Does Weed Attract Bears? Only if You Do This

No matter what time of the year it is, one of the best plans to enjoy with the family is to spend a few days exploring nature.

For some, a simple walk in the woods is enough, however, the more adventurous of us love to camp out in the moonlight, to enjoy the peace and goodness that nature has to offer.

Can you imagine how cool it is to light up a joint of your favorite weed and smoke it in the middle of the forest?! Sounds great, doesn’t it?

And it is! However we have to be realistic, camping in the woods or just going for a walk in the forest exposes us to several dangers, especially if we carry food or weed with us.

Most of the animals that live there usually have a very developed sense of smell, capable of detecting the rich scent of our snacks (or our cannabis) from miles away!

Especially bears, who have a sense of smell about 7 times stronger than that of a K9 dog! (Actual data, provided by the US National Park Service).

Now you may be a little freaked out by this… Normal!

No one wants to get mauled by a bear while soaring with a good joint. But, before you panic… Does weed attract bears? Do bears like the smell of weed?

This and many other questions will be gone when you finish reading everything we know about it!

Does Weed Attract Bears?

With marijuana receiving so much attention and the large number of scientific studies detailing the effects of weed on domestic animals, it was not crazy to think that we would find a lot of information on the subject.

However, the truth is a bit discouraging, as much as we searched in scientific sources, we could not find studies that answer the question: Does weed attract bears?

But we did manage to find an article on the official website of the National Park Service (NPS) in which they give immense details about the impressive sense of smell of bears.

After reading this article, we do not doubt that if a bear can smell you from Yosemite Valley to the top of Mount Lyell (Yosemite National Park), it will be able to smell even the smallest gram of weed you carry with you!

What Kind of Bear is Attracted to Weed?

Bears are fairly large creatures, with a wide-ranging omnivorous (eating animal and plant species) diet. So potentially, any species of bear could be attracted to the smell of the marijuana you carry in your bag.

However, keep in mind that in the United States, there are two species of bears that are quite common and therefore these are the bears most likely to show up thanks to the smell of your sweet weed.

American Black Bear:

Its scientific name is “Ursus Americanus” and it is the most common bear species in the United States, being found in 40 of the 50 states that make up the country.

They are usually black, however, there are some with whiter shades of white and brown. Although they are one of the smallest bear species but don’t be fooled, they are bears that have an average weight of between 310 and 325 pounds.

You surely don’t want your weed to put you in front of one of these huge animals!

Grizzly or Brown Bear:

This species is considered the third largest omnivore in North America! A huge animal that can reach weights of up to 1212 pounds and about 7.8 feet tall when standing on its hind legs.

The Grizzly bear is considered by many to be the most aggressive and ferocious bear in the world thanks to the enormous number of attacks on humans that are reported each year in the United States.

Most of these attacks usually follow an accidental close encounter in which the bear is surprised and reacts defensively. Either way, it’s a bear you don’t want to be around!

Why are Bears Attracted to Weed?

Bears are animals that eat everything! From earthworms and birds to a diet rich in a wide variety of plants, including mushrooms, nuts, seeds, berries, and other fruits.

It has a lot of flavors and aromas that we could easily find in the most popular strains of marijuana among American stoners and this is the main reason why are bears attracted to the smell of weed.

So, can bears smell weed? Yes, certainly they can, so is a good recommendation to keep your weed well stored in a container that does not let the smell escape, otherwise, it is quite likely that one of these species of bears is attracted by the aroma.

Weed Strains Most Likely to Attract Bears

However, most stoners have a penchant for weed with fruity flavors and aromas, which can range from the most citrusy flavors to those delicious sweet tones.

Unfortunately, as mentioned above, many fruits are an important part of the bears’ diet and that’s why fruity strains are the most likely to attract them!

There is a huge variety of fruity strains, however, these five are the ones that emanate a much stronger odor and therefore, the ones you should avoid taking with you when you want to go camping in the woods:

• Plushberry.
• Strawberry Cough.
• Space Queen.
• Black Cherry Soda.
• Kosher Kush.

Conclusion

We know that a bear can smell you from miles away so it is pretty obvious (at least to us) that the bear will be able to smell the aroma of the weed you are carrying.

After analyzing bear feeding, it is pretty clear that the temperaments of our weed are the key element that will determine whether or not a curious bear will be attracted to your camp because you are smoking a joint.

So the best thing you can do when camping or going for a walk in the woods is to stop asking yourself do bears like weed? and be more cautious about containing all odors that might increase the chances of encountering wildlife 🐻.