I'm planning to do a float trip for Moose this fall on a river that typically is swarming with brown bears. Yeah, I know they don't coexist well, but I think I can scrape a moose out anyhow. I'm going with a buddy who, while a good guy, has little outdoor or firearm experience, so the burden is mine. I sleep like a rock, and have a passing fear or two that a bear could crawl into my bag before I knew it. Even more importantly, the bears there like to eat rafts, and I'm nervous about leaving the camp unguarded while I/we chase moose.

My question: do the portable electic fences really work to keep bears out of a small perimeter? I'm talking the portable kind run off "D" or 12 volt batteries. Anyone with REAL EXPERIENCE? If nothing else, I'd like to run it around my boat/tent while I'm out looking for that 72 inch spread guy.

The short answer is yes they do really work. The ones I've seen have a solar panel for charging a battery. Is it portable enough to want to mess with one a hunt? My vote would be no but that's my opinion only.

Regards,

Mark

Another option that'd be lighter and easier would be to get a couple of Critter Gitters. These are portable motion detectors that you could set up around your camp. They operate on 9V batteries and weigh about 1/4 pound each. I don't care how deep you sleep, the shrieks they let out will wake you up.

They work only if the bear doesn't want to go through. I have a mile fencer hooked up to 300 yards of fence around my garden to keep the deer out. Needless to say they get a jolt out of it. Works well most of the time. But I have had bears walk right though it draggng the wire out into the woods. I think a couple of motion detectors with alams would be handy to wake oneself up.

I'll second the motion detectors.......not long ago, not far from the cabin, a brownie went through three strands of honest-to-god stock electric fencing, killed the horse and took it elsewhere.......the fence may work, may not.....the motion detectors you'll hear and they'll maybe even startle the bear off.

Joe

Thanks guys for the good ideas. Regarding portability, some outfit makes a 5 lb fence, so that should work on a fly-in float trip. I like the idea of a perimeter alarm, maybe better instead. I'll look for "Critter Getters" on the net. Just in case, any leads on who sells them?

We floated the goodnews river last year and used one of the 4-d cell chargers. Anything outside the fence would disappear, but inside would stay.

FWIW

MFH

go with the motion sensors and a good pair of running shoes. remember as long as you aren't camping alone you don't have to out run the bear.

quote:

Originally posted by The Cat Doctor:
go with the motion sensors and a good pair of running shoes. remember as long as you aren't camping alone you don't have to out run the bear.

Not exactly, didn't seem to help to last two couples that got et by bars.