Bear pushing on tent eventually bites camper

[MULTIZ321]

Bear pushing on tent eventually bites camper.

Bear pushing on tent eventually bites camper

Campers in Montana were awakened early in the morning when a bear began pushing or “falling” on their tent.

ftw.usatoday.com

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Richard

 

[moonstone]

DH had a similar encounter back in the mid 70's. He went camping in Algonquin Park (huge Ontario Provincial Park) with some high school friends. They sat around the campfire with their cooler (which contained food & adult beverages) one evening and somebody forgot to lock the cooler away in the truck before retiring for the night. In the middle of the night DH was awakened by the weird grunting-moaning noises his buddy Tom was making. Thinking he was going to be sick DH shone his flashlight on Tom to see what was wrong. DH could see the side of the tent caved in on top of Tom almost covering him. DH yelled to the other guys thinking one of them had tripped on a tent peg on their way to the bathroom and fallen on the tent & Tom. He grabbed Tom's arm to pull him out from under the lump. The guys in the other tent heard the yelling and opened their tent up to shine their flashlight over to see what was going on. They were horrified to see a big black bear sitting on the side of DH & Tom's tent with the cooler beside it and eating their eggs right out of the carton. The guys in the other tent started yelling and ran to one of the guys' truck, climbed in, turned on the headlights and start honking the horn. The bear got up right away, ate more food out of the cooler, and eventually moved off. Just as the bear was walking down the path the Park Ranger drove up to tell the guys to be quiet. They told him what had happened and he warned them to make sure to lock up all their remaining food. Tom refused to sleep in the tent for the rest of the weekend and instead slept in the back seat of his car!

A few years later, the summer after we got married, we went camping at the same campground with 2 of those guys and their now wives and they told us that story while sitting around the fire on the first night. The story could have had a very tragic ending instead of being sort of funny. I was so thankful that we had taken DH's parents converted school bus camper and I didn't need to worry about a night time visitor sitting on the side of our tent!


~Diane

 

[clifffaith]

Saw a great video on the news today. Teenage boy, North or South Carolina I think, had been reading on a porch when a bear comes up on the porch. Video is of his face talking into his phone while the bear can be seen moving around behind him. Then suddenly you can almost feel his bowels give loose as he whispers about the two bear cubs who can be seen following along behind mama. Apparently it all ended well, although I expect he had to change his shorts!

 

[cgeidl]

We were in Yosemite in the 1970's with our two children and there was a long tube set up on the edge of the campground baited to catch a bear frquenting the campground. Early morning a ranger came thru and advised people get in their tents. We were with our kids and jumped in our car but the guy next door from New York was reading the newspaper and having coffee at HIS picnic table. He just sat there as the bear actually went under the other end of his table. The ranger was quietly advising the man the bear was there. The guy looked at the ranger and replied unbelievably and unconcerned,"I know but I was here foist". The bear shortly wandered off and the New Yorker continued with his coffee and paper. Guess there may be something to bears smelling fear like dogs are able to. This guy had no fear or maybe no brains.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Algonquin hands out lots of pamphlets about bear proofing your campsite. A lot of people just DON'T read them. We met a family that the son wanted to take some pictures of raccoons and such, so he left food just in front of his tent and slept with his camera. Plus the family left everything on the picnic tables. They didn't read. Kid was surprised to wake up with bear ransacking their campsite. Oops. At least that did not end badly, but they had to buy a new coolers and all new food.