Blueberries are late up north and saw several really scrawny bears. Some are at threat of being put down at the parks, as they are actively hunting for food in the campgrounds, and I know of one P.P. that has 3 on this list to be put down.
Want to add to our wasp spray defence, but after reading through the discussion on gear bangers, and with a lack of bear spray available, need to decide on pursuing it, or taking bangers. Does anyone have a favourite?
And I did read through this discussion on defective bangers: https://www.myccr.com/phpbbforum/viewto ... ar#p434733

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

I take both.

Hopefully the bangers will work from a distance; if not, then hopefully the spray will work at closer range. I've never had to use either for an actual bear.

The bangers though are useful for other reasons. I've used them as a sound signal, and they travel a lot further than whistles due to going boom much higher in the air and at a lower frequency. You can also use the same pens for whistle cartidges (also a sound signal when needed to signal "I found the portage" or similar), or flares can be launched from the pens too. We actually needed the flares a few days ago when the floatplane we called in couldn't find us. Glad I took it.

I didn't know the spray was in short supply. We stocked up in Thunder Bay without a problem, but wow, I can't find anything anywhere near the Big Smoke.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

When tripping solo or with my friends I just take banger, mostly because they double as flairs.

When tripping with kids (scouts, Etc) I take both, reason being if ever anything does go tragically wrong and I have to explain to a parent I want to make 100% sure I can say and believe that i did EVERYTHING i could to protect there kids. Do I honestly think I will ever need bear spray? No, I do not. But if that conversation ever has to happen I need to know I went over and above. A Trainer once asked me about bear spray, I laughed at him. He took the time and explained his thoughts as listed above. It was defiantly an eye opener for an angle i never considered.

This

Just curious, has anyone or know of anyone that has had to deploy a shot of bear spray at an attacking or charging bear and how effective was it? And this is also assuming a bear banger had already been used.

From what I've heard - the big cloud will help scare them too. If it's charging, spray and get out of the way - they're not going to stop running but likely wont keep coming after you (good chance it's a bluff charge anyway). I've been hit with pepper spray (10x more potent than bear spray) for CO training and you can definitely keep working through it; it doesn't stop you, it just make things difficult.

Keep your food and cooking area away from your tent and make some noise when you're walking in the woods. For the most part they'll wonder away. If you spook them they'll swat you. I don't think its too often they actively will hunt you like a cougar would.

Not sure where your definition of North is, but 3 hours Northeast of Thunder Bay, we are having a bumper blueberry year. Best year in a while, the bears are very happy. Usually they start infiltrating town around this time of year, but none yet.

I use bangers, they have worked well for me. I have been back-sprayed by bear spray, I will probably never use it again. It had a powerful effect on me, to the point that I was vomiting and useless, a rabbit could have beaten me up.

We were up in Chapleau Nemagosenda area. Talked to Superintendents and Warden's that cover from Timmins to Wawa and north. Saw 2 really thin bears on the Sultan Road, and 3 in Missinaibi.

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me

I wonder if it has at all to do with the lack of Americans in the area coming up for the spring bear hunt. Most outfitters I've talked to haven't used a quarter of their tags this year. I remember when it was first cancelled in 2000 (or was it 1999?). The bears were hungry, omnipresent, and quite bold that year. One of them ran off with my food after ripping a hole in my tent.

It's certainly not blueberries, at least not north of Thunder Bay/Nipigon/Armstrong areas. We just got back from Wabakimi, and the blueberry crop there was unbelievable this year. We got sick of eating them they were so plentiful.

And never spray that stuff into the wind. Not even Superman pisses into the wind.

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If you ate today, thank a farmer.

Was in Quetico for the first two weeks of August and there was not a proper blueberry to be found there. We ate maybe ten underdeveloped ones that were no good. No bears sighted though.

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YouTube Channel - Lost Lakes

Blueberry report here. Just spent 8 days in Sakatawi near Gogama (West of 144, north of Sultan Industrial Road)- didn't see a single blueberry, but saw many blueberry bushes. Saw no bears.

We spend our summers on Lake of the Woods sailing. This year had a decent crop of blue berries. They were small though.
Hugh

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"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."
M.T.

On the Kopka River from Aug 10 - 20.

Day 1 was blueberry heaven. Days 2 to 8 were barren and, ahem, fruitless. Days 9 and 10. Wow, back to heaven, and beyond. Never seen such laden bushed with such plump berries. Lots of tasty looking bear poop everywhere.

An unfortunate incident in northern Saskatchewan this past week. My condolences to the family.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoo ... -1.5697706

How are you folks carrying your bear spray in the vehicle? Hubby got a rather large and heavy pelican box, and I was okay with getting a bear spray safety container.
What do you store your bear bangers in when you are home, and traveling in a vehicle (that is our other point of discussion). Many thanks,

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"I've never met a river I didn't like. The experience is what we remember and the challenges make for great memories". Me