About to take my first camping trip in (black) bear country.

>>1037425
Bears do, in fact, shit in the woods. Watch where you step.

>>1037425
Keep a decent sized fire going, have fun and be loud, keep some tunes going if you're bringing a speaker. Lone black bears are pussies, I've camped in highly populated black bear country since I was a wee lad and have never seen one approach an active campsite, if they can hear you clearly from a distance they will more often than not avoid you. Every time I've encountered a lone black bear it has been on a dirt bike trail or logging road and the second they see my bike coming they turn around and book it back into the woods. I've never run into a black bear with cubs besides seeing them on the sides of highways terrified and confused as all hell.

>>1037425
What kind of black bears?
Are they camp bears that are used to getting garbage and people food?
You are in for some fun
Get an Ursack

Are they wild bears that will run away at the first sight of people?
You will be lucky to see one

>>1037458
It's Mount Mitchell State Park in North Carolina, so probably some of everything.

99% of them are giant pussies, even when they have cubs. Then you will have the 1% that are jacked up assholes who behave like grizzlies. Have a high powered rifle or a slug gun. Be loud. They are also curious. I've had some poke around my tent before I scared them off.

don't wear anything scented, no body fragrance, cook food away from camp, store all food away from camp. You won't have any problems

>>1037425
Make noise when moving.
Make a fuckton of noise.

>>1037425
>2017
>still afraid of tree doggo

Keep food and any strong smells away from camp while you sleep.

Make noise while you hike.

Carry a large caliber firearm if you are extremely proficient in it's use while under extreme stress.

Carry bear spray if not an extremely proficient marksman.

Honestly though, black bear encounters are extremely rare. You don't really even need bear spray or a gun as long as you're careful with food.

Hell, even being not careful with food most black bears don't dare get close to campsites. They're big curious animals that instinctively run when threatened. The majority of them you'll see are also not that big, a few hundred lbs at best.

>>1037425
The ones in Yosemite have gotten a lot smarter over the years. I used to be able to sling the pack over a tall branch 10+ years ago, but now they know how to do stuff like chew the branch off or send cubs out to get it.

>>1037649
They've known how to do that for decades

>>1037645
>Carry a large caliber firearm if you are extremely proficient in it's use while under extreme stress.
this.

>>1037425
Make a lot of noise and bring a buddy or two, you are way less likely to get attacked if there are two of you. Lone male black bears can and will kill humans for food, if one is following you be very alert and have bear spray and/or a gun on hand. 12 gauge slugs will kill a fully grown black bear within 100 yards.

>>1037645
>The majority of them you'll see are also not that big, a few hundred lbs at best.
oh it's fine then

>>1040345
This. Bring rifle, friends, don't surprise a bear.

Less than 2 people a year are killed by black bears.

Don't be a fucking faggot. Feel lucky if you see one.

>>1040435
Yeah but pretty sure most people would like to take steps to not be that one unlucky fuck per year.

>>1037433
Yep. It looks like a mix between oversized dog and oversized human- depending on what they ate. The best way to tell is it's human sized, but there's no TP, and it's generally in the middle of the trail because fuck it.

>>1037425
>Solo hiking in VT
>Wandering along, just a few 100 yards from a road.
>Middle of a kudzu thicket, trail is narrow, visibility is nil aside from trail ahead and behind
>Round the bend
>Baby bear cub and I share a moment, gazing into each other's eyes 6ish ft apart
>Don't know who's more scared.
>He runs into the kudzu
>I'm standing there motionless
>He starts to bleat
>WHRERRRAAAAAGH WHREEERRRRRRRRAAAAAAGHH
>Stand there for a sec.
>Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck
>Start walking quickly through the rest of the thicket, whistling and making a shit load of noise.
>worried mamma would pop out at any second and fuck my shit up- not fun.
>what's a bear bell?

>>1040473
>He starts to bleat
>WHRERRRAAAAAGH WHREEERRRRRRRRAAAAAAGHH

fucking snitch

>>1040452

You don't get it, the chances are so fucking infinitesimal that there are a thousand other things one should prepare for before this. Carrying a firearm or pepper spray or what have you is basically akin to preparing to meet stage coach robbers on the trail, it's absolutely unecessary and ridiculous but people have heard bad things about bears so it gets a pass.

>>1040732
I live in bear country, and I don't carry anything as protection. They just aren't an issue.

If I was in grizzly territory, I would absolutely carry something.

The only thing with bear spray, is that it can be used to deter almost anything. You're more likely to have problems with stray dogs than bears, and bear spray works equally well against them.

Also, if your mountain house Mac and beef isn't spicy enough you can give it a little spritz of bear spray (Not recommended).

>>1040754

Yeah grizzlies or polar bears are different stories, black bears are basically just giant raccoons.

I'm more afraid they'll find my food and make a mess for me to clean up than I am of ever coming to harm from them.

>>1037425
>what should I know?
Chances are you wont see one so don't even worry about it

>>1040754
>Also, if your mountain house Mac and beef isn't spicy enough you can give it a little spritz of bear spray (Not recommended).
i once sprayed some in my palm and licked it. i don't recommend it either.