Bear Problems!

August 21, 2013

Black Bears are pretty incredible creatures, and the wilderness is full of them. We have plenty of Black Bears that hang around the Nestor Falls dump, but there’s nothing quite like catching a glimpse of one in their natural habitat. Although there’s no need to be scared of Black Bears, you should still take precautions to ensure the safety of you and your party on your fly-in fishing adventure. Here’s a bit of insight into the life of a Black Bear!

Fast Facts

• Height: 2-3 feet at shoulders
• Length: 4-7 feet from nose to tip of tail
• Weight: Males weigh an average of 150-300 lbs , females are smaller. Exceptionally large males have been known to weigh 500-600 lbs
• Lifespan: Average lifespan is around ten years, though black bears can live upward of 30 years in the wild.

Keep Your Site Clean

Black Bears have a very keen sense of smell, so it is important to keep your site clean.

Take your fish cleanings far away from your cabin to a distant shoreline or an island. Throwing the cleanings on the rocks for the birds to eat can also provide you a great photo opportunity!

Do not leave your grease in the frying pan outside overnight. Furthermore, pouring it in ground is a big “NO! NO!” because the grease never leaves the ground. Dumping the grease in the camp fire and burning it also isn’t a good idea because the grease will seep into the ground and the bears can still smell it.

Do not leave food on your screened porch. Even though there’s a screen, the bears can smell the bread or snacks and are known to knock down the door and tear apart the screen just to get to it. Make sure all of your food inside the outpost, out of a bear’s smell and reach.