hope for the best but prepare for the worst.   Once you are prepared for any situation you just have to face it calmly and cooly.

Answer 3

I really had to think long and hard about how to answer this one, since I didn't want to frighten you more.  You were given completely incorrect information by the first person who answered.

Bears HAVE attacked people in groups.  One happened in my neck of the woods on Fathers Day, last year.  Black bear dragged an 11 year old boy out of the tent where the stepfather, mother, and younger brother were all sleeping.  The black bear dragged the boy to another camp site and ate him there.

Link to the story:

http://cbs4denver.com/national/Utah.News...

There have been plenty of other attacks by bears on groups.  One was a grizzly that attacked 12 adult men (killed and ate one of them) who were all panning for gold in AK.  Happened a long time ago.

Bears are PROVEN to be highly drawn to womens menstration products (tampons/pads).  

Here's a link that tells you how to properly deal with that stuff:

http://www.yellowstone-bearman.com/menst...

A report I read a few years ago, looked at every single bear attack world-wide (mostly the U.S., Canada & Russia).  Bears were indeed drawn to menstrating women.  It's not just a scarey storey made up by boyfriends.  Blood is blood, and bears ARE drawn to it.

Millions of people visit Nation Parks every year, and have zero trouble with bears.  People in the U.S., Canada, and Russia spend their entire lives living in bear country and have zero problem.

You are going into bear country at a good time of year.  The bears should have plenty to eat.  In the spring, when they have just emerged from hybernation is when a LOT of problems occur.  The bears are just not very hungry this time of year.

Take reasonable procautions.  Do not keep ANY food in the tent.  Not even a candy bar wrapper in a coat pocket.  Do not dump uneaten food into your campfire.  

Grundy Lake is in Canada.  The most common bear would be a black bear.  Did you know statistically you are much more likely to be killed by a deer than a bear?  I wouldn't worry so much about the bears at Grundy Lake.  It's the moose you need to be cautious of!

More than anything, you need to protect yourself from the mosquitoes.  There are always tons of mosquitoes around lakes.  

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Has camped ALONE (with just horses and a dog) many, many times in bear and cougar country.  Don't be scared....take a camera, and have fun.