Bears?

[perdidochas]

Getting ready to do a hike with my Boy Scout Troop (I'm one of the Assistant Scoutmasters) in the Cheaha wilderness in March (probably doing the loop that involves the Chinnabe Silent Trail). I'm wondering if Alabama area hikers have advice as to whether we need to bear bag in this area. It would be a great exercise for the boys, but would also add a lot of complication. If we do bear bag, what method would be best?

[Hill Ape]

bag it, hang it, pct style. include dishes and anything else with foodstuff on it. even the toothpaste. if it smells like food, they will sniff it out. no need to fear the black bear, they only want your food, hunger drives their behavior

[blisterbob]

In 24 years living near the Talladega NF I have seen only 1 black bear and he was moving away from me quickly.
I hang my food bag not for bears but for mice, raccoons and other small hungry critters.
Especially if I hang my hammock near a shelter.
On the other hand bear stories around a campfire make for wide eyed young boys.

[MuddyWaters]

Alabama has very few bears as I understand it, but it would be a very good idea to protect those that exist, and a good thing to teach scouts.

[HooKooDooKu]

Even if we don't have many bears, there's still plenty of other critters to protect your food stuff from. Teach them to hand a bear bag.

Now a days, the PCT method seems to be the only method I see getting discussed for areas that don't already have something in place.

Otherwise, the GSMNP has the following instructions on their back-country trail maps (and GSMNP has plenty of black bears):

Regulations require proper food storage.
Secure all food and odorous
items (e.g. toothpaste, lip balm) when
not in use. Where food storage devices
are present, use them. Otherwise, place
all odorous items in your pack. Select
two trees, 10-20 feet apart, with limbs
15 feet high. Using a rock for a weight,
toss a rope over a limb on the first tree;
tie one end to the pack. Repeat this
process with the second tree. Raise the
pack about six feet via the first rope and
tie it off. Then pull the second rope until
the pack is suspended at least 10 feet
high and evenly spaced; it must be four
feet or more from the nearest limb.

They basically have you suspend the stuff between two trees out of reach of bears.

[WILLIAM HAYES]

did the pinhoti last year I hanged out of habit not any bear issues along the pinhoti

[Mountain Dog]

I would not worry about bears. BUT, if you are on trails commonly used by tourist, I'd worry about raccoons and mice. I usually keep my stuff beside me or hung in a tree. I do not, when hanging on the Pinhoti, try to hang it out of a bear's reach. Never had a problem yet.

[slbirdnerd]

Don't forget to educate your Scouts about bear safety before you go, even if you may not see any, and be sure to remind them (like above) about everything that goes INTO the bag. Don't forget the wrappers you stuffed in your pants or backpack pockets while snacking during the day! :) (I'm a Scout mom.)

[Sarcasm the elf]

bag it, hang it, pct style. include dishes and anything else with foodstuff on it. even the toothpaste. if it smells like food, they will sniff it out. no need to fear the black bear, they only want your food, hunger drives their behavior


Alabama has very few bears as I understand it, but it would be a very good idea to protect those that exist, and a good thing to teach scouts.

Agreed, I would recommend teaching the scouts to bear bag using the PCT method. Less out of concern out of bears and more to teach the scouts to be responsible in the woods.

We always bear bagged back in scouts and looking back this greatly helped by keeping us organized. It prevented us from mispacing things that were supposed to be in the bag and stopped us from accidently littering. All our food and smellables would be in the bag and the bag would be hanging from the tree, one less for the scouts and scout leaders to worry about.

[blisterbob]

I talked with a thru hiker last week that saw a Black Bear with a cub moseying along the Pinhoti on Rebecca Mtn. 2 days earlier.

[waterman1148]

I talked with a thru hiker last week that saw a Black Bear with a cub moseying along the Pinhoti on Rebecca Mtn. 2 days earlier.

Awesome! I hope they stay.

Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk