Bear on Camino Portugues?

[AkexanderTramp]

Hey,
today I walked from Poio to Vilaxoan. I tried to use Komoot for orientation, but it sometimes leads me to paths that are not active anymore.
So today I walked on gravel in the mountains, but mostly in the woods. And then I saw poop infront of me. I checked it , and I was quite sure it wasn't from a horse. The size of the poop wasn't from a dog either. It was bigger, so I looked it up and it had many similarities to bear poop.
I was quite nervous, because I was alone and wanted to do the variant spiritual. I took a stick and carved it sharply. I was sure, that there is a bear outside.
From Maoña to Vilaboa I also went threw forest and mountains. But I didn't had the feeling or signs , that there is a bear outside. But today the feeling was intense. For everybody doing the spiritual variant. Keep care and be aware.

 

[trecile]

It sounds like you may not have been following the official Camino route - did you see the yellow arrows and shells marking the Camino?

 

[AkexanderTramp]

It sounds like you may not have been following the official Camino route - did you see the yellow arrows and shells marking the Camino?

No, the first and a half hour I walked in the mountains, there weren't any markers. But later on. I think I found the path again. I just made a profile to share my experience

 

[MickMac]

The bear sighted in Portugal probably comes from the western population of the Cantabrian Mountains (Spain). There, the brown bear population has increased to around 280 individuals at present according to the Spanish Fundación Oso Pardo.

 

[trecile]

No, the first and a half hour I walked in the woods, there weren't any markers. But later on. When I went to the mountains, there were markers.

You can download a Camino app that has the tracks for the Camino.

A Complete Guide to the Caminos to Santiago de Compostela

A complete guide to the Camino de Santiago, including accommodation on the Camino Francés, Camino del Norte, Camino Portugués, Camino Primtivo, Vía de la Plata, Camino de Invierno, Finisterre & Muxía, San Salvador, Camino Olvidado, Caminho Nascente, Camino da Geira, Camino Inglés, Vía Podiensis...

wisepilgrim.com

 

[Bradypus]

I took a stick and carved it sharply. I was sure, that there is a bear outside.

So in the extremely unlikely event that you do meet a bear on the Camino you plan to poke it with a sharp stick? Do you expect to be able to kill one outright? Because I'm not convinced that a slightly injured bear is going to be any less of a problem for you.

 

[AkexanderTramp]

So in the extremely unlikely event that you do meet a bear on the Camino you plan to poke it with a sharp stick? Do you expect to be able to kill one outright? Because I'm not convinced that a slightly injured bear is going to be any less of a problem for you.

Seems naive. But firstly I would make myself as big as I can and I would scream like an neanderthalensis. And if the bear would come closer, of course I would take my stick and try to force distance.. guaranteed is nothing.

 

[trecile]

If you suspect bears make noise - talk or sing to yourself. Bears generally don't want to interact with humans, and if they can hear you coming will avoid you. But getting yourself on the actual Camino trail is your best bet, because there should be other pilgrims around.

 

[Tincatinker]

As an old ex-bear hunter, now running a bar in Cosgaya, told me: “if Bear see you, you no see bear. If Bear no see you Bear buff you up good!”
@trecile ’s suggestion is an excellent one. Let the Bear know you’re there.

 

[Camembert]

A Dutch expression is “ you only see bears on the road . Do not look to the bear but look to the road ! Meaning “ you only see the problem but not the solution.

 

[J Willhaus]

I think if you suspect a bear, the best thing is to report it to the Portuguese authorities. There are very few bears left in that part of the world and authorities will want to protect them. Contact with people is the kiss of death for bears in the US.

 

[Vacajoe]

If you are saying you believe there is a bear on the spiritual variant, then you are mistaken.

 

[wisepilgrim]

Finally! My favorite topic gets top billing. Mind the bears everyone!

The noisemaking advice given above is the best advice for the average pilgrim that might encounter one. Sing the "Bears Suck" song as loud as you can (simply shout those words loudly and aggressively and without temer over and over) and use that otherwise useless whistle that is the clip of your sternum strap.

Sound advice given, it should be repeated that a bear on the Variante would be a very lost bear indeed.

 

[Vacajoe]

Colbert was right!

 

[peregrino_tom]

Wild boar more likely than a bear

 

[Kirkie]

Sometimes I have a wee smile when I see thread titles.
Not a nasty smile, believe me.
This one led me to say: maybe here there is a solution to thinning out the crowds on the Frances...

 

[Camembert]

I think if you suspect a bear, the best thing is to report it to the Portuguese authorities. There are very few bears left in that part of the world and authorities will want to protect them. Contact with people is the kiss of death for bears in the US.

The OP was writing about he remarked the vesr during his hike on the Variante Espiritual trail which is in Spanish Galicia

 

[MariaSP]

I'm from the area and never heard of bears around here. Wild boars, yes. Bears, no.

 

[J Willhaus]

The OP was writing about he remarked the vesr during his hike on the Variante Espiritual trail which is in Spanish Galicia

Well in this part of Europe in either country it would be unusual and probably more dangerous for the bear.

 

[Kathar1na]

In general, we are not used to seeing bears or traces of bears when hiking - or jogging for that matter (very recent fatal incident in Italy!!!) - in Europe nor is there a general knowledge of how to behave when encountering a bear. The introduction of bear populations in areas where they have not been part of the natural environment for hundreds of years is controversial.

Here is an article from 2019:

The brown bear reappears in Portugal after almost two centuries - Euromontana

Biodiversity has recently been in the spotlight mainly due to news about biodiversity loss and species going extinct (see the latest IPBES Global Assessment report published on 06/05/2019). But for the first time since 1843, …

www.euromontana.org

 

[ivar]

I have deleted a few posts in this thread. Will now close it.