Since we have black bear here in western North Carolina, I'm more up to speed on them rather than grizz. With black bear, watch what you do with your trash as that's their first target when raiding a campsite. I've always put my food stuffs & ice coolers in the back of my pick-up and close it up (have a shell over the truck bed). Nothing left out or in the tent (or popup camper). They very well may tear up the truck and that's insured, plus there's nobody in the thing. Sure don't want them "checking" out the inside of the tent or the camper!

Keep the trash aways from the campsite plus keep the site cleaned-up after a meal and certainly at bedtime. Sounds like your going to have a great adventure!

Dale

Camping with bears?---Oh, my!!! And with 6 young kids??--Oh, my!! And Grizzlies, to boot??---OOHHH, MY!
Don't you know--the Grizzlies own the forest? You have to get their permission to camp there!! None i've seen have been very friendly, except when they find yer car or truck! And, them seeing some small kid nearby will look like a great meal to them!
Those wild bears aren't the same as the ones in the zoo, or in a Disney movie, or even that guy who had a pet bear in the film-can't remember the name of it! And, you can't out-run one of them! And, they can climb a tree faster than you can!
Taking 8 assorted people out into the big woods is asking for trouble, i think! Find a nice campground and go there!
Leave the woods to the wild animals!
By: Wimpy Jones

I've heard of birth control, but taking the kids to the grizzlies is a new one on me. Very creative.

I know that it is way to late. Wonder how they made out??

Any whos..
Putting any type of food stuff in coolers and then in your car, truck, tent or camper is a big mistake. Store it outside in a place away from your camp. Hang it in a tree? Yea that works until they get mad and then go after the first thing that makes them madder than they already are. Which is usally the person screaming at them to go away.
Bear have a sense of smell that you can not even begin to imagine. They are able to smell food even through a tin can. If they are hungery and smell food. They are going to get it regardless of what is in there way. So if you want your car, truck, tent or camper ripped to shreds. Just put food in them where hungery bears are found to roam.

I live in an area where Black bear live. You learn to respect them when you are within their range. People that make their living in the woods here such as oil and gas field workers never leave their lunch in a truck or piece of equipment such as a dozer. Over the years bears have destoried many trucks and the inside of heavy equipment hunting food. Even when the equipment was left running.

Burning your trash, such as tin cans or meat wrappers does not help. For a fire can be smelled for miles by bears and the scent of what ever you may be burning is carried with it. Which brings them into your camp. If you have trash. Put it in a strong trash bag and leave it somewhere away from camp. For when bears grab a bag they will run with it into the woods. Let them go if that happens. It's just trash. Same with coolers or food bags. It is just food and you can get more. Try to stop a hungery bear and you may end up just counting stiches if you are lucky.

We hunt bear and deer every October. We have not had the bears enter into our camp but we do keep food in a tarp-covered open trailer in boxes and coolers. This prevents damage to vehicles and will require a racket be heard when raiders approach. Since we are hunters, we naturally have the tools to scare away large mammals and defend ourselves if necessary. Between attacks (some fatal) from cougars and bears in the Western states, we would not even consider entering the forest without a minimum of a .38 caliber pistol and a safety-trained adult, even for day hikes.