High Lumen light as bear deterrant? any stories

[bighottaco]

Hello I'm planning on buying a surefire 200 lumen e2dl partly as a detterrant to critters while backpacking/packrafting. Any stories of these types of lights scaring off bears or other animals. Next trip is the everglades mid September but I don't think the light will do much good against snakes(except to spot em.) Thanks.

 

[Flying Turtle]

There have been many threads over the years regarding scaring animals with your lights. Check in the Cafe section. A thread was active recently.

I think the general consensus is that lights really don't have much effect on wild critters.

Geoff

P.S. Welcome to CPF

 

[cm_mtb]

:welcome:

You're better off carrying a handgun or a can of bear pepper spray.

Using the CPF Google search, I found an older thread discussing flashlights as a bear deterrent.

 

[jellydonut]

I highly doubt it.

My last night hike I was lighting my way with the Malkoff Wildcat V2 (750lms out the front) and I saw a reflector of some sort in the middle of the grass. I shined the light at it but I couldn't discern what it was, so I decided to act on my curiosity and approached it through the grass. It was only then that it started moving and I realized it was a cat that I had only seen one eye of. That poor (wild?)cat stared into my Wildcat for quite a while without a care in the world - it was only when I approached it it was startled.

If the common house cat isn't fazed I don't see a bear being any more impressed. :nana:

 

[Connor]

On a night walk last week, I heard some noises on the side of the path. It was a rat and it really did not like my flashlight and swiftly ran away.

Now ask yourself, if you were a grown bear in a pissed off and/or hungry mood and one of those pesky little bipeds shone the sun in your face, would you run away like a rat?

 

[EZO]

I had a pretty large black bear get into the birdfeeder out on my deck late at night awhile back (late Winter, early Spring) At first, he was hunched over with his head level with the feeder that stands six feet above the floor of the deck so he was a good sized adult probably in the neighborhood of two fifty to three hundred pounds. Before long he had ripped the whole feeder off the steel pole it's mounted on and the next thing you know he's lying on his back shaking the feeder into his mouth. Pretty cute, and I'm watching all this through the sliding glass door from about four feet away. So, with a 357 magnum within easy reach and a Nikon D300 in my hands I start shooting pictures but of course the flash was reflecting off the glass. Then I got brave (or stupid, as the case may be) and opened the door a crack and try shooting photos again. The bear retreats to the lower level of the deck but pokes his head up to get another look at the situation since he's obviously still hungry and wants what's left in the feeder but it became clear very quickly that he really didn't like the flash from the camera when he decided to turn and leave after getting zapped with the flash a few more times.

So I can't say for sure, but this could be an example of where the much maligned strobe feature that many of us have no practical use for on our lights might come in very handy.

 

[Connor]

So I can't say for sure, but this could be an example of where the much maligned strobe feature that many of us have no practical use for on our lights might come in very handy.

Nice story! But don't forget that even a small camera flash is magnitudes brighter than any LED flashlight, including the SST-90 ones.

 

[riccardo]

So I can't say for sure, but this could be an example of where the much maligned strobe feature that many of us have no practical use for on our lights might come in very handy.

I would not compare a camera flash, especially an external flash for SLR, whit the strobo function of our flashlights. The intensity of the flash it's much higher...

 

[EZO]

You guys might be right about a camera flash being a great deal brighter than the typical flashlight strobe, even a powerful one. On the other hand, having had other runs in with bears and other critters here in rural Vermont there is the sense that some animals may be disoriented by a strobe whereas they tend to just they just freeze under a steady beam. This has got me interested, so I think I'll have to do some "expeerimentin", starting with the raccoons who are my most frequent and persistent visitors. Aside from that I know a knowledgeable game warden I plan to ask next time I see him. (Although, technically, it is illegal in Vermont to shine lights at wildlife at night because of deer jacking, so I don't know how he'll feel about this question) Also, there is a guy around here who specializes in bear habitat, dealing with orphaned cubs and testing the health and tagging of hibernating adults. I'll bet he would know the answer to the original question at hand here.

 

[tandem]

Skunks do not appear to like a high output light shone at them. Two recent encounters saw them scurry away quickly, tail down. I don't have a recent control to compare to - they might scurry away just as quickly with no light or a poor light.

I do have two different lighting situations to compare the response of a family of raccoons visiting us on a regular basis. The raccoons in my yard are unimpressed by a weak light (10 or less lumens) but definitely do not like 200 lumen lights shone in their eyes from 15-20 metres away. They mosey off to my neighbours yard instead...

 

[SiliconCali]

Hello I'm planning on buying a surefire 200 lumen e2dl partly as a detterrant to critters while backpacking/packrafting. Any stories of these types of lights scaring off bears or other animals. Next trip is the everglades mid September but I don't think the light will do much good against snakes(except to spot em.) Thanks.

I've had racoons simply stare into my 160 lumen SureFire. Doubt a motivated bear, in his territory, would be deterred by a flashlight. Maybe you could stick the light under your chin and made your face look really scary. Works on kids.

:welcome:

 

[mrartillery]

This will probably be your best option. :devil:

 

[Grumpy]

Reminds me of a joke...

A man is about to get eat by a bear and prays "Lord please let this be a Christian bear."

The bear bowed its head in prayer and said "Dear Lord thank you for this food I am about to receive."

:laughing:

 

[EZO]

Hey guys, it's probably important to note the distinction between the three types of bears that live here in North America. The Black Bear, the Brown Bear (Kodiaks and Grizzlys) and the Polar Bear. Grizzlys, Kodiaks and Polar bears should simply be avoided at close range at all costs. They can be very aggressive and pointing a flashlight at one is most likely only to serve as a good target. Grizzlys can weigh in at over 1000 lbs, Kodiaks can weigh 1500 lbs and Polar bears have been recorded at 2000 lbs. Black bears usually average 200 to 300 lbs although some have been recorded at up to 500 lbs but they tend to be rather timid and usually afraid of contact with humans. If you encounter one it is almost always because they are after a food source. They will usually retreat if confronted unless protecting cubs or a food supply or territory they feel particularly entitled to. mrartillery's suggestion applies to back country use in Brown Bear or Polar Bear habitat.

 

[wyager]

Whenever I'm in bear country, I bring a flare pen with a bearbanger round screwed in. It basically shoots a really tiny rocket propelled grenade out the front (more like a rocket propelled firecracker), which flies around 150 feet until it hits something, and then it blows up and scares the pants off of anything nearby (the report is something like 130 decibels). I saw a video where a guy used it on a bear on his porch, it worked perfectly. The best option would be something like a .44 or larger, but sometimes they don't let you bring guns in to parkland.

 

[maskman]

I have only one experience with a bear in camp and it didn't involve a flashlight. I recently moved from Wyoming, but for 35 years I enjoyed countless nights camping under a tent and in a sleeping bag. Knowing I was in bear country I always went prepared. Going somewhere loaded for bear is more than just a saying. Since discussion boards abound in opinions I'll share mine and many of my outdoors friends opinions. If you want to chance pissing a bear off, hit it with pepper spray. If you want to show a bear where it's next meal is use a flashlight. If you want to protect yourself from a bear take the proper handgun.

 

[NY bouncer]

probably would work, it would have to be really bright and concentrate beam at it's eyes it may temporarily blind it, but if it's a maneater and it's determine to kill you it's not gonna be scared by a stupid light which is only bothersome to the bear but doesn't really cause any extreme pain or injury that would deter it enough

 

[mrartillery]

This may interest you......

 

[Flying Turtle]

Maybe you could stick the light under your chin and made your face look really scary. Works on kids.

I think this is the best plan. :laughing:

Geoff

 

[EZO]

Hey, mrartillery, that was interesting! Thanks for posting the link.

Now I can't wait for the next bear or other critter, (lately it's been red foxes and coyotes) to show up here and see how he reacts to one of my brighter lights. I wonder if the tint makes a difference?
Oh, SH*T!!.....he's not bothered by warm neutral......RUN!!!!!