View Full Version : bear bagging on a bald
shades of blue
05-26-2010, 08:22
How do you take care of your food if you camp on a bald like Max Patch?
bigmac_in
05-26-2010, 08:29
I was on Siler Bald in NC two weekends ago. I took care of my food by sleeping with it.
Lone Wolf
05-26-2010, 09:35
i sleep with it
hellomolly
05-26-2010, 09:38
Doesn't sleeping with it just mean that the bear will attack you too...? :-?
Lone Wolf
05-26-2010, 09:40
Doesn't sleeping with it just mean that the bear will attack you too...? :-?
ummm, no......
Pedaling Fool
05-26-2010, 09:46
Where's the advice from all the hangers? I imagine most would say to stay away from these areas or to use some type of anti-bear container. Really interested to hear from the hangers.
BTW, I would just keep it in my tent, but that's just my normal practice.
hellomolly
05-26-2010, 09:53
ummm, no......
why not? you hugging your food won't keep them from smelling it....
Lone Wolf
05-26-2010, 09:54
why not? you hugging your food won't keep them from smelling it....
whatever. i've never hung food and i ain't about to start. it's a non-issue to me
Blissful
05-26-2010, 10:15
Where's Chaco? He can tell you about the bear that visited his tent.
Blissful
05-26-2010, 10:18
I'm a hanger. The only time I did not hang food in '07 was at Liberty Springs tentsite in the pouring rain.
Anyway I have camped in bald areas but always managed to find some tree somewhere to hang it. Max Patch is pretty clear but Id camp closer to the edge of the bald and go down to the tree line to hang it and pick it up on the way down the trail.
bulldog49
05-26-2010, 10:53
why not? you hugging your food won't keep them from smelling it....
Cite me an incident where an individual was injured by a bear while sleeping with their food? I've never heard of one. :-?
bulldog49
05-26-2010, 11:01
I read about bears stealing food from hangers quite often, haven't read any about stealing food from tents.
hellomolly
05-26-2010, 11:15
Cite me an incident where an individual was injured by a bear while sleeping with their food? I've never heard of one. :-?
It's just common sense. Every park Web site or information building has literature advising against keeping food or even food-smelling items in your tent with you. It's why there are bear boxes in bear-populated areas and it's why people hang bear bags - because bears can smell food, even through nylon, if you can believe it. :rolleyes:
But like Lone Wolf said - whatever. Do what you want, HYOH, to each his own, blah blah blah and all that jazz. I don't care what you do. I just think that if a bear really wants my food, my little arm wrapped around a big ol' bag of yummy bars and such isn't going to be much of a deterent.
Having thought about this for, like, 5 minutes, I think I have an idea why bears don't go for food in tents, unless they are either desperate or habituated, like the trash dump bear that Chaco ran into. When a bear finds some food somewhere, that food becomes the bear's property, in his (her) mind. This is common among scavengers and hunters. So, when a bag of food is hanging out there, away from the obvious humans camping nearby, the bear figures it's his for the taking. And once he's made a few swipes at it, he figures it belongs to him. But if it is next to the human, in his den, so to speak, it is clear that it belongs to the human, and by bear psychology, it will be defended. So no free lunch. But bears are adaptable, so if they become used to the transient humans in the campground or shelter, they might not make much of a distinction about who owns the food. After all, bears are bigger, faster and stronger. etc. But part of the sleep with your food strategy is to steer clear of bear problem areas, so any bear that comes upon you isn't likely to be spoiled. He'll go for ants or grubs or berries, or even an easier meal over at the shelter. But if there are too many bears in a territory, this may not work so well, as all the bears could get hungry and desperate.
Also note that bears are territorial, so if one bear has a shelter or campsite staked out, he will run off any other bears. So the other bears won't get habituated, just the "owner" bear.
That's my attempt at bear psychology. But please note that bears don't read, and they don't know psychology either. So they may not do what they're supposed to do. YMMV, HYOH, etc.
Gray Blazer
05-26-2010, 11:55
That's my attempt at bear psychology. But please note that bears don't read, and they don't know psychology either. So they may not do what they're supposed to do. YMMV, HYOH, etc.
You are the Bear Whisperer.
You are definitely smarter than the average bear.
I don't know about that. Bears make a better living out in the forest than I could. And I think I'll let someone else do the actual whispering. The ear end is also the teeth end, if you catch my drift.
Gray Blazer
05-26-2010, 12:21
I don't know about that. Bears make a better living out in the forest than I could. And I think I'll let someone else do the actual whispering. The ear end is also the teeth end, if you catch my drift.
We're not worthy.
We're not worthy.
Pedaling Fool
05-26-2010, 12:24
why not? you hugging your food won't keep them from smelling it....
But don't forget you're a walking grocery store to a bear's nose while hiking.
bulldog49
05-26-2010, 12:32
It's just common sense. Every park Web site or information building has literature advising against keeping food or even food-smelling items in your tent with you. It's why there are bear boxes in bear-populated areas and it's why people hang bear bags - because bears can smell food, even through nylon, if you can believe it. :rolleyes:
But like Lone Wolf said - whatever. Do what you want, HYOH, to each his own, blah blah blah and all that jazz. I don't care what you do. I just think that if a bear really wants my food, my little arm wrapped around a big ol' bag of yummy bars and such isn't going to be much of a deterent.
You totally miss the point.
hellomolly
05-26-2010, 12:42
You totally miss the point.
No I didn't - if you want a list of people who have suffered a bear attack, google it yourself I'm sure you could find a few who were attacked while they were in their tent and most likely with food. I found a number of them.
i ain't skeered of no bear, but if he really wants to come in my tent for the stuff that passes for food while i am hiking, i will gladly give it to him...
Where's the advice from all the hangers? I imagine most would say to stay away from these areas or to use some type of anti-bear container. Really interested to hear from the hangers.
I'm going to assume that "hanger" is this case is someone who hangs food as opposed to say, a Lone Wolf-er, who keeps food in their tent. Sorry, its just that on my first read through I was laughing hysterically, being a hanger (hammocker).
I always use an Ursack, so it's not a problem for me.
Pedaling Fool
05-26-2010, 12:59
No I didn't - if you want a list of people who have suffered a bear attack, google it yourself I'm sure you could find a few who were attacked while they were in their tent and most likely with food. I found a number of them.
There was one person that I read about on this list http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America that got dragged from their tent. The problem is that they don't mention anything about food in the tent (so that's an unknown), but it seems as the bear was not interested in "food stuff".
Here:
Samuel Evan Ives, 11, maleJune 17, 2007
Taken from a tent in American Fork Canyon in the Uinta National Forest (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uinta_National_Forest) in Utah County, Utah (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utah_County,_Utah) where he was sleeping with his stepfather, mother and 6-year-old brother. The bear was later killed by state Wildlife officials
Many of the attacks were on the "easy prey", but really can't tell, not enough info. However, it seems as though you're just as much at risk, if not more, walking around with food on your back.
.
hellomolly
05-26-2010, 13:06
I found a few that specifically said the person had food or food-related items in or near their tent - one in particular involved a 15 year old boy who had some ricearoni in his tent, lol. Kid was fine overall, but the bear did some damage.
I'm not saying that you'll get attacked by a bear if you sleep with your food. You probably won't. I'm just saying, why take the risk?
Here goes again: The parks are dealing with several problems in one. There's the problem of habituated bears being a menace to both humans and themselves. There's the problem of ignorant humans that think bears just naturally behave like poodles, without even considering how poodles behave. There's a liability issue. There's a conflicting problem of conservation, which drives them to concentrate visitors who seems to have entitlement issues. And there's the problem of the bears learning how to deal with countermeasures, like the bears out west who can open bear boxes. And more, no doubt.
So it is not really the case that the advice issued by park authorities is necessarily the best advice on the limited issue of food conservation and bear problem avoidance. They are fighting on a broad front, and this is not their only or even primary concern. If I were to be camping at a campground or even a back country site in Yellowstone, for instance, I would be inclined to follow the rules (bear bins, bear canisters, etc.) because just about all of the bears in Yellowstone have be well trained by legions of idiot tourists to be pests and dangerous. And besides, those are the big, mean kind of bears. And if I were out on the barrens a few weeks from the nearest store, I would not be inclined to pat the nice white, woolly things, but rather to defend my lifeline. Similarly, there seem to be places on the AT where bears are learning faster than the authorities. I would avoid such places.
But humans and black bears have coexisted for quite some time, maybe 15,000 years or so. While all the aboriginal cultures that have lived with bears have bear stories, and they all respect bears, they also live with them quite easily. It seems bears mostly use their superior speed, strength, senses to avoid humans rather than prey on them. The real question might be why did we lose our familiarity with these creatures, and why do we assume city rules apply to the out doors? And why do we think that we retain ownership of our food if we abandon it in a bear bag?
ChinMusic
05-26-2010, 13:11
On the AT: Sleep with it unless there is a convenient cable or box........no issues
Out West: Bear Can
Alaska: Bear Can...............AND gun
I found a few that specifically said the person had food or food-related items in or near their tent - one in particular involved a 15 year old boy who had some ricearoni in his tent, lol. Kid was fine overall, but the bear did some damage.
I'm not saying that you'll get attacked by a bear if you sleep with your food. You probably won't. I'm just saying, why take the risk?
while i don't bear bag myself (or treat most water), i always make sure i bear bag (and treat water) for the scouts. safety first, even if i don't personally feel the need.
Pedaling Fool
05-26-2010, 13:15
I found a few that specifically said the person had food or food-related items in or near their tent - one in particular involved a 15 year old boy who had some ricearoni in his tent, lol. Kid was fine overall, but the bear did some damage.
I'm not saying that you'll get attacked by a bear if you sleep with your food. You probably won't. I'm just saying, why take the risk?
Notice that many of those are brown bear attacks.
Pedaling Fool
05-26-2010, 13:21
Here goes again: The parks are dealing with several problems in one. There's the problem of habituated bears being a menace to both humans and themselves. There's the problem of ignorant humans that think bears just naturally behave like poodles, without even considering how poodles behave. There's a liability issue. There's a conflicting problem of conservation, which drives them to concentrate visitors who seems to have entitlement issues. And there's the problem of the bears learning how to deal with countermeasures, like the bears out west who can open bear boxes. And more, no doubt.
Habituated bears are a problem on the AT and we will probably see more issues with that in the coming years and it won't be just a camping issue. I've seen one bear in SNP that was habituated and showed aggression towards me and one that showed very little fear in New York.
Pedaling Fool
05-26-2010, 13:28
But humans and black bears have coexisted for quite some time, maybe 15,000 years or so. While all the aboriginal cultures that have lived with bears have bear stories, and they all respect bears, they also live with them quite easily. It seems bears mostly use their superior speed, strength, senses to avoid humans rather than prey on them. The real question might be why did we lose our familiarity with these creatures, and why do we assume city rules apply to the out doors? And why do we think that we retain ownership of our food if we abandon it in a bear bag?
They fear us because we hunt them so it's something they've learned over time, but now they're starting to forget it because so many idiots feed them, plus hunting bans.
They really have no sense of their own strength, so if they attack and you put up a good fight you have a good chance of surviving, because they don't won't to chance an injury.
They really fear dogs, because they've learned to, but a bear could easily tear up any dog.
Blissful
05-26-2010, 13:32
I read about bears stealing food from hangers quite often, haven't read any about stealing food from tents.
I own a tent that has a bear paw rip in the mesh (according to the seller).
If your head was near it, would have had a nice gash.
I mean should we wait and see if the bear rips tents and attacks?
Tell you what - you guys go on up to Blood Mtn with your bags of food and test your theory on the bear there. Report back here. :)
ChinMusic
05-26-2010, 13:50
Tell you what - you guys go on up to Blood Mtn with your bags of food and test your theory on the bear there. Report back here. :)
That bear has learned to associate humans with food from hangers, not folks that had food in their tents. Hangers kill bears. Hangers create "bad bears". I haven't read/heard anything to make me think otherwise.
I would bet even THAT bear fears humans enough to not come into someone's tent with them in it, or he would ALREADY be dead.
Just my opinion.
sometimes i hang my food (usually when I'm with my son), sometimes I don't (usually when I'm alone and with my dog)....so don't have a "dog" in the hang / don't hang discussion....but there is a story of a bear attack on a boy in a tent who had sunscreen in a bag by the tent:
http://www.lns.cornell.edu/~seb/philmont-bear.html
Cite me an incident where an individual was injured by a bear while sleeping with their food? I've never heard of one. :-?
Well I know of a couple of PCT thru-hikers who have been awaken in the middle of the night in the Sierra Neveda to find their food sack that was under their feet or their head being pulled out by a bear when they were cowboy camping. Now mind you, they were legally suppose to be using a bear can in those areas
As for injuries, back in the late 80's, I remember a boy scout in our local mountains had a bear bite through the tent onto his head. It seems he had taken a snack to bed and had stored it under where his head was. It seems to be too old to find an internet link. However I did find the following incident by googling.
http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071015/NEWS/71015002/-1/NEWS01
There are several other stories of black bear attacks on people in tents but they often don't give a reason for the attack. I suspect many don't fess up to improper food storage. The vast majority of these attacks happen in public campgrounds where I'm sure bears have found easy access to food over the years. But I have to wonder if camping near some of the popular shelters on the AT are any better in this regard.
As for me, I often sleep with my food near me (but I sleep in the open or under a Tarp where the bear can hopefully see what he's snacking on). However, if I'm in a known bear trouble area (and I can't avoid camping there which is my first defense) or the law requires bearcans, I do store my food properly.
How do you take care of your food if you camp on a bald like Max Patch?
There are trees not far away, if you prefer to hang. Most balds are rather small, it's not like going above tree line out west.
I both hung my food, and slept with it on my thru-hike, depending on the situation. If I knew there were bears around (shelter register, signs, scat, etc), I would hang my food or place it in a box if provided. Otherwise, my food came into the tent with me, or hung from the mouse hanger in a shelter. I never had a visitor in the shelters, and only had one encounter with a raccoon in my tent. I don't know if the raccoon stopped by because I had food in my tent, or if he was just looking for something cool to walk off with. Either way, it was a non-issue.
Now, there was a problem bear or two near Max Patch a couple years ago, if I remember correctly. Who knows if they are still around. There is a nice spot to camp as the trail reenters the forest going north, if you are looking for a spot to hang your food.
There are trees not far away, if you prefer to hang. Most balds are rather small, it's not like going above tree line out west.
Yep, you're supposed to hang your food pretty far from you anyway. At least I put my food a distance from me such that if an animal does try to get in my food during the night, I shouldn't find out about it until morning.
Hanging your food too far from you is pointless as you need to know if its being attacked; I hang my pot/lid/spoon on the outside so they would bang together when a bear played with it as an alarm. Hanging should be looked at as only a delaying tactic until you can scare off the bear with noise and a previously collected pile of rocks. At least that is how we treated it in the Sierra Neveda before they required us to use a bearcan.
It's hardly pointless. Maybe you'll get up in the middle of a cold night and chase off animals, maybe even bears, but I'm going to let my food bag or canister do its job because I don't care for the possible issues that could arise with chasing off a hungry animal. Anyway, I've left my Ursack tied to a tree in the San Jacinto's for nearly 2 weeks. Unlike the slobber marks a cougar left on it a couple weeks earlier, this time there was a couple tiny holes on it when I retrieved it. Fortunately my note to other hikers asking them to leave the bag there was where I left it.
Anyway, I can see how you'd see a delicate hanging food bag as merely a delaying tactic, especially if it's low enough that a bear would even consider sending its cubs up to get it. That's why I've chosen to use something that's also tough to open up.
It's hardly pointless. Maybe you'll get up in the middle of a cold night and chase off animals, maybe even bears, but I'm going to let my food bag or canister do its job because I don't care for the possible issues that could arise with chasing off a hungry animal.
I think you can consider all black bears to be hungry all the time. They eat small stuff, mainly, and they eat pretty much all the time. So trying to find a sated bear is pretty hard, I would guess.
The first time I heard about an incident where a friend of mine chased off a black bear who was exploring his camp for food (He hit it on the nose with a paddle. He was swimming when the bear showed up. The bear skedaddled.) I was shocked. Later I realized this was not unusual bear behavior, nor unusual tripper behavior. While hiking, there are fewer paddles around, so a pile of rocks, a stick or noisemakers can be substituted. I don't claim this is without its excitement, but it is a way of discouraging the bear and preserving the food. On the AT the food may not be so important (except for training wild bears to be less wild), but on a canoe trip or a wild land trek it can be quite important. So leaving food where a bear can get to it is just not good practice.
PS.: I don't think this is as good an idea out west where the big browns roam. And up where the polar bears are around, it is more of a survival struggle. I understand they can be discouraged, but then so can people. Those are BIG bears, and they do sometimes eat people. So if they can't get your food, they might consider you to be an acceptable alternative. That's why guns are commonly carried as a discouragement, usually a 12 ga. with slugs. I would imaging discouraging a big bear up close with a smooth bore might be somewhat stimulating. I wouldn't know, myself.
I am becoming a fan of barrels and Ursacks to discourage all sorts of scavengers. These are an additional weight, but they do make it easier to win the food wars. I have carried a couple of weeks of food in a pickle barrel on a river trip, but while there were plenty of bears around, they declined my invitation, so I don't know if it was true that the plastic was bear proof. I have heard that it is, but the bear can bat it around, anyway. Since I tended to leave it in my canoe, I'm rather glad no bear showed up. Chasing a bear beating up a food barrel floating down the river, with a broken canoe, didn't strike me as the most amusing way to go about things.
Oh, this is about hiking on the AT? Never mind. :) Whatever you do, there are bears in the woods. You better hope they don't want to fight you, because they are better equipped than you are. Maybe the reason LW sleeps with his food is because he also sleeps with a big gun. Sounds messy. I think maybe it would be better to growl and act real big.
Bears aren't the only issues I was referring to, although that is often the reason people hang their food. My primary reason for not wanting to get up is that I want whatever little precious little sleep I'm able to get especially if I get the adrenaline rush of scaring away a big critter, I'd hate to give up the warmth I've put into my quilt, and I REALLY don't want to get up if it's raining. Plus what's to keep the critter from coming back again like that night in early April that a cougar kept coming back within 10 yards of me to check out my food even though I scared it off multiple times?
I quickly moved to an Ursack one night earlier this year when a mouse got into a food bag laying next to my head during a very windy night that saw rain after midnight and despite me scaring off the mouse many times. I don't like my food being messed with at all, at least not if it bothers me. I now carry an Ursack as a minimum level of protection for my food on every overnighter, even where bears are uncommon. I'm leaning towards adding an odor proof bag to my food container to further reduce the possibility of encounters with hungry critters. Sure, this level of protection for my food is hardly ultralight, but it keeps me out on the trail. That trip where the mouse got into my food was supposed to be a 10 day trip, but I cut it short after the 4th day because having my food compromised took the wind out of my sails and I didn't want to be out there anymore.
vamelungeon
05-27-2010, 10:20
For those that are so afraid of being attacked in your tent by a bear that wants your food, doesn't scare you even more to be walking around the woods with all that food strapped to your back?
I quickly moved to an Ursack one night earlier this year when a mouse got into a food bag laying next to my head during a very windy night that saw rain after midnight and despite me scaring off the mouse many times.
My past response to that almost exact situation on the PCT was to move my campsite 1/4mile away in the middle of the night after I realized the mouse (and his tag team partner) was going to keep coming back and I wasn't likely to sleep well. When it happened again 6weeks latter, I was smarter and moved as soon as I saw the first mouse rather then fighting it. The hikers I was with killed 2 mice that night after they choose not to move with me and there was still a 3rd mouse.
I own an Ursack and like to use it in places where bears are a big problem but hardshell bearcans aren't required. But as I don't like using the alum. insert, leaving the bear alone all night to work on it means your food may end up crushed. Some hikers don't appreciate the new flavors created as everything is mashed together into a paste and was one of the factors in it being banned in some of the national parks in the Sierra. So I still like having it close enough that I can see it with my flashlight if something happens to awaken me in the night. The problem with the standard Ursack is it isn't rodent proof. If rodents are you big concern, their lighter weight Ursack Minor product is what you should be using; though its not bear proof. Seems like you can't have your bear and your mouse protection at the same time.
For those that are so afraid of being attacked in your tent by a bear that wants your food, doesn't scare you even more to be walking around the woods with all that food strapped to your back?
I don't think a bear has much of a chance to lock onto a moving scent of food versus a stationary scent. And I haven't heard about this being an issue with the eastern Black Bear.
The problem with the standard Ursack is it isn't rodent proof. If rodents are you big concern, their lighter weight Ursack Minor product is what you should be using; though its not bear proof. Seems like you can't have your bear and your mouse protection at the same time.
Bummer! I didn't know that.
My past response to that almost exact situation on the PCT was to move my campsite 1/4mile away in the middle of the night after I realized the mouse (and his tag team partner) was going to keep coming back and I wasn't likely to sleep well.
I should've done the same. Actually, I probably would have if I had pulled out my map and realized how close I was to a nice campsite.
I own an Ursack and like to use it in places where bears are a big problem but hardshell bearcans aren't required. But as I don't like using the alum. insert, leaving the bear alone all night to work on it means your food may end up crushed.
Fortunately the vast majority of my food is powdered. My main concern is that the freezer bags holding my food will fail. I suppose the damage would be minimized if I double bagged my food as I would be doing if I used an odor proof bag. Unfortunately that doesn't help anyone else. I was certainly concerned about that when I had a more traditional diet with stuff like peanut butter and olive oil that would make quite a mess if the bear gave the Ursack a beating. I have the insert too, but like you, I prefer to leave it at home.
The problem with the standard Ursack is it isn't rodent proof. If rodents are you big concern, their lighter weight Ursack Minor product is what you should be using; though its not bear proof. Seems like you can't have your bear and your mouse protection at the same time.
I wish I knew what tried getting into my food when I left it in the Saddle after Apache Peak for two weeks. The tiny holes were good evidence that the bag wasn't rodent proof, but at least it was enough to protect my food for that period of time. I'm pretty sure the regular Ursack is tough enough to keep rodents out during one night stints. Still though, this is another reason to use an odor proof bag. In addition to keeping away the annoyance of critters during the night, it should also allow me to use my Ursack longer since it wouldn't be getting nibbled on during the night.
Big Dawg
05-29-2010, 08:38
How do you take care of your food if you camp on a bald like Max Patch?
same as any other camping spot.... I sleep w/ my food..... never a problem.
SawnieRobertson
05-30-2010, 08:45
same as any other camping spot.... I sleep w/ my food..... never a problem.
Yeah, but you are the BIG Dawg with the BIG, deep voice. Bears have a sense of proportion about whom they will approach/attack, don't cha think?
Well, anyway, speaking of wars and defense, hope all are enjoying their Memorial Day 2010.--Kinnickinic
GalHikingTheGap
05-30-2010, 19:20
Bear Attacks-Their Causes And Avoidance is a great read to answer many of these questions, and the author has the historical data on deaths/injuries. Though it does mention that menstruation might be a draw, which is pretty highly insulting and feels very dated. Anyway.
L, Baby D, Gal Hiking The Gap
GalHikingTheGap
05-30-2010, 19:28
Oh, right. I was going to say that I often bag, but the box is better (many new boxes have loops that make hanging your food off the bottom ideal for keeping away mice). In NJ, if there is a bear box, you must use it, as the bears know that if they gnaw at those lines food is going to come down. So said the attractive ranger at Mashipacong.
Playing dead like the boy scouts did is dumb, as a reminder. Many of the lethalities in the Bear Attacks book were from people doing just that.
L
bulldog49,
Banff, Alberta
...candy bars in tent, bear ripped the tent open disfiguring one person involved, killing the other.
Snickers bars.
GalHikingTheGap,
Insulting? True fact. If it makes you uncomfortable, so?
The odor is well like a bear, and bears are very territorial. Sorry, not!
In the 1950's the Yellowstone National Park ranger said: if anyone in your car is having their period, roll the windows up and drive straight thru the park or turn around and leave. Bet he lost his job for that, at the time. Not very PC, was it?
I know my mom was livid!
Pedaling Fool
05-31-2010, 07:45
bulldog49,
Banff, Alberta
...candy bars in tent, bear ripped the tent open disfiguring one person involved, killing the other.
Snickers bars.
Do you have a reference for that? I don't see it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
I find it strange that a bear would smell candy bars, but after ripping open the tent take a person instead...so who's to say the candy bars attracted the bear. If you look at my above link most attacks (by BLACK BEARS) are not on tents (there are some), but more are from predatory tracking.
So how do you feel about carrying around a Smörgåsbord on your back out in the woods?
Pedaling Fool
05-31-2010, 07:50
GalHikingTheGap,
Insulting? True fact. If it makes you uncomfortable, so?
The odor is well like a bear, and bears are very territorial. Sorry, not!
In the 1950's the Yellowstone National Park ranger said: if anyone in your car is having their period, roll the windows up and drive straight thru the park or turn around and leave. Bet he lost his job for that, at the time. Not very PC, was it?
I know my mom was livid!
Is this because of Black Bears?
I don't know the answer, but I tend to think it's a myth. How many female thru-hikers take time off their hike during this time:rolleyes:
Gray Blazer
05-31-2010, 08:24
One time a bear tried to come in our tent while my ex-wife and I were sleeping. I've posted about it here before. We wouldn't even take candy wrappers in the tent because we were worried that a bear would smell them.
However, my ex was on her period.
Pedaling Fool
06-04-2010, 11:06
I just saw this link on Trailplace: http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144878&catid=40
Hungry Bears Force Closing of Section of Appalachian Trail
Guess who's coming to dinner (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144878&catid=40#) on the Appalachian Trail?
Hikers in north Georgia have been getting some unwanted company coming into their campsites (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144878&catid=40#) for mealtime -- at least one bear, perhaps not more.
"There seems to be not just one bear" said Winton Porter, owner of the Mountain Crossings store, holy ground for hikers of the Appalachian Trail. "There seems to be two, three, four bears. And the location behind here is very active."
Hikers come to the store for equipment, and advice. But they don't come here for bear encounters. About five miles of the Appalachian Trail have been closed to overnight campers because bears have been coming into the campsites, ripping apart backpacks and eating the food (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144878&catid=40#).
"He wasn't very aggressive toward humans," said Kevin Lowrey, wildlife biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. "He was just more indifferent to humans and didn't mind eating (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144878&catid=40#) their backpacks right in front of them."
When backpackers and campers don't properly secure their food it's easy pickings for the resourceful bears. The bears associate backpacks with food.
"A guy, you know, he bought all his food here and went up camping," said Porter of Mountain Crossings. "And so the bear stole his food. He insisted that I pay him back and buy his food."
Hikers can still walk the bear section of the trail. They just can't camp there overnight. And it will remain that way for the time being, until Mother Nature takes over.
"We also have in our favor, coming up this month, a lot of the soft mass foods (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_story.aspx?storyid=144878&catid=40#)," said the DNR's Kevin Lowrey. "A lot of the blackberries will start to ripen. They'll get onto a more natural food source, and hopefully the problem will get solved."
Winton Porter has to smile. The bear stories he hears are becoming epics.
"Right now, I think the bear has reached over 1,000 pounds and stands up and blocks out the sun," he said with a deadpan." Last week he was about 500 pounds. I think when the final picture gets taken, he's going to be about a 150 pounds."
So the question is when you've developed a taste for Power Bars and Doritos and Beanie Weenies, will you be able to go back to roots and berries?
The problem isn't people that keep food in their tent it's the hangers. And I still say it is VERY difficult to properly hang food from a bear. They are smart and show an impressive learning curve.
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