| Author |
Message |
ckh
Member
Post Number: 3
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 11:59 am: | 
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As a newbie to ottertooth.com, I just checked the "Bears" page. I see the last update there was for 2002. With a 2001 warning suggesting not to camp on Diamond, it got me thinking about what the status has been lately, especially since that is the area I am currently planning on visiting.
Thanks and take care,
ckh |
hillbilly
Member
Post Number: 320
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 12:26 pm: |
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At the time there was a bear being a nuisance on Diamond but the bear was killed or at least there was a bear killed and no more problems with campers and bears have been reported. In my opinion you should should be safe from bears as long as you keep the campsite clean and camp on clean sites. Do not camp on a site that has food and garbage on it, that is a general rule everywhere. I was on Diamond Lake last year for one night. No problems. There are also many campsites on islands.
Bill |
ckh
Member
Post Number: 4
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, July 20, 2008 - 2:10 pm: |
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Thanks Bill, I appreciate the feedback. I'll be sure to stay away from any sites with garbage, fish innards (or skeletons), etc. laying about. I know that bears are highly habitual animals and that any inadvertant "feeding stations" will be revisited.
Take care,
ckh |
preacher
Member
Post Number: 18
Registered: 09-2007
| | Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 1:23 pm: |
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I find bears to be an overblown concern, the stuff of nightmares. Not to discount them, rather to put them in perspective. Your food is more likely to be attacked by mice and raccoons.
In ~20 years of tripping I've seen one wild bear. That was this year, on my first interior trip to Temagami!
Your best source is the local diner and the local paper/newsletter. When we went in, there was mention of bears having a hard time and being bold and the folks at breakfast gave a healthy warning too.
Island sites aren't safe. Any critter that can survive in Ontario can deal with water.
I know of as many people who have had trouble with trees falling on themselves/their gear as I do those who have had troublesome bear problems. Sighting a bear 10km away from your camp isn't a problem, it's a photo-op! |
canoebear
Member
Post Number: 445
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 3:24 pm: |
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"Bear-able"
Take heed to hillbilly's wise advice,
he has much wilderness savvy no-how.
Always make yer presence known. We be here now!
Keep sharp eye out fer clear imprints/or markens,
such as tracks, scat, fresh diggens, logs that be all torn-up/or turned-over granit rocks too.
Take look see if ther be any tunnelen Black Bear
trails maken its way thru tha dense bush.
Gaze round to survey if ther R any small trees
that be bent-over/or broke. Racked-out bull moose
do that too.
Inspect Old Growth Trees fer Bear hair left from
back rubs/or tooth bite marks & even claw climben marks.
Look-up to see if multiple big black ravens be loopen surroundens. Tell tail sign of dead kill
ly-en round near-by. Use yer sense of smell to whiff-out stench oders before rains.
Out-line yer perimeter encampment tha 1st night by smoothen-out ground areas to see who/or what
trespassed thu duren tha night & check it out, come mornen.
I'd be more wary bout tha "wind & waves" in tha Wild NE. Tha dead-falls can be killers.
1's R always worried bout tha big 5 bringen bout harm to canoe campers/or hikers. 1 year got attact by bunch of hornets & last year a skunk charged at me. I got even with him, I shot him multiple times with my camera.
Indian Canoe Portage Country be in amidst of
Black Bear Territory.
Tha Black Bears hav to endure + tolerate tha camp-outers tooo, Heya! |
john_v
Member
Post Number: 71
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 4:17 pm: |
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nice post Canoebear! |
tim_b
Member
Post Number: 4
Registered: 06-2008
| | Posted on Monday, July 21, 2008 - 9:05 pm: |
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Just back from my first trip to the area in many years and saw a bear for the first time. It was an adolescent crossing the road about 4k North Of the town of Temagami.
Other than that, no signs of bear in around the campsites I used. Had a few "friendly" squirrels and was threatened by a mink and a Bonaparte Gull. In both cases I guess I either starttled them or was too close to their nesting areas when paddling by. I had to threaten them with a paddle to get them to back off.
I haven't used a bear barrel yet and usually don't bother hoisting the food pack in trees. I just keep a VERY clean campsite, triple bag my foods to reduce odor, and cook well away from my campsite on occasion. |
rattlesnake_bob
Member
Post Number: 1
Registered: 07-2008
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2008 - 5:07 pm: |
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Hey there - I have been canoeing Temagami and the surrounding areas for 15 years and in that time I've seen 2 bears. One was in MacPherson Lake on the Lady Evelyn River and the other was at the dump at the mine landing.
As others have said, keep a clean site and you should have no problems. |
canoebear
Member
Post Number: 447
Registered: 05-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - 2:42 pm: |
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"what-it-takes"
Tain't nothen in tha NE Watery Woods goen to hurt
U unless U corner it, or it smells that U be afierd. A Black Bear, cougar, moose/or pack of wolves, too, has got to be seared of a coward tha same as a brave Indian warrior has got to be.
1 who lives in fear, everythin rustles therbouts.
Encourage en route endeavor, Heya! |
hillbilly
Member
Post Number: 325
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2008 - 11:51 pm: |
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Just got back from Temagami on Wednesday and the meanest thing I encountered was the thunderstorm that hit on Saturday July 26. Lots of wind and lots of rain all week. |
canoes23
Member
Post Number: 13
Registered: 05-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 4:58 pm: |
|
Bill, thanks for meeting me for lunch. I did speak to Alex today and all is good.
I'll let you know how things went for us.
Ged Seguin} |
hillbilly
Member
Post Number: 328
Registered: 03-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 - 11:00 pm: |
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canoes23,
Good & thanks for lunch. Have a great trip.
Bill
(Message edited by hillbilly on August 12, 2008) |
Temagami canoe routes & backcountry travel