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Dog whistle for bears?
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Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Dog whistle for bears?
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Apr 2, 2011 at 8:35 pm #1271616
I have no idea how a bear's frequency range compares to a dog, but I wonder if some sort of bear whistle could be made and used to scare away bears!
Apr 2, 2011 at 8:49 pm #1719170No
Apr 2, 2011 at 10:32 pm #1719194Maybe it would atract bears
Apr 2, 2011 at 10:46 pm #1719197I have found that back country bears are not too difficult to scare away. As for ursines near car camping areas such as Yosemite Valley, probably not.
Apr 2, 2011 at 11:54 pm #1719211If you want to scare off a black bear, first try barking like a pack of wild dogs. Black bears hate dogs. If that doesn't work, then try the loudest bang that you can muster. That may be hitting pots and pans together. Throwing a golfball size rock at them is good.
Some years ago some boy scouts tried to scare off a black bear, and they threw a rock that was too big. It hit a cub bear in the head and killed it. The poor little cub was just following his mother around. So, try the noisemakers first.
–B.G.–
Apr 3, 2011 at 6:41 am #1719239Not sure about the dog whistle. It could be irritating (seeen dogs irritated by it). I might opt for just a normal whistle.
Throwing a rock at a bear is a bad idea, IMO, it is likely to get its attention and potentially in not a good way.
Anything that has a potential to aggrevate the bear has potential to make it charge…that is what you wish to avoid. Clonking it on the head with a golf ball sized rock in a good location could easily come off as agression and that may work, but if the bear is hungry and this angers it, you are now in a worse position than you started. Too risky IMO.
Defending yourself with rocks, poles, knives, guns, etc should be left until the bear is coming at you. Otherwise make noise, look big and back off. Do not make eye contact with any wild animal or unfamiliar large dog.
In general if black bear once charging or close, fight. If brown, play dead.
Apr 3, 2011 at 9:49 am #1719288I'm aware of all the common bear knowledge (prior to lightning, bears were my biggest fear). And I wouldnt assume the dog whistle to work as is, but if it were modified to produce sounds that match the frequency range of a bear (brown, as Im not generally afraid of black bears), I wonder if it would be effective or not. Hey, maybe we could get a budget from the AMC and do some R&D!
Apr 3, 2011 at 10:42 am #1719303you first! :)
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