Question by Sharon: Would it ideal for me to bring a pack of huge dogs while hiking in Grizzly country NW Canada (Yukon)?
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I am thinking that a pack of huge dogs would scare off the Grizzlys and my loyal dogs would take one for the team for me if they had to in order to protect me.
Best answer:
Answer by hard on
No it would be ideal to bring a gun.
Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!
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8 Comments
i stayed in the yukon for 14 days on the yukon river and pelly river. the only bears we ever ran into was a small black bear. I dont think you need a pack of dogs.
Ya! Dogs arent really gonna help you! If a Grizzly decides he’s hungry or wants to attack, he’ll tear your dogs appart! Your best chance is to shoot it with a hunting rifle! Only if it’s absolutely necessary though!
Bearsonally speaking …..I will not bother you if you do travel “alone” without your dogs but make sure you make lots of NOISE , this let’s me know you are taking a nice walk through my rather large and vast living room and are a quest in my home.
Some of my neighbours have cubs and noise will give any Momma bears time to get their cubs to safety and far away from you.
I will admit we are a bit cantankerous when we first get out of bed ( *lol* who isn’t ) in the Spring time (hibernation) and still have our jammies on…we are quite hungry having lost a lot of body fat….almost ravenous actually,and not in a good mood at all,at all.
If we are a “Coastal Bear” and are fishing during the salmon run it’s wise to leave us alone , we’re rather possessive about our lunch and our fishing territory along the river.
Here is a good neighbour of mine competing with a human fisherman…. very ,very scarey !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1BBzpLEjAr8&feature=related
Another neighbour of mine in a terrifying confrontation with a human…not for the faint hearted….
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVS1UfCfxlU&feature=related
If we are an “Inland Bear” we don’t fish …so make NOISE ….and we also have other curious neighbors that will shy away from NOISE like wolves and other things that go bump in the night.
Remember we really don’t wish to meet you humans , and I don’t think you wish to meet us up close either *lol*……but you can certainly take our picture from a safe distance……….we don’t mind that.
No , but you might run into a hungrey ,pack …be careful…!
Kind of like giving the bear an appetizer before the main meal?
Most bears that you may run into on your hiking trip will want to avoid you. They know the scent of humans and have learned to try to get out of your way. Where you may encounter a black bear or a grizzly is if you are being too quiet and the bear doesnt hear or smell you approaching.
Since grizzly bears can chase you at speeds up to 35 mph, and cover more than 100 yards in six seconds from a standing start, the worst thing you can do is try to run away. What you SHOULD do depends on whether they have seen you or not. If they don’t know you are there, back away slowly and quietly, and give the bear a nice wide detour. If it did see you, try to speak calmly to the bear so it hears your voice and indentifies you as a human, all the while trying to slowly back away from it (but keep your eyes on it at all times!).
The only bears you really have to worry about are ones that have become too accustomed to humans (like ones raiding dumpsters on the outskirts of town), mother bears that are protecting their cubs, or bears that are hungry due to a food shortage and have decided to become predatory and hunt you.
If you are going hiking in the Yukon, you should be able to find a hunting store (perhaps even Canadian Tire) that sells bear spray. Similar to pepper spray or mace, you spray it at a bear that has decided to become aggressive with you (only if calm talking doesnt work). You use the spray, then run to try and find the nearest tree that you think you can climb, and get up 10 feet or higher in the branches.
Bringing a dog along is a good idea for companionship, but in reality the dog’s scent may actually attract hungry predators, not repel them. On the other hand, he may be able to give you advance warning of danger. You will have to weigh the pros and cons.
Not a good idea. Wear a toque with bells on it or something noisy like that. If you see one – DO NOT FEED IT! Lots of bear/people confrontations happen when people try to feed them or get a picture with them in very close proximity, They have a tendency to get mad and strike out. Bears, particularly the Grizzly, can rip your scalp off with one paw tied behind his back. Saw the results of that myself at Athabasca once in the 70s. It is something you never forget but wish you could. If you are going into areas that have active game warden service – like the National Parks, they will in all likelihood, not let you take a pack of dogs with you anyway.
A VERY POWERFUL TAZER… a bullet isn’t going to even make a grizzly flinch.. and it would eat a dog for supper.
I live in the Yukon. I see lots of black bears, but no grizzlies yet. Some people here use “bear bells.” Bears do not want a confrontatiion, and if they hear you coming, they will usually just go the other way.
I have some big dogs (2 English Mastiffs, and a husky-wolf cross who is bigger than one of the Mastiffs). They keep the moose away, and as I have yet to see a bear at my house, I’m guessing the bears too.