# How far can a bear throw a rock?



## daveswoodhauler (Aug 23, 2012)

Ok, so here is the situation.....myself, wifey and three boys are camping up in the White Mountains of NH. We have a site right on the merger of the Glen/ellis River and Saco River for a bit of the background.

We were on our last night, so I put the food cooler in the car, but left the drink and juice cooler out that night. (Big Mistake)

Anyway, we had a good dinner that night, and went to bed around 10:00pm or so. So, about 2:00 I wake up, and my wife is waking me up as she "hears somehing" outside our tent. So, I man up and get my headlamp on, and I go over to open the zipper on the tent and get those bastages of racoons out of my sippy boxes....well, I zip the tent open about 5 inches, and I hear this "brrrrrrrr.......hhhhhiiiiiissssssssssssssss'''.. then a grunt that sounds like a bull....zip the tent back up, and then say "oh chit" its a bear.....so, now, the kids waking up and they ask why we have all the lights on...I say "its nothing, kids....just get back to bed"

Then, I hear the crash/thump and I know out cooler has been tipped on its side. (Think of one of those biggie coolers with the wheels and handles like luggage), so this aint no racoon.......Then, I hear the wierdest thing......."kaplunk...........then another kaplunk........then another kaplunk".....this goes on like 5 times......now I am starting to get pizzed as the bear better not be throwing my Sam Adams Oktoberfast into the water, lol. So, this goes on from 2:00 am to 3:15 am....longest night of my life, lol.
Finally, about 4:00 its been quit for a while and I head outside the tent....well, the bear knocked the cooler over, and drank all my wifies "Half and half" creamer for coffee....shes going to be pizzed....next, I see like 6 empty juice boxes with one LARGE puncture mark on each corner and each bone dry....2 oldest boyes are going to be bummed whith no more juices.....then I wander into the woods a littlee more and I see the big haul that Mr/mrs bear made off with.....2 huge bars of hersheys chocolate (for smores). one bag of grapes, and one entire package of provolone "circle cheese" my 5 years old calls it as its the only thing he eats.

So, after all this, I count the beers and other stuff, and everything is accounted for...so I am trying to figure out what the big "kerplunks" were? (Think of the sound of thowing a rock the size of a acorn squash into the water.

My guess is that perhaps there was another bear that the bear was throwing the rocks at, or perhaps a racoon or something?

Lesson learned, keep the cooler in the car. Also, since we had a site by the river its all sand, so we were able to get a lot of the prints around the cooler....bear paw print was about the size of my hand, so not sure how big a bear it was.


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## fishingpol (Aug 23, 2012)

Had a similar incident on the Kancamaugus up in NH many years ago at a campground. We knew to keep the food in the vehicles as the summer caretaker on the site warned us of a local bear that makes nightly visits and gleans food from campers. Well, after a few adult beverages, we "fell asleep" and woke up the next morning to find the large cooler of adult beverages had a giant muddy paw print inside the cover. We were somehow not awakened by the visitor.

I recall the next evening one of my buddies peeing all over the edge of the campsite thinking a bear would be scared of the scent. I think a short spear may have be whittled up from dead sapling we found. Ah to be young and stupid. For some reason I can't remember much more than that.

I do have a friend that wrestled a trained bear at an amusement park. The bear knew about 19 wrestling moves. My friend did not win though.


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## bogydave (Aug 23, 2012)

It was Yogi & Boo Boo  LOL

Did you call Ranger Rick ?

A tent zipper between you & a bear isn't much is it 
but amazing , it does make you feel a little secure, 
Don't worry, they never use the zipper to come in LOL 

I got a warning ticket for leaving an empty cooler in the back of my truck at a campground.
Bears that are around people & camp grounds,  know coolers are a food source.
Rule for camping here, never take food in the tent.


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## Mrs. Krabappel (Aug 23, 2012)

bogydave said:


> A tent zipper between you & a bear isn't much is it
> .


 
I was camped out one night at the spot where I had to do a bird survey early the next morning. Berries were late that year, and the bears had been false charging the biologists to defend their territory (running at you and stopping about 10' away. Check your underwear after that happens). At dusk I heard a bear come down the hill and check out the tent, pausing for an eternity at the side of the tent. It was right on the other side of the fabric from me, and I fully understood that a tent is imaginary security. Eventually I started to make noise and the bear spooked. I peeked out to watch the fattest cinnamon bear lumber up the hill. I heard her moving around all the next morning during my survey. I kept thinking about how big she was.

Interesting story! I might raid your camp next time. sounds like a feast. I won't leave the beer though.


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## homebrewz (Aug 23, 2012)

Bears won't go for Oktoberfest for at least another month. You'll be safe for a while.


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## Lewiston (Aug 24, 2012)

daveswoodhauler said:


> well, I zip the tent open about 5 inches, and I hear this "brrrrrrrr.......hhhhhiiiiiissssssssssssssss'''.. then a grunt that sounds like a bull....*zip the tent back up*, and then say "oh chit" its a bear


Almost ruined my keyboard over this one.


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## JustWood (Aug 24, 2012)

Most likeLEE coons raiding the cooler and beavers slapping their tail on the river. NO worries mate !


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## Jack Straw (Aug 24, 2012)

No pics/no happen


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## Delta-T (Aug 24, 2012)

couple few years ago I had a girl tell me a similar story that happened to her at Lake Umbagog, where I was at the time, only she started the story with "We were attacked by a bear"....no one was actually "attacked", which made me shake my head at her, then when she wasn't looking I peed in her fire and canoed away....good on you for not discribing it as an "attack". Your bear encounter mirrors my chupakabra encounter in the Whites. I love the Whites. 

Sure it wasn't Sasquatch? I'd tell people it was if I were you.


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## Jags (Aug 24, 2012)

Me no likey bears so much.  Had a momma come barreling at two of us down a LONG logging lane (fishing up in Canada).  Watched for a few seconds and decided that the bear was moving pretty dang fast and got into the truck and left.  Only bear story I have and I would like to keep it that way.


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## Adios Pantalones (Aug 24, 2012)

Delta-T said:


> couple few years ago I had a girl tell me a similar story that happened to her at Lake Umbagog, where I was at the time, only she started the story with "We were attacked by a bear"....no one was actually "attacked", which made me shake my head at her, then when she wasn't looking I peed in her fire and canoed away....good on you for not discribing it as an "attack"..


 

Ya- the local news had a story about someone witnessing a great white "feeding frenzy"- caught on tape. This shark was having a very leisurely meal of seal- swims a little, takes a nibble- that was to "feeding frenzy" as I am to "spirit guide". I mean- I can guide you to the spirits, but ya know.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/...mily-captures-shark-feeding-frenzy-on-camera/


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## Jags (Aug 24, 2012)

Frenzy - heavy duty - SUPER duty - industrial strength - indestructible -

All words to whip up something that is probably less than its claim.


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## Delta-T (Aug 24, 2012)

and dont you guys go and tell Dave about my very lifelife bear suit that I use to raid campsites either....provolone is good cheese btw, goes very well with juice and chocolate.


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## bogydave (Aug 24, 2012)

A local guide has tourists were bells to make noise so the bears know humans are coming.
We look for bear scat, with bell in it, to know if bears are around LOL 

Pepper spray is a seasoning bears like on their humans LOL


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## nate379 (Aug 24, 2012)

Haha same here!

I was thinking... ok this is about the part I'd be grabbing that 12 gauge I keep by my pillow loaded with slugs.



Lewiston said:


> Almost ruined my keyboard over this one.


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## Jack Straw (Aug 24, 2012)

A bear and a rabbit are both crapping in the woods, the bear says "man I hate it when the sh#t sticks to your fur" the rabbit says " I don't have that problem" So the bear picks up the rabbit and wiped his ars.


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## Danno77 (Aug 24, 2012)

we always tie the food up where the bear cant get it, and keep it far from where we sleep. If you think food is safe in your car, then you may be right with the right bear, but your car doors won't be pretty afterwards.

Also, reminds me of an email i got a few weeks ago about what caliber gun to take to the woods for bear protection. the short version is that the author says a little .22 saved his life on a hike with his girlfriend. One quick shot to his now ex-gf's knee and he was able to escape the charging bear without harm.


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## nate379 (Aug 24, 2012)

Most cabin owners around here bear proof their cabin with sheets of plywood with nails poking through.  Set them out around the perimeter of the cabin with the thought that a bear won't get into the cabin after he walks on them.  Even still they get in sometimes... and do a TON of damage.

Granted the bears up here are a bit larger. 



Danno77 said:


> we always tie the food up where the bear cant get it, and keep it far from where we sleep. If you think food is safe in your car, then you may be right with the right bear, but your car doors won't be pretty afterwards.
> 
> Also, reminds me of an email i got a few weeks ago about what caliber gun to take to the woods for bear protection. the short version is that the author says a little .22 saved his life on a hike with his girlfriend. One quick shot to his now ex-gf's knee and he was able to escape the charging bear without harm.


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## daveswoodhauler (Aug 25, 2012)

LOL folks. I know I know...no pics or it didn't happen....but sorry folks, no pics this time....the crappy camera was in the car at the time, and althought I wanted to go grab it my wife gave the "the look" when I mentioned the thought....that was the right call.

I wanted to take a few photos of the paw prints, but we were at a real sandy site and they were very distorted and didn't look right through the lens. I am thinking that it was perhapps an adolescent bear, as although the print looked large, it didn't seem that large.

LOL, there was no attack nor feeding frenzy.....actually, I really wanted to see a photo of it in action....just thinking it would be a real funny picture to have got the bear sitting leasurely by the edge of the water eating a hershey bar with one and and skipping stones into the water with another hand....then, washing it down with a quart of half and half creamer....then, a quick cleaning of the palate with a bag of grapes, lol

I was thinking that perhaps it might be a beaver slapping its tail, but it was a very distinctive "kerplunk" and not a splash. Perhaps, it was throwing the rocks at another animal....perhaps another juvenile bear.


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## homebrewz (Aug 25, 2012)

Don't know how secluded your spot was, or if your site was in a campground. Perhaps a nearby camper woke up and was tossing rocks to scare the bear away?


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## nate379 (Aug 25, 2012)

It brings a fine point up that it's never wise to go camping without a firearm. I prefer a 12 gauge loaded with slugs. I don't even go on walk with my dog without my carry gun which is a 1911.  I go around the "back 40" behind my house which is all wooded. Plenty of moose around and sometimes bear.


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## gmule (Aug 25, 2012)

I see bears all over the place where I live I don't think I have ever seen them throwing rocks. As long as we keep the garbage locked up in the garage they pretty much mind their own business and take off if you bang some pots and pans together. . Although I have had them eat out of the bird feeder and one was drinking out of the kids little wading pool.

The bear in the window was taken at my neighbors house.
 I took the one of the bear cruising down the road while I was riding my motorcycle.


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## nate379 (Aug 25, 2012)

We get black bears in the dumpster at work (have to lock the lid down and even still they try to get in)... and generally they scare off.  The much larger grizzly bears... they aren't so scared.


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## Delta-T (Aug 25, 2012)

nate379 said:


> It brings a fine point up that it's never wise to go camping without a firearm. I prefer a 12 gauge loaded with slugs. I don't even go on walk with my dog without my carry gun which is a 1911. I go around the "back 40" behind my house which is all wooded. Plenty of moose around and sometimes bear.


 
this makes perfect sense in AK, but here? bah, bears here are anything but aggressive, not like the asian black bear, or your lovely brown/kodiak/grizzled types...I've been bushwhacking for years and the most aggressive animal I've encountered (in the northest) is a coyote snacking on a gutpile left on a trail by some hunter....and the always ornery chipmunks. I always tell people not to act like food...food runs away, and don't go sneaking about, only thing sneaking up on you in the woods is something that wants to eat you. Do you have a "bear attack problem" in AK? I've read about the 2 killings at yellowstone somewhat recently but thts about it.


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## peakbagger (Aug 26, 2012)

Most of the campgrounds in the whites get visited by bears and it doesnt take long for the bears to figure out what campsites are the easiest to raid. Unfortunately they get used to people and eventually they end up getting trapped and relocated. Getting relocated is generally a death sentence for a bear, fish and game does it as it is politcally correct, but NH has a very high density of bears and not many rural areas, so dumping a bear off usually means its intruding on the territory of an existing bear.The relocated bear gets driven off and doesnt really have good survival skills as it previously lived off of trash and raiding campsites. Usually they end up right back where they were trapped.


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## Jack Straw (Aug 26, 2012)

My neighbor has a game camera and said he got a pic of a good sized bear in the woods behind my house. My cat is tough, but I  don't know if he can take on a bear.


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## homebrewz (Aug 26, 2012)

Jack Straw said:


> My neighbor has a game camera and said he got a pic of a good sized bear in the woods behind my house. My cat is tough, but I don't know if he can take on a bear.


One recent evening, I saw a medium sized bear on Greenbush Hill Rd, Town of Cobleskill.


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## Jack Straw (Aug 26, 2012)

homebrewz said:


> One recent evening, I saw a medium sized bear on Greenbush Hill Rd, Town of Cobleskill.



A lady  I work with lives up there and she talks about seeing a bear.


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## firefighterjake (Aug 27, 2012)

One time at band camp . . .

Oh, that's another type of bare story.


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## Delta-T (Aug 28, 2012)

oddly enough....A bear attacked and killed a guy in Denali last week....first reported bear killing in the Denali park in like 100 yrs. Pork Sausage Cologne is not recommended (4 out of 5 hikers agree).


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