Bear break-in?

Has anybody ever had a bear break into or try to break into your Tacoma? I'm sure one could, I was curious about the damage (maybe driving to Alaska, and I'm unlucky)

 

You have a higher chance of winning the lottery and getting struck by lightning twice....

 

Bears primarily go after food. Keep food away from the truck when unattended to better your chances of truck being safe.

If you were thinking of asking about protection from bears, there is a "Guns and Hunting" forum under "Off-topic". They will likely tell you not to directly tangle with it even with a large-caliber weapon, but ask anyway if you want.

 

I’ve seen more vehicular damage due to bears than then lighting or lottery’s.

As was mentioned, each case involved someone having a cooler or snacks in the vehicle around a camp.

 

Don't leave anything in the truck that can smell. That includes chap stick, gum, water bottles, cigs, etc.

 

I'm not interested in shooting a bear (the gun percentages are bad, mace is better I'm told. And I've shot enough pistol rounds to not want to go that route). Its more that a good bear container seems to be plenty pricey, looking for more easy ways to keep the food secure that don't cost an arm/leg

 

Hang in a tree away from the Tacoma. As long as you did not leave a month worth of old french fries under the seats ...

 

Bias is the problem with guns and bears. Guns most definitely work. Bear spray works too.

There’s data on both having their limitations when dealing with a pissed off grizzly that is too close.

Having a container isn’t the problem. Removing the food from your camp is. As someone else said, you can simply hang the food from a tree. I certainly do this when backpacking, and I’m still here.

The key is to hang or store your food away from your camp, truck and people. The “official” word is about 60y…I try to go about 100 in grizzly country, but it really depends on finding a good tree that’s high enough.

 

For those who’ve encountered or heard of. What state or region was it at?

 

Well, grizzly country is really only limited to north western states, and carry their own unique problems.

That said, I have a tendency to down play black bears, but every incident I’m referring to WAS in fact a black bear.

I’ve seent it in Colorado, and multiple times in California. When I was a wee kid, we were camping in bishop and the dude in the camp next to us had his cooler in his ford ranger. Bear came in at night and got up in his bed and tore up his cooler. The guys who truck was being raided at least had the common sense to come out of his tent with a whistle, and managed to get some pans or some metal thing, and banged it together to scare it off.

Unfortunately, once that happens though, it’s too late and the bear has now associated humans with food. They tend to lose their natural fear of people, and act more hostile in future interactions with people.
People weren’t that smart when it came to those things back in 1980s when that story happened, and frankly, they still aren’t that smart now, despite the unlimited information readily available. IMO.

 

Bears are only interested and attracted to one thing - food. Their sense of smell is on par with that of dogs, maybe better. . They can smell food from a long long distance. They ain’t going to come near your truck as long as there is no food in it. That includes candy wrappers, empty food containers and empty food boxes. Zero food zero chances of a bear breaking into your truck.

 

From my experience black bears are the most common to find looking for food scraps.

Don't treat your rig or campground like a municipal dump and you'll be good

 

In wilderness settings bear usually avoid humans. It is in highly populated areas where they are accustomed to humans that they lose their fear. We were camping in the Smoky Mountains a few weeks ago and saw one walking on the sidewalk in downtown Gatlinburg at about 630 AM one morning.

But yes, if they smell something in your truck and want in they can peel the door off like a banana peel. This sort of thing happens in Yosemite National Park fairly often. I had an Aunt, Uncle and cousins camping there 50 years ago who had their front windshield pulled off.

 

I'll repeat hanging your food in a tree.

And cleaning any fish far away from camp, if you're planning on any fishing.

 

I tend to store my trash and fish guts at the camp asshole’s site, typically his loud music and lack of respect for others allow him to remain relatively safe from bears.

 

I've handled 2 bear break in claims before. Both vehicles were totals.

Also had a raccoon get into someone's van. It was a total as well.

 

My previous Tacoma (2012)was broken into by a black bear. It was parked behind my hunting cabin. was washing dishes and heard the trunk horn. WTF? My cabin is 10 miles up a bad logging road . The gate is locked and its about 200yds from gate to cabin. I looked up and a medium sized black bear was sitting in the passenger seat. It's but had hit the horn. I hit the alarm button and he scooted out of the truck ( he ended up as pepperoni sausage). The truck was not locked. There were muddy paw prints on the window. He had swiped down (or slipped down) and his paw had caught the door handle and baddabing the door was open. There was an apple in the truck, no other food, so I think most likely it was just curiosity and freak luck that led to the break in. so, bear break ins do happen and always lock your your truck doors!The only damage to my truck were a couple of tears in the door gasket. If he hadn't hit that horn with his butt or I had been away from the cabin the story would not have ended so nicely.