On a trip to Yellowstone as a teenager, our dad harped on my brother and I to roll our widows up every time we got out of the car. After the long hike back up from the falls, we found a huge crowd around our new car, admiring a young bear in the back seat eating a loaf of bread. It had already finished off the last of the donuts. A park ranger had managed to get both back doors open and was throwing rocks at the bear and finally drove it out of our car. Should have seen the crowd scatter. My dad was furious one of us left our window down, until he discovered it was his window. No damage to the car, only to dad's pride.
Is a matter of fact as a child my family and I were camping at Skymeadows at skyline drive and we had a bear 🐻 come into our campsite one evening and rip open our coleman steel cooler to drink my Fads beer, head of lettuce, dozen eggs, and milk. Then he broke my mom's wooden kitchen and took a bite out of each moon pie we had, took the peanut butter and jelly squeeze tubes and bite into them. Worst of all he 2 was taking our food and taking to site next to ours right in front of a small tent and eating it. You could hear the young women whimpering in the tent ⛺ we were able to get the ear chased away but by next morning the little tent was gone, I guess the couple (or women) had enough excitement to last them.
In 1992 my Wife and I took our three sons to Hume Lake in the Sierras of California along with my Brother in-law, Sister in-law and kids… Both our families were tent camping and We were so proud of ourselves for locking all the food away so the Bears would never see or smell anything in our campsite and move on……. And it would have worked Great, had it not been “My Brand New Mercury”station wagon we locked it in !! It wasn’t even a week old yet!! We got up early the next morning to go fishing, saw the Bear had peeled the door skin away from the door and smashed the window… There was SLOBBER and SNOT Inside and out, EVERYWHERE !! We learned a lesson that day when the Ranger told us that Bears associate plaid blankets with food (plaid tablecloth’s) on picnic tables… We”ll never leave a plaid blanket in the back of a car again,(OR FOOD)!!!
Sorry for your loss... Lesson learned.... Also it's best to keep any food that's been opened, in air tight containers. Then all surfaces should be wiped down with bleach. Handles, the containers,( even those in the frig) and take out the trash before settling in for the night. I live in Alaska, it's all bear country. And I read recently that bears will climb on vehicles to lick the bugs off your windshield, so clean before you go to camp. Many forests are burning, bears have nowhere to go... Even in towns, bears are walking right into stores and homes... Be diligent , cuz so are the big cats...
Thanks for the warnings. In comments I noticed the suggestion of carrying a portable electric fence - great idea, if legal. One thing we notice with all the bear warnings is that people do not mention consideration of women on their periods! This is vitally important, as the bear loves the smell of blood, and there have been a few situations where a woman was killed for this reason! Can't be too careful.
uh oh! My nephew just had his lunch stolen out of his utility truck by Pigeon Forge TN. last week. He was caught on camera. He couldn’t get the door opened by his paw so he used his teeth. Ate the lunch a few feet away. Drank the Gatorade. Darrin did get his lunch bucket back complete with a few teeth marks. Sorry!
Oh no Poor Stacey and Phil. I'm glad you have a sense of humor 'now'. Still wishing you better days ahead none the less. As far as bear stories it was when I was much perhaps 9-12 yrs old in the Smokey Mountains. My dad was an outdoor sort, my mother was NOT so we never camped but we'd go for drives to the Cherokee mountains. We would pull over at the overlooks. One time my mom had a bag of candy from some shop nearby. We stopped on the side where there were trash cans. While we were all outside a small bear came out of the woods. My mom freaked out and ran to the car and the bear followed. We were all yelling drop the candy but I don't think mom heard or was in shock. So the bear went in the car and out of the other side after my mom. Finally she dropped the candy. Our seats had holes everywhere from the claws. It's humorous 'now' but not at the time. What an unexpected adventure although my mom will never remember it that way lol.
Was fishing once in VA about 30 yards from me I hear some noise I look over and behold it's a black bear with a large fish in his or her mouth swimming across the lake....Thankful it decided to just stick with its meal plan and choose other options...Thanks. for the tips!!!
When I was stationed in California I had a young Captain (USAF) working for me who took a weekend trip to Yosemite. He returned from a hike to find a young brown bear trying to pop out his car window. Bear had its fore paws hooked into the top of the window pulling it out and his hind paws on the door. When he heard my friend the bear took off and the window remained intact. My young Capt had his lunch on the front seat. The funny thing is that prior to going to law school this young man had been a park ranger in one of our national parks. So I guess anyone can have a forgetful moment. Happy you are both fine!
My wife and I were outside of Gatlinburg, TN. I had taken our C7 Stingray to this forested back road. We saw a momma bear with 2 cubs and stopped to take pictures. The bears walked right in front of the car, less than a yard. I sooo wanted to honk the horn but she warned me by saying that if I honked the car, the bear could attack the front of the car and do an insane amount of damage. So they walked by without any incidence.
You wouldn't think it, but PA has a lot of bear. The northern part of the state is pretty forested. Lots and lots of white tailed deer, too. When he was a boy, the Mr was tent camping with his family in Promised Land State Park. His mom woke up around sunrise because she heard something outside, messing with the pots and pans they had strung up on one corner tent pole. She woke up his dad, who grumbled a bit, picked up a big flashlight, and started to unzip the tent to look outside. A huge black bear nose popped into where he had just unzipped! Apparently he screamed "like a girl" and whacked the bear on the nose. It moved away from their tent, and then some neighbors came out to take a sunrise swim, and the noise scared the bear away. It's a favorite family story!
Great vid! I went camping years ago and had a similar issue but not with bears. Our problem: raccoons! They went after the wiring harnesses under the dash and in the trunk. They made a real mess in the car, too. The culprit: my sister thought it a good idea to store food in the trunk of the car and the smell wafted into the car itself. Needless to say, we had to have a tow back to civilization. So if you're in bear or raccoon country remember to NOT let anything with a scent stay inside the vehicle. Gary Hanson - I'm originally from Montana and spent a lot of time in Glacier. I heard from a ranger about some campers who decided that fishing and camping at Hidden Lake was a great idea! To "prevent" a grizzly from getting their fish, they brought the fish into the tent with them. Needless to say, the bear dragged the tent away with the campers inside. They were able to get out of the tent but spent a freezing night in the lake. In the morning only one of them could hike out and get help. Your suggestion about the electric fence is a really good idea!
I live in bear country of Glacier Park. Generally if we have problem bears they get trapped and moved to another area, as we have Grizzlies that don't just settle for food. You have a lot of great thoughts here, although even taking items out of the car the smell will linger. Something to maybe add to rv is an electric fence. When we horse pack in we put one around the food tent.
We live in bear country. We knew before we played your video you’d left things in your car. Also, after removing those things let your car air out before locking it up.
When we stayed at a campground that had some black bears in the area, they told me to basically remove everything that wasn't paper from my car and put it in the bear box. We had 3 plastic bags with all the odds and ends from the car (including the wife's hairbrush) in the box (plus my garbage bag that I always have in the car), and the next morning there were signs that they had been around our car but left it alone. I will be telling my friends that go into the backwoods about the Bleach or Ammonia tip - very worthwhile knowing!
Back in 2017 I was camping up in Northern California (Crescent City area) and we had left the camp site for a short time for supplies. When we came back we found a bear had torn a hole in the side of our tent and scattered some of our equipment. Later that night as I was asleep in the tent a noise woke me up and I heard the distinct sound of "foot steps" and then what sounded like a nose sniffing the tent right above my head. I ended up smacking the tent and hit the bear on the nose. Luckily he ran off and didn't return.
Bears have a better sense of smell than a bloodhound... If you are going to continue camping in Bear county, you need to either make bear strips (1×8 with lots of 10p nails hammered through it) or cattle fence that you can string around your vehicles.
Also it is recommended to use cinnamon bear spray, bells and a whistle. Keep them available. Also learn to recognize bear skat so you can tell what bear is around. The little brown bears have rounded small skat, the brown bears skat is larger and has lumps in it, and the Grizzly bears skat smells like cinnamon and has bells and whistles in it.
Pour ammonia on the camp table, and bench seats. Put some on a piece of 2x4, in an outside access vehicle storage bins. If no bear bins at campsite, put food items, tightly sealed, in the car trunk.
Glad you both are safe! We had a bear incident many years ago. We were told to keep our car windows closed tight. One family in our group didn't get one of their windows tightly shut. You guessed it the bear smelled all around the vehicle until the one cracked open window, smelled the food locked in the car and went in through the back door window. He grabbed a 5lb bag of candy and went between the seats and out through the driver's side window. We were sleeping about 75ft away in a tent until we heard the windows break. The camp host came with a air horn and a bright light, shined it up the hill only to see the bear enjoying his spoils. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night. No bear boxes then either. That campground has them now. At least no one got heart, just scared us. Thanks for the good suggestions!
My family had an amusing bear encounter back in the 60’s. We were camping in our 13’ trailer in one of the Yellowstone National Park campgrounds. My parents and sister were sitting playing cards at the dinette near the open door on a warm night while I was reading on my parents’ bed at the opposite end of the trailer. All of a sudden my mother yells “there’s a bear!” as a bear appears at the open door. Fortunately the scared bear took off running away. The bear was more afraid than us that time.
I would guess that would be a possibility that the bear could break the line, but it would still be better than keeping it on the ground it you don’t have a bear box nearby.
Hey guys, just want to tell you how sorry I am about the window. I thought I smelled Fig Newtons and I couldn’t control myself! I would’ve left my insurance information but you should’ve seen the size of the bear that was hanging around there. 😜 All I can say is it definitely could’ve been worse- Tara could’ve been with you! She’s mentioned them a few times. Not a fan. Glad Ruby’s windows are a bit high for reaching. And you are right- laughter is the best way through- after you punch the closest thing first, huh Phil? 😂 FWFS ⚓️ Troy
We encountered several black bears on a hiking trail-we were warned they were around-It is a crazy story that happened to us ( my husband, me and our 21 year old son) we will never forget it -To much to write here but you never forget those close encounters and realizing how vulnerable you really are 🐻🥴🙏🏻
So Danny is just like phil. He gets mad about it. I will say our last disaster he did much better than what is typical for him. I'm more like you Stacy, just take care of it and roll on! Glad you two are safe. Lynn and Danny
I grew up & camped in bear country & we always were told to put our food in our car! We camped in tents & it has been rare to see bear boxes until the last few years. I’m thinking it is the intrusion into their habitat that has elevated the presence of bear boxes. Glad no one was harmed from the bear visit.
Note to self by seedless watermelon when going camping now that's information who would have thought something as simple as a seed would attract the bear
You did a great job of bear control. Put your cooler in the bear box. We were camping, and the bear came over opening the cooler and helping itself right in front of us.
Fantastic bear facts and safety tips! So glad no people were hurt. Mountain lions are more prevalent now as well maybe for the same reason bears are. Wild fires are driving many animals out of their habitats and into ours.
We have had encounters with bear several times while camping in the George Washington national forest. During our last stay while sitting at a picnic table a bear walked up to my Father in law within five feet and was just standing there looking until his little dog started barking. We had four encounters with bear in seven days. I will say we haven't had any property damage yet. We enjoy your videos.
WOW! Just last night we had a bear in our sticks and bricks backyard. He walked through and up to the street and we saw him....HE WAS BIG!!!! They are everywhere not just in the wild. Good luck in getting the glass fixed. When we had our windows broken (by bad dudes looking for something to sell....they got NOTHING, but a bag full of bags) it took us about a week to get an appointment for a new window. Glass guys are making bank in the city. love your adventures!
We had a bear visit our camp site once when we were tent camping. Thankfully he didn't bother our vehicle and he was very unsuccessful at getting in our colmen cooler that converted to a mini fridge when plugged into electricity. That was the most terrifying and most humbling experience
I worked out of Trinidad CO in 2011 and it was a drought year. The bears were walking all over in town looking for food. It was nothing for a big bear to knock over a huge metal trash bin that stores use with one paw. They stayed to themselves and left people, pets and vehicles alone as long as u left them alone. But they were sure cute sitting like a Teddy Bear on a curb eating scraps from a near by neighborhood trash can they had destroyed. (I always thought bears were basically brown but there are even calicoes)
We live in bear country, 18 klm north of Radium Hot Springs, BC! Make sure all garbage is put away properly, bbqs cleaned & put away!! A garbage bear here in BC ends up being a dead bear!! Doubley important, that we respect our bears & all wild animals!!
I live in the California Forest adjacent to the El Dorado National forest. (Georgetown, CA) Yes, this is bear, mountain lion, raccoon, etc country. Our one trash container for pickup is at the street 24/7/365. When bears come around it’s all about Ammonia, not bleach. We have tried both, ammonia always works. As we add trash to our can we pour about 1/4 cup ammonia on top. Bears go on down the road.
When I was three yrs old my parents stopped at a overlook in the Smoky Mtns and left me in their 1957 Thunderbird sleeping in the back seat. They heard me screaming and and turned around to see a bear shredding the cars convertible top. Several cars were at the overlook and blowing their horns ran the bear off.
Lot's of great bear stories share by everyone. A couple years ago a bear was doing a similar thing raiding campers in one of my campgrounds. After a couple very close Human/Bear calls we notified the State Game Department and they determined the Bear needed to be trapped. The night before the Bear trap was set the Bear raided another camper and completely ingested a pint sized citronella candle minus the metal container. The Bear was never seen again...Game Department said the Bear likely experienced a real bad case of indigestion and that bad experience must have persuaded the him to move on, likely saving its life. Now that's what I call that a win-win! :)
Never heard of a bear smashing a window and stealing a blanket, but have read a story where a sasquatch did reach in through a window and take stuff. Most windows on RV's are pretty high up and most bears are down low.
We were in Rocky Mountain Park and someone said, “hey you left your driver door open all night.” I said no way. We looked inside and saw a small bear cub foot print right on the driver seat and another on the center console. We were fortunate nothing was torn or taken but we didn’t leave anything inside either. Love your videos. I know how hard it is to develop those. Go Army!
If there aren't Bear Boxes, Use Bear Bags up in a tree away from the main part of camp. You can find them at most outdoors stores like REi or whatever local place you can find.
The ammonia works well. I lived in bear country and had a problem bear coming around vandalising my property. I put some ammonia in a balloon and put peanut butter on the outside and tied it to a fence post. Next day the balloon was gone and the bear never came back. I also keep ammonia in a spray bottle and when in doubt I spray it around the perimeter. They usually go to a less fragrant campsite.
We were car camping in Sequoia several years ago and had a second car parked in the overflow lot. When we came back to that car we discovered that the molding around the windows had been ripped off. Turns out there was a single piece of chewing gum in the glove box.
We now camp with our Airstream, but years ago we were backpackers and tent campers. While tent camping near Bryson City, NC in the Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park, we were awakened by a loud commotion in the next campsite down the mountain. The next morning our neighbors were packing to leave, but not before we saw their orange Gott water cooler ripped to smithereens. Lessons were learned then and we have never forgotten. We are now thinking of more ways to keep our vehicle and travel trailer safe after watching this video. We don't want to have a bear reaching through our window screens in the middle of the night! So, has anyone tried moth balls in a sock to repel bears?
A close relative is the manager of a Scout Camp in the San Bernardino Mountains. They had a bear try to get in to the building they keep their fowl in, to protect them from various critters that want to eat them fresh. Needless to say, if a bear is willing to tear siding off to get a chicken, he/she might tear siding off to get a juicy Cub Scout. In most of Southern CA bears don't usually get relocated. Their range is expanding, because not only is their apparently accessible food, a bigger and meaner bear or a fire has chased them out of their territory. So moving a bear just causes the local hierarchy to adjust and the bottom bear pops out in the "wrong" place. Problem bears (repeat offenders, so to speak) usually don't go to bear sanctuaries. Also, even if not bear country, campsite policing and smellables stowage will minimize the incursions by raccoons, possums, ravens, sea gulls, tiny rodents, medium rodents and big rodents, etc.
Fort Mtn state park Ga we had a bear about 20 yard behind our camp site just in the wood line. Earlier this year feb time frame. Our pup a Cavalier King Charles was the first to spot him although we did not know until we stepped out with our grand daughter and neighboring campers clued us in lol
At least everyone remained safe! It's incredible just how determined and strong bears can be. On a side note, I'm surprised nobody in that area has suggested using concentrated pine scents (ie, concentrated pine oil or heavy-duty Pine-Sol) as a deterrent, seeing how bears apparently do not like the strong scent, or it simply interferes with their ability to effectively sniff out sources of people food. Either way, it sure couldn't hurt to try, especially given how out-of-pocket vehicle repair is so costly these days.
How about just putting a open bottle of ammonia and the car or bleach when you are ready to use the car just put the cap back on and open the windows to air it out
Oh my gosh! That had to be very scary for everyone. We had one bear incident years ago which was definitely an eye opening experience. Once again thanks for sharing your adventures “ On The Road!”
I’m sorry this happened to you fine folks. I love the way you deal with life’s troubles, laughing and moving forward. The best story’s always start with a little trouble.
Hi guys, great video! I am surprised that nobody has mentioned AMMONIA or APPLE CIDER VINEGAR or Lysol. Someone below mentioned PineSol :-) We go boondocking almost exclusively. We were told by a survival skills teacher and Eagle Scouts teacher many years ago that spraying ammonia would deter bears. After researching the matter, we found that that is the general consensus. We have been spraying vinegar around the whole rig twice per day (minimum) for years and have never had any issues. The strong scent dulls the bears senses as well as being very offensive to their noses.
So sorry about your Jeep! I will remember the bleach or ammonia. Knowing what you found out the hard way, it's a miracle that we haven't had this happen to us.
NEVER MIX bleach AND ammonia, just fyi. Very toxic. So sorry this happened to you! And thanks for all the tips. Guess I’ll be keeping my toothpaste in the bear box from now on.🤣 Also they make bear sized pepper spray cans, so keep that around in case you ever get to close to one. (Don’t do that on purpose!)
Bear encounter mid-afternoon in Tahoe, we did everything WRONG, trash bag hanging from the bbq - and as novice campers/RVers, we knew better!! Complacency hurts. 'Lotions and potions' lol, been there too!! Thank you both for your service!!!! Happy RVing.
When I was a teen about 60 yrs we were camping in the Rockies one morning eating breakfast in your pop-up when we heard a noise outside. My dad opened the door to see a bear about 10 ft away leaning into the open truck of your car. We kept the Grapenut box with claw holes in it as a souvenir for a long time.
I just bought my RV, I was camping in Texas and some of the Campers were talking about how I should watch you guys, I told them I have watch yall from day 1 and you inspired me to do this. Well a week after I bought my Class A 38 ft RV, I had a blowout and got stuck in a ditch so now my RV is in the shop for about 10 weeks,
Scary situation for sure. I have heard the same about the bleach/ammonium as well. I have not tried it before but maybe I will now. I camp in bear country and came across an adult Black bear last week on a trail. Yes, I have bear spray but left it back at the campsite, my bad. The bear was about 30 feet away. I stopped, the bear stopped and just stared at me. I learned that you don't look into the eyes of a bear as they may take it as being aggressive. I slowly backed up, looking away from the bear but the bear kept starring at me. After about 30 seconds the bear continued into the deep bush. Lesson learned, don't leave without your Bear spray in bear country. Just to let you know, normally this area is not bear country but I agree with you that the fires may be steering them away from their normal habitat. One more thing, what's with the poor Jeep. The poor thing had a fluid leak last week and now bears are attacking it, lol Take care and really enjoy your channel.
Great Tips! We recently had a young inspiring-to-be yogi bear come visit us while we were staying at a Jellystone Park Campground. It was early evening around 6pm when the bear walked through the campsites and found that a neighbor staying in one of the cabins had left their cooler out. The bear opened the cooler and started chomping on an OJ bottle. There were many people around so we all scared the bear off. We later learned from the Ranger that he was a resident young black bear that was often seen walking around the campground and told everyone to keep their food secure.
I'm enjoying reading the stories posted here in the comments! Once, in the late 90s, we were in the Waterton Park area (the Canada side of Glacier NP) driving north along the shoreline to the Prince of Wales Hotel, when a huge grizzly is charging down the side of the mountain right towards us. He decides to lock everything up within 20 feet from hitting us, turns on a dime, and runs just as fast as him came down, back up the mountain. Yep, that's as close as we ever want to get to a bear again. Phil & Stacy, thanks for the tips and tricks to avoiding bear mishaps while camping, as I'm sure if you're up in that area any and all information regarding bear safety is useful. And yes, I almost thought this was going to be clickbait, but instead it was bear-bait 😂 Safe Travels!
We were in a cabin last year and about midnight heard one banging around on the deck outside. The next morning the metal bird feeder was crushed and it had only had a few sunflower seeds in it the night before. That was when I realized how good their sense of smell was.
In 2015 I was backpacking some sections of the PCT south bound from I-80 towards Tuolumne Meadows. I sprained my foot and had to skip forward. I got a ride from Bridgeport, CA to the trail, but it was too late to start hiking Sonora pass, so I camped in a camp ground. The camp host had warned everyone they had a problem bear. I sleep out in my bivy that night. The next morning after breakfast people were sitting at picnic tables when a black bear came wondering through the campground. It batted the bear canisters off tables until it, found one the lid was not secured on. The bear grabbed some freeze dried meals and ran to a tree that it climbed and ate in. Bears are really smart. After that, I have never complained about carrying the BV500, when required. The campground hosts said next year that bear will not be a problem, because a fed bear is a dead bear... I felt bad for the bear, but I guess once they start getting food from people they will keep returning to the source of easy food. That was a juvenile black bear. Later that week I took a photo of bear prints in the fine dirt on the PCT. Those prints were big from a full grown bear. I sang and talked to myself all the way into Glen Alen backcountry camp ground, because hiking solo I did not want to surprise a bear. Thank you for taking the time to produce this video. Great information. I'm glad no one has been hurt. Safe travels.
Ok you got busted window that can be fixed but you and Stacy are ok and you are both safe . Ok fix the car keep putting out grate videos and enjoy all the good times .Thank GOD you are both ok. as always STAY SAFE .
Thank you for this video! We’ve been told several times from the Ranger when checking into campgrounds “The bears are very active” and just thought cool, maybe we’ll see a bear this trip. Never did anything like you experienced ever cross our minds! Guess it’s best to sleep with the TV on. Glad you didn’t get your covers ripped off - that could have really made a mess in your bed 😄. Glad you’re both safe ❤️
So has Phil figured out not to poke the bear? Personally I think it was a boy bear looking for Stacy 'cause she's sweet & tender and probably smells good. Phil on the other hand is probably is tough and stringy and smells like old socks. Glad nothing got broken but the window. Keep the good stuff coming.
I have to say we love your videos. We have learned so much from you as we begin our RV adventures. You are both so loveable and honest. Also, thank you for your service. We will soon begin our posts on social media as Torimark in some fashion. God bless.
I have a funny bear story. We were in lac St-Jean Quebec. My sister in law had seen bears during a trek through the woods. So, I went out and scared her by making noises and scratched around the window. She ran out screaming!! I laughed and laughed.
We use to go to a Boy Scout camp in Southern Colorado that had a bear and sometimes her cubs that lived there. We definitely had to learn bear safety. One thing that we would have never thought about was batteries have a sweet smell. All our flashlights had to be placed in the trailer or bear boxes at night.
i live in pa full time allot of bears i had a family of raccoons climb on my 35ft rv didnt want to take a chance for mama bear to do the same so i removed my ladder i feel much safer great vid
WOW, that's one for the books! At least now you will know what to do when there are BEARS in the vicinity. Bears freak me out, but if I had a bear arm come through my window, I would still be running.😂🤣 Your jeep seems to have a TARGET on it lately. Hey, this will be a good story to tell when you are sitting around a campfire at night with friends. Will make everyone go home early.😂 You guys rock!!
Being a full-time RVer doesn't keep things from happening. Your resilient attitude helps you keep your sanity! No, I am not an RVer yet! However, I am getting a real education from your sharing. THANK YOU!
No tips really, but we did have a bear in the camp next to ours last week . He left his dogs food in a 5 gallon bucket with a screw lid on it, and a bear got into it and spilled dog food all around. The next night it was back looking for more, luckily he moved inside he camper, but the other neighbors were outside when the bear arrived and they ran it off. I did get a good picture of a nice bear track though.
Wow! I didn't realize that bears would do that for some gum! It would have been nice if the bear would have entered the Jeep as nicely as Stacy got into Ruby!
We had bears visit us twice in one night. They tried to get into our black boxes in the back of the truck. My wife in her mom's voice yelled at them and they took off. A few hour later some younger bears came by and tried to take our license plate off the camper. A few spots up from us they open the back kitchen door to a tear drop camper and took everything out. We carry bear spray in both the camper and the truck. The federal camp ground we were in closed down for a month to tents because the bears were getting so bold.
OMG…That is really scary. We are in Montana and I just went out to check to be sure we had everything locked. Have only seen one bear that crossed the road while we were driving. Thanks for the info. Safe travels.
In August of 1967, while tent camping in Glacier National Park, my family’s campsite was ravaged by a bear. Mom and Dad were still awake, planning the next day’s itinerary, when the bear came to the tent and began shaking it. All four of us kids (ages 8 to 3) were already asleep. Turns out the bear got his nail stuck in the zipper tab and couldn’t get it out. My Dad began banging on the lid to the catalytic heater because he had read that ringing noises hurt their ears. The tarp under the tent was mauled with claw marks. The bear opened our Coleman cooler and ate everything except a can of orange juice. Eggs and cherries were all over the ground. He bent our lantern pole in half. This was the same year and park that four young rangers were killed by bears. A bear trap was set the next morning and the park service bought us all breakfast while my folks filled out paperwork about the incident. That was the last time we camped in a tent! My Mom insisted we get a hard-sided camper.
This video is good for everyone not only people with RVs but they are people that are going to a park because they don't have a place to go and they sleep inside the vehicles this is a good educational video thank you guys 🇺🇸🇵🇷👍🏼👍🏼🐻🐾
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On a trip to Yellowstone as a teenager, our dad harped on my brother and I to roll our widows up every time we got out of the car. After the long hike back up from the falls, we found a huge crowd around our new car, admiring a young bear in the back seat eating a loaf of bread. It had already finished off the last of the donuts. A park ranger had managed to get both back doors open and was throwing rocks at the bear and finally drove it out of our car. Should have seen the crowd scatter. My dad was furious one of us left our window down, until he discovered it was his window. No damage to the car, only to dad's pride.
Is a matter of fact as a child my family and I were camping at Skymeadows at skyline drive and we had a bear 🐻 come into our campsite one evening and rip open our coleman steel cooler to drink my Fads beer, head of lettuce, dozen eggs, and milk. Then he broke my mom's wooden kitchen and took a bite out of each moon pie we had, took the peanut butter and jelly squeeze tubes and bite into them. Worst of all he 2 was taking our food and taking to site next to ours right in front of a small tent and eating it. You could hear the young women whimpering in the tent ⛺ we were able to get the ear chased away but by next morning the little tent was gone, I guess the couple (or women) had enough excitement to last them.
Insurance Agent: Wow! Was it a grizzly or a black bear??
Phil & Stacy: Don't tell us there's an EXCLUSION!?
It was a black bear.
In 1992 my Wife and I took our three sons to Hume Lake in the Sierras of California along with my Brother in-law, Sister in-law and kids… Both our families were tent camping and We were so proud of ourselves for locking all the food away so the Bears would never see or smell anything in our campsite and move on……. And it would have worked Great, had it not been “My Brand New Mercury”station wagon we locked it in !! It wasn’t even a week old yet!! We got up early the next morning to go fishing, saw the Bear had peeled the door skin away from the door and smashed the window… There was SLOBBER and SNOT Inside and out, EVERYWHERE !! We learned a lesson that day when the Ranger told us that Bears associate plaid blankets with food (plaid tablecloth’s) on picnic tables…
We”ll never leave a plaid blanket in the back of a car again,(OR FOOD)!!!
Navy ‘bleep bleep bleep BLEEPITY!”
That’s classic!
Sorry for your loss... Lesson learned.... Also it's best to keep any food that's been opened, in air tight containers. Then all surfaces should be wiped down with bleach. Handles, the containers,( even those in the frig) and take out the trash before settling in for the night. I live in Alaska, it's all bear country. And I read recently that bears will climb on vehicles to lick the bugs off your windshield, so clean before you go to camp. Many forests are burning, bears have nowhere to go... Even in towns, bears are walking right into stores and homes... Be diligent , cuz so are the big cats...
Thanks for the warnings. In comments I noticed the suggestion of carrying a portable electric fence - great idea, if legal. One thing we notice with all the bear warnings is that people do not mention consideration of women on their periods! This is vitally important, as the bear loves the smell of blood, and there have been a few situations where a woman was killed for this reason! Can't be too careful.
uh oh!
My nephew just had his lunch stolen out of his utility truck by Pigeon Forge TN. last week.
He was caught on camera.
He couldn’t get the door opened by his paw so he used his teeth.
Ate the lunch a few feet away.
Drank the Gatorade.
Darrin did get his lunch bucket back complete with a few teeth marks.
Sorry!
Wow there's a lot of people at Pigeon Forge Tn , we were there back in June 2021 , actually yearly* *It's one National Park that's Free to visit*
Has the camera footage found its way to youtube yet...(?)...would be neat to see the footage!
Oh no Poor Stacey and Phil. I'm glad you have a sense of humor 'now'. Still wishing you better days ahead none the less. As far as bear stories it was when I was much perhaps 9-12 yrs old in the Smokey Mountains. My dad was an outdoor sort, my mother was NOT so we never camped but we'd go for drives to the Cherokee mountains. We would pull over at the overlooks. One time my mom had a bag of candy from some shop nearby. We stopped on the side where there were trash cans. While we were all outside a small bear came out of the woods. My mom freaked out and ran to the car and the bear followed. We were all yelling drop the candy but I don't think mom heard or was in shock. So the bear went in the car and out of the other side after my mom. Finally she dropped the candy. Our seats had holes everywhere from the claws. It's humorous 'now' but not at the time. What an unexpected adventure although my mom will never remember it that way lol.
Was fishing once in VA about 30 yards from me I hear some noise I look over and behold it's a black bear with a large fish in his or her mouth swimming across the lake....Thankful it decided to just stick with its meal plan and choose other options...Thanks. for the tips!!!
I’m tenting in bear country in a few days. Now I’m a little more educated and scared!
When I was stationed in California I had a young Captain (USAF) working for me who took a weekend trip to Yosemite. He returned from a hike to find a young brown bear trying to pop out his car window. Bear had its fore paws hooked into the top of the window pulling it out and his hind paws on the door. When he heard my friend the bear took off and the window remained intact. My young Capt had his lunch on the front seat. The funny thing is that prior to going to law school this young man had been a park ranger in one of our national parks. So I guess anyone can have a forgetful moment. Happy you are both fine!
Oh no! The park ranger had a total lapse!
My wife and I were outside of Gatlinburg, TN. I had taken our C7 Stingray to this forested back road. We saw a momma bear with 2 cubs and stopped to take pictures. The bears walked right in front of the car, less than a yard. I sooo wanted to honk the horn but she warned me by saying that if I honked the car, the bear could attack the front of the car and do an insane amount of damage. So they walked by without any incidence.
You wouldn't think it, but PA has a lot of bear. The northern part of the state is pretty forested. Lots and lots of white tailed deer, too. When he was a boy, the Mr was tent camping with his family in Promised Land State Park. His mom woke up around sunrise because she heard something outside, messing with the pots and pans they had strung up on one corner tent pole. She woke up his dad, who grumbled a bit, picked up a big flashlight, and started to unzip the tent to look outside. A huge black bear nose popped into where he had just unzipped! Apparently he screamed "like a girl" and whacked the bear on the nose. It moved away from their tent, and then some neighbors came out to take a sunrise swim, and the noise scared the bear away. It's a favorite family story!
Remember.. only you can prevent Bears from destroying your vehicle. Great tips! Thanks for sharing
When in bear country we hoisted our food and smellables between two trees. Never thought it necessary to hoist a car off the ground. Good advice.
Great vid! I went camping years ago and had a similar issue but not with bears. Our problem: raccoons! They went after the wiring harnesses under the dash and in the trunk. They made a real mess in the car, too. The culprit: my sister thought it a good idea to store food in the trunk of the car and the smell wafted into the car itself. Needless to say, we had to have a tow back to civilization. So if you're in bear or raccoon country remember to NOT let anything with a scent stay inside the vehicle.
Gary Hanson - I'm originally from Montana and spent a lot of time in Glacier. I heard from a ranger about some campers who decided that fishing and camping at Hidden Lake was a great idea! To "prevent" a grizzly from getting their fish, they brought the fish into the tent with them. Needless to say, the bear dragged the tent away with the campers inside. They were able to get out of the tent but spent a freezing night in the lake. In the morning only one of them could hike out and get help. Your suggestion about the electric fence is a really good idea!
I live in bear country of Glacier Park. Generally if we have problem bears they get trapped and moved to another area, as we have Grizzlies that don't just settle for food. You have a lot of great thoughts here, although even taking items out of the car the smell will linger. Something to maybe add to rv is an electric fence. When we horse pack in we put one around the food tent.
Liability with an electric fence. i just would love to have seen the bear snatch the blanket off the couple while sleeping.
We live in bear country. We knew before we played your video you’d left things in your car. Also, after removing those things let your car air out before locking it up.
When we stayed at a campground that had some black bears in the area, they told me to basically remove everything that wasn't paper from my car and put it in the bear box. We had 3 plastic bags with all the odds and ends from the car (including the wife's hairbrush) in the box (plus my garbage bag that I always have in the car), and the next morning there were signs that they had been around our car but left it alone. I will be telling my friends that go into the backwoods about the Bleach or Ammonia tip - very worthwhile knowing!
Good tips. You can also park your car facing your camper and then hit the panic button on your key fob if you think you hear a bear.
Back in 2017 I was camping up in Northern California (Crescent City area) and we had left the camp site for a short time for supplies. When we came back we found a bear had torn a hole in the side of our tent and scattered some of our equipment. Later that night as I was asleep in the tent a noise woke me up and I heard the distinct sound of "foot steps" and then what sounded like a nose sniffing the tent right above my head. I ended up smacking the tent and hit the bear on the nose. Luckily he ran off and didn't return.
Bears have a better sense of smell than a bloodhound... If you are going to continue camping in Bear county, you need to either make bear strips (1×8 with lots of 10p nails hammered through it) or cattle fence that you can string around your vehicles.
Also it is recommended to use cinnamon bear spray, bells and a whistle. Keep them available. Also learn to recognize bear skat so you can tell what bear is around. The little brown bears have rounded small skat, the brown bears skat is larger and has lumps in it, and the Grizzly bears skat smells like cinnamon and has bells and whistles in it.
Don’t forget to air out your car. Having food in the car with the windows up holds the smell even if you take the food out.
Pour ammonia on the camp table, and bench seats. Put some on a piece of 2x4, in an outside access vehicle storage bins. If no bear bins at campsite, put food items, tightly sealed, in the car trunk.
Glad you both are safe! We had a bear incident many years ago. We were told to keep our car windows closed tight. One family in our group didn't get one of their windows tightly shut. You guessed it the bear smelled all around the vehicle until the one cracked open window, smelled the food locked in the car and went in through the back door window. He grabbed a 5lb bag of candy and went between the seats and out through the driver's side window. We were sleeping about 75ft away in a tent until we heard the windows break. The camp host came with a air horn and a bright light, shined it up the hill only to see the bear enjoying his spoils. Needless to say we didn't get much sleep that night. No bear boxes then either. That campground has them now. At least no one got heart, just scared us. Thanks for the good suggestions!
My family had an amusing bear encounter back in the 60’s. We were camping in our 13’ trailer in one of the Yellowstone National Park campgrounds. My parents and sister were sitting playing cards at the dinette near the open door on a warm night while I was reading on my parents’ bed at the opposite end of the trailer. All of a sudden my mother yells “there’s a bear!” as a bear appears at the open door. Fortunately the scared bear took off running away. The bear was more afraid than us that time.
So are we sure the "Bear" wink-wink wasn't a HUNGRY BEAR Phil trying to get his drive-thru food??!?! lol! Glad no one was injured! Thx!
When backpacking in the mountains we always had to put all “smellables” in a bear bag. Usually string it between two trees. Get to climbing Phill!
But, don’t bears climb trees?
Yes they can climb trees, that is why you sting it between 2 trees, so they can’t climb out on the string to get it.
@@monicabrown6138 Wouldn't they be big and strong enough to snap the rope?
I would guess that would be a possibility that the bear could break the line, but it would still be better than keeping it on the ground it you don’t have a bear box nearby.
Hey guys, just want to tell you how sorry I am about the window. I thought I smelled Fig Newtons and I couldn’t control myself! I would’ve left my insurance information but you should’ve seen the size of the bear that was hanging around there. 😜 All I can say is it definitely could’ve been worse- Tara could’ve been with you! She’s mentioned them a few times. Not a fan. Glad Ruby’s windows are a bit high for reaching. And you are right- laughter is the best way through- after you punch the closest thing first, huh Phil? 😂 FWFS ⚓️ Troy
LOL. Yes, we lucked out it was just the Jeep.
We encountered several black bears on a hiking trail-we were warned they were around-It is a crazy story that happened to us ( my husband, me and our 21 year old son) we will never forget it -To much to write here but you never forget those close encounters and realizing how vulnerable you really are 🐻🥴🙏🏻
Glad you two are safe! Yes Bears will track any food source! I like Phil training a cub for drug discovery!
So Danny is just like phil. He gets mad about it. I will say our last disaster he did much better than what is typical for him. I'm more like you Stacy, just take care of it and roll on! Glad you two are safe. Lynn and Danny
I grew up & camped in bear country & we always were told to put our food in our car! We camped in tents & it has been rare to see bear boxes until the last few years. I’m thinking it is the intrusion into their habitat that has elevated the presence of bear boxes.
Glad no one was harmed from the bear visit.
Holy hungry bear Batman, those bears are no joke!
Note to self by seedless watermelon when going camping now that's information who would have thought something as simple as a seed would attract the bear
You did a great job of bear control. Put your cooler in the bear box. We were camping, and the bear came over opening the cooler and helping itself right in front of us.
Fantastic bear facts and safety tips! So glad no people were hurt. Mountain lions are more prevalent now as well maybe for the same reason bears are. Wild fires are driving many animals out of their habitats and into ours.
Sorry you had to go through this. Glad no one got hurt.
We have had encounters with bear several times while camping in the George Washington national forest. During our last stay while sitting at a picnic table a bear walked up to my Father in law within five feet and was just standing there looking until his little dog started barking. We had four encounters with bear in seven days. I will say we haven't had any property damage yet. We enjoy your videos.
I think it’s that new Jeep smell!! But seriously a large hassle to address when you are on the road...
For some reason when Phil said, “potions”? I thought that was extremely funny and couldn’t stop laughing.
WOW! Just last night we had a bear in our sticks and bricks backyard. He walked through and up to the street and we saw him....HE WAS BIG!!!! They are everywhere not just in the wild. Good luck in getting the glass fixed. When we had our windows broken (by bad dudes looking for something to sell....they got NOTHING, but a bag full of bags) it took us about a week to get an appointment for a new window. Glass guys are making bank in the city.
love your adventures!
We had a bear visit our camp site once when we were tent camping. Thankfully he didn't bother our vehicle and he was very unsuccessful at getting in our colmen cooler that converted to a mini fridge when plugged into electricity. That was the most terrifying and most humbling experience
I worked out of Trinidad CO in 2011 and it was a drought year. The bears were walking all over in town looking for food. It was nothing for a big bear to knock over a huge metal trash bin that stores use with one paw. They stayed to themselves and left people, pets and vehicles alone as long as u left them alone. But they were sure cute sitting like a Teddy Bear on a curb eating scraps from a near by neighborhood trash can they had destroyed. (I always thought bears were basically brown but there are even calicoes)
We live in bear country, 18 klm north of Radium Hot Springs, BC! Make sure all garbage is put away properly, bbqs cleaned & put away!! A garbage bear here in BC ends up being a dead bear!! Doubley important, that we respect our bears & all wild animals!!
I live in the California Forest adjacent to the El Dorado National forest. (Georgetown, CA)
Yes, this is bear, mountain lion, raccoon, etc country.
Our one trash container for pickup is at the street 24/7/365.
When bears come around it’s all about Ammonia, not bleach. We have tried both, ammonia always works. As we add trash to our can we pour about 1/4 cup ammonia on top.
Bears go on down the road.
Thanks so much for sharing the tip!
When I was three yrs old my parents stopped at a overlook in the Smoky Mtns and left me in their 1957 Thunderbird sleeping in the back seat. They heard me screaming and and turned around to see a bear shredding the cars convertible top. Several cars were at the overlook and blowing their horns ran the bear off.
Yikes!!!
Lot's of great bear stories share by everyone. A couple years ago a bear was doing a similar thing raiding campers in one of my campgrounds. After a couple very close Human/Bear calls we notified the State Game Department and they determined the Bear needed to be trapped. The night before the Bear trap was set the Bear raided another camper and completely ingested a pint sized citronella candle minus the metal container. The Bear was never seen again...Game Department said the Bear likely experienced a real bad case of indigestion and that bad experience must have persuaded the him to move on, likely saving its life. Now that's what I call that a win-win! :)
Never heard of a bear smashing a window and stealing a blanket, but have read a story where a sasquatch did reach in through a window and take stuff. Most windows on RV's are pretty high up and most bears are down low.
We were in Rocky Mountain Park and someone said, “hey you left your driver door open all night.” I said no way. We looked inside and saw a small bear cub foot print right on the driver seat and another on the center console. We were fortunate nothing was torn or taken but we didn’t leave anything inside either. Love your videos. I know how hard it is to develop those. Go Army!
Thanks so much
Imagine the compliance you’d get when you roll up with a bear in the back of your unit!
If there aren't Bear Boxes, Use Bear Bags up in a tree away from the main part of camp. You can find them at most outdoors stores like REi or whatever local place you can find.
The ammonia works well. I lived in bear country and had a problem bear coming around vandalising my property. I put some ammonia in a balloon and put peanut butter on the outside and tied it to a fence post. Next day the balloon was gone and the bear never came back. I also keep ammonia in a spray bottle and when in doubt I spray it around the perimeter. They usually go to a less fragrant campsite.
WOW! I thought food was safe in the car!! We slept in our vehicle while camping, along with ALL of the food... I guess we got lucky!
The Bears were here before we were they have priority! This is a great video please be BEAR safe Thomyt
Up near Mammoth CA we got warned, that there was a young male climbing up the rig and going through the roof vents.
So glad no one was hurt, but the poor Jeep is taking a beating lately. How exciting to have a wildlife visit
We were car camping in Sequoia several years ago and had a second car parked in the overflow lot. When we came back to that car we discovered that the molding around the windows had been ripped off. Turns out there was a single piece of chewing gum in the glove box.
We now camp with our Airstream, but years ago we were backpackers and tent campers. While tent camping near Bryson City, NC in the Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park, we were awakened by a loud commotion in the next campsite down the mountain. The next morning our neighbors were packing to leave, but not before we saw their orange Gott water cooler ripped to smithereens. Lessons were learned then and we have never forgotten. We are now thinking of more ways to keep our vehicle and travel trailer safe after watching this video. We don't want to have a bear reaching through our window screens in the middle of the night! So, has anyone tried moth balls in a sock to repel bears?
A close relative is the manager of a Scout Camp in the San Bernardino Mountains. They had a bear try to get in to the building they keep their fowl in, to protect them from various critters that want to eat them fresh. Needless to say, if a bear is willing to tear siding off to get a chicken, he/she might tear siding off to get a juicy Cub Scout. In most of Southern CA bears don't usually get relocated. Their range is expanding, because not only is their apparently accessible food, a bigger and meaner bear or a fire has chased them out of their territory. So moving a bear just causes the local hierarchy to adjust and the bottom bear pops out in the "wrong" place. Problem bears (repeat offenders, so to speak) usually don't go to bear sanctuaries.
Also, even if not bear country, campsite policing and smellables stowage will minimize the incursions by raccoons, possums, ravens, sea gulls, tiny rodents, medium rodents and big rodents, etc.
That poor car…..it’s been through the ringer lately.😢. So sorry y’all have to go to the shop again.
Right!
Fort Mtn state park Ga we had a bear about 20 yard behind our camp site just in the wood line. Earlier this year feb time frame. Our pup a Cavalier King Charles was the first to spot him although we did not know until we stepped out with our grand daughter and neighboring campers clued us in lol
At least everyone remained safe! It's incredible just how determined and strong bears can be. On a side note, I'm surprised nobody in that area has suggested using concentrated pine scents (ie, concentrated pine oil or heavy-duty Pine-Sol) as a deterrent, seeing how bears apparently do not like the strong scent, or it simply interferes with their ability to effectively sniff out sources of people food. Either way, it sure couldn't hurt to try, especially given how out-of-pocket vehicle repair is so costly these days.
I did read about pine sol as well! Thanks for the reminder.
How about just putting a open bottle of ammonia and the car or bleach when you are ready to use the car just put the cap back on and open the windows to air it out
Oh my gosh! That had to be very scary for everyone. We had one bear incident years ago which was definitely an eye opening experience. Once again thanks for sharing your adventures “ On The Road!”
Holy Bear! Super scary but happy you guys are well.
Lou & Angie
I’m sorry this happened to you fine folks. I love the way you deal with life’s troubles, laughing and moving forward. The best story’s always start with a little trouble.
Hi guys, great video! I am surprised that nobody has mentioned AMMONIA or APPLE CIDER VINEGAR or Lysol. Someone below mentioned PineSol :-) We go boondocking almost exclusively. We were told by a survival skills teacher and Eagle Scouts teacher many years ago that spraying ammonia would deter bears. After researching the matter, we found that that is the general consensus. We have been spraying vinegar around the whole rig twice per day (minimum) for years and have never had any issues. The strong scent dulls the bears senses as well as being very offensive to their noses.
We mentioned using ammonia in the video.
So sorry about your Jeep! I will remember the bleach or ammonia. Knowing what you found out the hard way, it's a miracle that we haven't had this happen to us.
NEVER MIX bleach AND ammonia, just fyi. Very toxic. So sorry this happened to you! And thanks for all the tips. Guess I’ll be keeping my toothpaste in the bear box from now on.🤣
Also they make bear sized pepper spray cans, so keep that around in case you ever get to close to one. (Don’t do that on purpose!)
@@Susan-pg7yc I would never mix them!
Bear encounter mid-afternoon in Tahoe, we did everything WRONG, trash bag hanging from the bbq - and as novice campers/RVers, we knew better!! Complacency hurts. 'Lotions and potions' lol, been there too!! Thank you both for your service!!!! Happy RVing.
Child car seats are a bear favorite!
Your safe and sound that's the most important. God bless you both.
Yes, thank you
Oh no! At least you didn't get hurt but I'm sorry about your jeep. Thanks for the reminders.
When I was a teen about 60 yrs we were camping in the Rockies one morning eating breakfast in your pop-up when we heard a noise outside. My dad opened the door to see a bear about 10 ft away leaning into the open truck of your car. We kept the Grapenut box with claw holes in it as a souvenir for a long time.
My GF puts vinegar on her Kotex when we go hiking. It deters bears away from her. Crazy but true.
I just bought my RV, I was camping in Texas and some of the Campers were talking about how I should watch you guys, I told them I have watch yall from day 1 and you inspired me to do this. Well a week after I bought my Class A 38 ft RV, I had a blowout and got stuck in a ditch so now my RV is in the shop for about 10 weeks,
Scary situation for sure. I have heard the same about the bleach/ammonium as well. I have not tried it before but maybe I will now. I camp in bear country and came across an adult Black bear last week on a trail. Yes, I have bear spray but left it back at the campsite, my bad. The bear was about 30 feet away. I stopped, the bear stopped and just stared at me. I learned that you don't look into the eyes of a bear as they may take it as being aggressive. I slowly backed up, looking away from the bear but the bear kept starring at me. After about 30 seconds the bear continued into the deep bush. Lesson learned, don't leave without your Bear spray in bear country. Just to let you know, normally this area is not bear country but I agree with you that the fires may be steering them away from their normal habitat. One more thing, what's with the poor Jeep. The poor thing had a fluid leak last week and now bears are attacking it, lol Take care and really enjoy your channel.
Yikes. I am glad you are ok.
Great Tips! We recently had a young inspiring-to-be yogi bear come visit us while we were staying at a Jellystone Park Campground. It was early evening around 6pm when the bear walked through the campsites and found that a neighbor staying in one of the cabins had left their cooler out. The bear opened the cooler and started chomping on an OJ bottle. There were many people around so we all scared the bear off. We later learned from the Ranger that he was a resident young black bear that was often seen walking around the campground and told everyone to keep their food secure.
I'm enjoying reading the stories posted here in the comments! Once, in the late 90s, we were in the Waterton Park area (the Canada side of Glacier NP) driving north along the shoreline to the Prince of Wales Hotel, when a huge grizzly is charging down the side of the mountain right towards us. He decides to lock everything up within 20 feet from hitting us, turns on a dime, and runs just as fast as him came down, back up the mountain. Yep, that's as close as we ever want to get to a bear again. Phil & Stacy, thanks for the tips and tricks to avoiding bear mishaps while camping, as I'm sure if you're up in that area any and all information regarding bear safety is useful. And yes, I almost thought this was going to be clickbait, but instead it was bear-bait 😂 Safe Travels!
We were in a cabin last year and about midnight heard one banging around on the deck outside. The next morning the metal bird feeder was crushed and it had only had a few sunflower seeds in it the night before. That was when I realized how good their sense of smell was.
In 2015 I was backpacking some sections of the PCT south bound from I-80 towards Tuolumne Meadows. I sprained my foot and had to skip forward. I got a ride from Bridgeport, CA to the trail, but it was too late to start hiking Sonora pass, so I camped in a camp ground. The camp host had warned everyone they had a problem bear. I sleep out in my bivy that night. The next morning after breakfast people were sitting at picnic tables when a black bear came wondering through the campground. It batted the bear canisters off tables until it, found one the lid was not secured on. The bear grabbed some freeze dried meals and ran to a tree that it climbed and ate in. Bears are really smart. After that, I have never complained about carrying the BV500, when required. The campground hosts said next year that bear will not be a problem, because a fed bear is a dead bear... I felt bad for the bear, but I guess once they start getting food from people they will keep returning to the source of easy food. That was a juvenile black bear. Later that week I took a photo of bear prints in the fine dirt on the PCT. Those prints were big from a full grown bear. I sang and talked to myself all the way into Glen Alen backcountry camp ground, because hiking solo I did not want to surprise a bear. Thank you for taking the time to produce this video. Great information. I'm glad no one has been hurt. Safe travels.
Ok you got busted window that can be fixed but you and Stacy are ok and you are both safe . Ok fix the car keep putting out grate videos and enjoy all the good times .Thank GOD you are both ok. as always STAY SAFE .
This is a great video. We have stayed in bear country many times but never had those type of issues. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for this video! We’ve been told several times from the Ranger when checking into campgrounds “The bears are very active” and just thought cool, maybe we’ll see a bear this trip. Never did anything like you experienced ever cross our minds! Guess it’s best to sleep with the TV on. Glad you didn’t get your covers ripped off - that could have really made a mess in your bed 😄. Glad you’re both safe ❤️
So has Phil figured out not to poke the bear? Personally I think it was a boy bear looking for Stacy 'cause she's sweet & tender and probably smells good. Phil on the other hand is probably is tough and stringy and smells like old socks. Glad nothing got broken but the window. Keep the good stuff coming.
She does smell good!!! LOL
I have to say we love your videos. We have learned so much from you as we begin our RV adventures. You are both so loveable and honest. Also, thank you for your service. We will soon begin our posts on social media as Torimark in some fashion. God bless.
I have a funny bear story. We were in lac St-Jean Quebec. My sister in law had seen bears during a trek through the woods. So, I went out and scared her by making noises and scratched around the window. She ran out screaming!! I laughed and laughed.
That is so mean! Funny...really funny but oh so mean!
We use to go to a Boy Scout camp in Southern Colorado that had a bear and sometimes her cubs that lived there. We definitely had to learn bear safety. One thing that we would have never thought about was batteries have a sweet smell. All our flashlights had to be placed in the trailer or bear boxes at night.
i live in pa full time allot of bears i had a family of raccoons climb on my 35ft rv didnt want to take a chance for mama bear to do the same so i removed my ladder i feel much safer great vid
WOW, that's one for the books! At least now you will know what to do when there are BEARS in the vicinity. Bears freak me out, but if I had a bear arm come through my window, I would still be running.😂🤣 Your jeep seems to have a TARGET on it lately. Hey, this will be a good story to tell when you are sitting around a campfire at night with friends. Will make everyone go home early.😂 You guys rock!!
Being a full-time RVer doesn't keep things from happening. Your resilient attitude helps you keep your sanity!
No, I am not an RVer yet! However, I am getting a real education from your sharing. THANK YOU!
Well said!
No tips really, but we did have a bear in the camp next to ours last week . He left his dogs food in a 5 gallon bucket with a screw lid on it, and a bear got into it and spilled dog food all around. The next night it was back looking for more, luckily he moved inside he camper, but the other neighbors were outside when the bear arrived and they ran it off. I did get a good picture of a nice bear track though.
Wow! I didn't realize that bears would do that for some gum! It would have been nice if the bear would have entered the Jeep as nicely as Stacy got into Ruby!
Love the exit video Chad shot for y'all in NC. Sorry about the bear. Enjoy watching your videos
We had bears visit us twice in one night. They tried to get into our black boxes in the back of the truck. My wife in her mom's voice yelled at them and they took off. A few hour later some younger bears came by and tried to take our license plate off the camper. A few spots up from us they open the back kitchen door to a tear drop camper and took everything out. We carry bear spray in both the camper and the truck. The federal camp ground we were in closed down for a month to tents because the bears were getting so bold.
OMG…That is really scary. We are in Montana and I just went out to check to be sure we had everything locked. Have only seen one bear that crossed the road while we were driving. Thanks for the info. Safe travels.
*Wow* *I NEVER knew Bears can smell 5 miles away* *Oh My* !
In August of 1967, while tent camping in Glacier National Park, my family’s campsite was ravaged by a bear. Mom and Dad were still awake, planning the next day’s itinerary, when the bear came to the tent and began shaking it. All four of us kids (ages 8 to 3) were already asleep. Turns out the bear got his nail stuck in the zipper tab and couldn’t get it out. My Dad began banging on the lid to the catalytic heater because he had read that ringing noises hurt their ears. The tarp under the tent was mauled with claw marks. The bear opened our Coleman cooler and ate everything except a can of orange juice. Eggs and cherries were all over the ground. He bent our lantern pole in half. This was the same year and park that four young rangers were killed by bears. A bear trap was set the next morning and the park service bought us all breakfast while my folks filled out paperwork about the incident. That was the last time we camped in a tent! My Mom insisted we get a hard-sided camper.
This video is good for everyone not only people with RVs but they are people that are going to a park because they don't have a place to go and they sleep inside the vehicles this is a good educational video thank you guys 🇺🇸🇵🇷👍🏼👍🏼🐻🐾