Anyone use a horn for bears?

I grew up in Maine, and when we went up to our cabin on the northern tip of Moosehead Lake, we had to walk to a natural spring for drinking water. My parents would always carry an air horn like you describe to ward off bears. Before that, they carried a pot and a metal ladle.

So yeah, I’ve heard and seen this approach…but if you’re backpacking, it seems like there are a LOT more efficient ways of doing this, including something as simple as waving one’s arms and using one’s lungs. I’ve done it in highly human-acclimated black bear country and it works just fine.

Using artificial noise makers may lead others in your area to assume there’s an emergency, but yelling loudly usually only means one of two things to those who might hear it: drunken rednecks or a nearby bear. In the backcountry, of course, usually it’s the latter. :-) And that’s actually a wee bit useful to others within earshot to hear.

Or, *ahem,* for those with high disposable incomes, you can use a titanium long-handled spoon and a titanium single-wall mug. ;-)

The Counter Assault bear spray emits a loud noise along with the pepper spray.

Needs more cowbell….

I’m a percussionist (see http://www.drumjournal.com) and I had to laugh at the Ti noisemaker.

Some rangers use M-80 fire crackers. I like the air horn idea, but don’t make three blasts at a time. I see bear spray as a deterrent if cornered or the bear is trying to raid your camp. I think spraying a bear that is just on the trail in front of you, not being aggressive, etc, is a little out of line. If noise will deter them, why not use that? We just want the smell and sound of humans to be a high sign to get out of the area.

You know, I’ve been asking why a good bear repellent hasn’t been developed. A sonic device just might do the trick. Something that emits a sound that will annoy a bear and is out of the range of human hearing would be great. It might be made multi-frequency to work on rodents and raccoons too. Add a little motion-sensing circuitry and you could have a pocket radio-size device that will make Yogi run for the (other) hills.

Y’know, that does explain that bear I saw with a bumper sticker on his hind end that said “HONK IF YOU’RE HORNY” :)

Michael,
In his excellent book (Bear Attacks-Their Causes and Avoidance), Stephen Herrero mentions that the “air horn” is a viable way to deter a bear. I just completed a series of eight backpack trips over two months (4 in Glacier, 4 in Yellowstone), and I carried Counter Assault with me. The only time I had to pull it out was when a grumpy mother moose stalked me and got within 8 feet. After she pounded the dirt and sprayed moose-spit all over me, she heaved a punctuated grunt and walked off. I doubt that an air horn would have done much to help my cause, as moose are notoriously goofy. However, while in Yellowstone, I noticed that the rangers have a serious air horn in their Chevy patrol cars, which work nicely to move a bison off the road. I like your idea of using an air horn to sound an emergency call. Maybe we should be carrying both the horn and the spray? Thanks for your post–this stuff keeps us thinking.

Gary Dunckel

I recently read the book The Essential Grizzly: The mingled fates of men and bears. Very current and a great read from Doug’s fascinating story-like accounts of “the days in a life” take on 3 different bears that exist in the lower 48 to his wife’s broader scope look at how men and bears are co-existing.

Regarding being in bear country, Doug does a quick take on what he feels is realistic given his decades of experience. He encounters more than a few groups of backcountry visitors who are pulsing airhorns and yelling loudly as they round every trails bend. He agrees that this is an extremely safe approach, if not overkill. But I doubt he would suggest that you would want to blast an airhorn at a grizzly you encountered during the day as a way to get them away. He suggests that in general, regular level conversation in areas where there is not high noise is plenty to alert a bear of your presence if they are awake. The things you want to avoid are getting close to and awaking a griz on a daybed…getting within 300 yards of a mother with cubs or yearlings…or encountering a boar or mother with a fresh kill. His best advice should this happen is to be aware of the bear’s immediate attitude…and either back away slowly while making yourself as small as possible and or speaking gently to the griz…all the while avoiding any fast or agressive behavior and any eye contact. He feels even most times when you encounter a griz who starts to charge during the day….they are very unlikely to make contact. He also states that night time encounters where the griz is “looking” for something including possibly you….you may need to be more agressive…as the griz is no longer in defensive mode. Doug also agrees that pepper spray is generally the best sleep aid when you tuck into your tent at night and are a little concerned about the big guys coming around for a snack.

Hehehe– the thought of sneaking up behind a 500 pound carnivor with an air horn…. BLAAAAAAAT. Either you would have one very angry bear, or you would be covered in bear scat— and then die. I’ll pass on any combination :)