Use your iPhone to scare a bear (right before it eats you)

Biggest problem with this? iPhones, for the most part don't work here in Montana WHERE THE BIGGEST BEARS ARE!

I use a turkey call (for hunting) on my iphone, and it works great ... plenty loud enough.

I think there's a slight misunderstanding about the use of bells, etc. The idea isn't that bells and horns scare bears, per se. If it were, then a human being charged by a bear could simply ring a bell and the bear would turn tail.

A normal (i.e. not desensitized) wild bear avoids contact with humans. But if one or two hikers are walking quietly and not holding a loud conversation, there is a risk that there will be an "unplanned" human-bear encounter.

Caught off-guard, a bear may react badly and attack; a sow may not have time to lead her cubs away, very bad news for the hikers.

Bells etc. simply make it easier for humans to broadcast their presence to bears, and in turn the average bear (not Yogi) will try to avoid the humans. I've never heard of bears being curious about the noises and thus creating a bad encounter. Bears tend to be curious about food and the smells that come from food. Now, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't use a bell in mountain lion country.

And with MobileMe's Locate my iPhone, park rangers will be able to locate your remains (or at least the remains of your iphone).

Almost EVERY national park in the US recommends use of bear bells and air horns and other such devices ... where the hell are you guys getting your info???

Actually, this is a pretty damn good idea and will likely save some stinkin hippy's life some day soon. Bears will leave the area upon hearing people, and attacks are still rare, but surprising them, that's a recipe for death. But hey at least you had a nice quiet walk, ha ha!

As I write this, I am looking at the skull of the grizzly that attacked us during an alpine hunting trip in SE Alaska. Bears are unpredictable. Adam is right. Talk loudly and carry a BIG gun.

What a nanny state you must live in!

It's a joke

If someone can't see that, then "as far as we know" they should "possibly" be weaned out of the gene pool, before the can breed and create other humorless individuals.

For those who complain about having a separate app store for each country, this would be the reason.

IIRC, there was an older bear repellent app in the app store last fall that was supposed to emit a high pitched sound to "keep bears away" which was also funny in a simillar way.

BTW

Hello,

I have hiked in bear country several times before and on one trip the guide made every person remove all noise makers from our persons. He said that bears are attracted by odd sounds (i.e., bells and tin cans). However, what they do not like is the human voice. Bears tend to avoid people. So, the way to decrease the likelihood of running into a bear is to talk loud and often. The way to increase the chance of running into one is to play odd sounds. For example, the sounds coming out of an iphone.

Utility is mixed even if it is theoretically functional. There is an old joke. How do you know when you are in black bear territory? You hear the bells from the other hikers. How do you know when you're in grizzly territory? You see bells in the bear scat.

Not all bears think noise is bad. Some think of it as dinner bells.

This sign will need to be updated to add "pieces of iPhone": http://www.outdooroddities.com/2008/07/23/grizzly-bear-warning-sign/