View Full Version : Bear encounter stole my backpack
henry g wilgo
05-30-2013, 17:57
woods holes shelter 11 pm pack with no food,,hung on outside wall..bear removed pack from nail hook on outside wall.may 26 ...
Unbelievably found pack 6 am next morning..no damage...not even to the loop of the pack...about 150 yards away...
Bears smart in georgia,,,must have lifted it clean off the nail..
Henry from boston...
Need info to contact ron and son12 years old,,,from south carolina
son's name ..........isiaha
hikerboy57
05-30-2013, 18:05
how do you know it was a bear?
Turk6177
05-30-2013, 19:27
I don't any food in any of my backpack pockets unless it is in a ziplock bag. Do you think some of your trash or food could have put an odor on your backpack?
how do you know it was a bear?
Fingerprints?
Or maybe security camera footage?
Bear will be featured on America's Most Wanted next week ;)
how do you know it was a bear?
Do you have a better suspect in your mind?
I say if it was a bear ( which seems it was) it shows that bears are getting bolder but at the same time smarter so they just are hungry/curious not aggressive.
hikerboy57
05-30-2013, 21:45
Do you have a better suspect in your mind?
I say if it was a bear ( which seems it was) it shows that bears are getting bolder but at the same time smarter so they just are hungry/curious not aggressive.
i say it wasnt a bear.
they come after food.i cant see it dragging a foodless pack all that way without any damage at all to the pack. if it smelled like food, it would have been damaged. i dont think they are getting either bolder or smarter.theyre smart to begin with. the "boldness" is a loss of fear of humans.neither seems likely.
why would you think "it seems it was"
he also says he found the pack 150 yards away. how did he find it?on the trail? did he do a circular sweep of the area till he found it?
a lot of information missing here.
lets all get scared of bears again.
i say it wasnt a bear.
they come after food.i cant see it dragging a foodless pack all that way without any damage at all to the pack. if it smelled like food, it would have been damaged. i dont think they are getting either bolder or smarter.theyre smart to begin with. the "boldness" is a loss of fear of humans.neither seems likely.
why would you think "it seems it was"
he also says he found the pack 150 yards away. how did he find it?on the trail? did he do a circular sweep of the area till he found it?
a lot of information missing here.
lets all get scared of bears again.
You are smarter than this HB. You circled my question but did not answer it. Do you have a better suspect brother? just with as much as we know already?
hikerboy57
05-30-2013, 21:56
You are smarter than this HB. You circled my question but did not answer it. Do you have a better suspect brother? just with as much as we know already?
there is no suspect. the story is lacking too many pertinant details.coulda been a biped.sasquatch.alien abduction.
his pack seemingly was found 150 yards away. how it got wherever is just conjecture.im still waiting for my own response from the op.why did he think it was a bear?
why do you think it was a bear?
there is no suspect. the story is lacking too many pertinant details.coulda been a biped.sasquatch.alien abduction.
his pack seemingly was found 150 yards away. how it got wherever is just conjecture.im still waiting for my own response from the op.why did he think it was a bear?
why do you think it was a bear?
Because we have no Sasquatch or alien confirmed but we have plenty of bears around. Any other bipedal you have in your mind?
hikerboy57
05-30-2013, 22:02
Because we have no Sasquatch or alien confirmed but we have plenty of bears around. Any other bipedal you have in your mind?
ummm....human?
Then it should have been a thief. what thief steels a backpack 11 pm off the wall of a shelter then leave it 150 yards away intact?
atmilkman
05-30-2013, 22:09
Then it should have been a thief. what thief steels a backpack 11 pm off the wall of a shelter then leave it 150 yards away intact?
Ultra light thief.
hikerboy57
05-30-2013, 22:12
Then it should have been a thief. what thief steels a backpack 11 pm off the wall of a shelter then leave it 150 yards away intact?
kookork, its a story, just a story. and without more details, its hard to swallow.it would be hard for a bear to carrry a pack ,thinking there was food inside,and not do any damage to the pack whatsoever,certainly would have been digging through the pockets if he scented food..
perhaps the op can enlighten us as to where exactly the pack was found, whether there was bearsign around or any other evidence that would let him to conclude it was a bear. all we know is he woke up to find his pack 150 yards away from wear he hung it.he never said he saw either a bear or any sign of bear.
innocent until proven guilty.
hikerboy57
05-30-2013, 22:14
Ultra light thief.
good point. the ul police may have been out that night and decided the op's pack was too heavy,he didnt say however that he found a golite jam in its stead, so im not sure of that explanation either
MuddyWaters
05-30-2013, 23:01
Raccoon?
How much did the pack weigh?
Was there anything in it? A bear would rip it up to investigate darn near anything in a pocket or such.
. what thief steels a backpack 11 pm off the wall of a shelter then leave it 150 yards away intact?
A thief that picked a pack with really crappy gear?? lol
Ultra light thief.
Ha ha ha I gotta go change my depends after reading this!
MDSection12
05-31-2013, 08:13
Woods Hole Shelter is... HAUNTED!!!!! :eek:
max patch
05-31-2013, 08:28
Unless the OP had a bear vault it was illegal for him to be there in the first place.
Could it possibly be a Deer?
I went through there at 8am on Monday. There where 5 or 6 hikers just breaking camp at the cut off the shelter. Their big story from over night was the 20 or so Deer that spent an hour exploring the camp in the middle of the night. Maybe a few wandered over to the shelter?
I have never seen a bear not destroy something they were interested in. That's how they get their food by tearing into stuff, old rotted logs, etc. It would be very strange for a bear not to cause some damage.
I would suspect a person before I suspected a bear in this situation.
But who knows????
BostonBlue
05-31-2013, 10:01
There is no mystery. OP was trying to alert hiking comminity in his own amusing way. Hungry hiker, transient or just plain thief takes bag. He discovers no money or food. He already has his OWN equipment and pack and he sure doesn't want to add to his weight. Rather than risk returning bag, he leaves it. Thief is probably someone who was staying there or hiking nearby.
The bears are gifted there and experienced . Some hikers are not. The hiker exposed himself to a potential $5000 fine from the USFS for camping there without a bear can.
MDSection12
05-31-2013, 10:30
The bears are gifted there and experienced . Some hikers are not. The hiker exposed himself to a potential $5000 fine from the USFS for camping there without a bear can.
Who said he didn't have a bear can? He specifically stated that there was no food in the bag... So where was the food? Probably in a bear can.
If Op does not answer in a few posts, somebody is going to accuse him to grand theft auto. :D
fredmugs
05-31-2013, 11:10
There is no mystery. OP was trying to alert hiking comminity in his own amusing way. Hungry hiker, transient or just plain thief takes bag. He discovers no money or food. He already has his OWN equipment and pack and he sure doesn't want to add to his weight. Rather than risk returning bag, he leaves it. Thief is probably someone who was staying there or hiking nearby.
Stop making sense.
MDSection12
05-31-2013, 11:12
Stop making sense.
Great DVD. :D
max patch
05-31-2013, 11:17
Who said he didn't have a bear can? He specifically stated that there was no food in the bag... So where was the food? Probably in a bear can.
Probably in a bear can? I doubt it. Probably in the food hoist system that is at that shelter. I doubt that a 70 year old man with a 45 pound pack who asked for advice on how to lighten his load is carrying a 2 pound bear can when they are only needed on a 5 mile stretch of trail.
henry g wilgo
05-31-2013, 11:53
Let me clarify,,,,we saw "the bear" or another one just about ten minutes later,,,i took pics,,,big black bear...
Found pack , by searching , simply thing to do..... Food was hung on bear cables....there was one empty package of consumed mountain house dried food.stored in the out mesh pocket...that must have got the bears interest... I found it removed the the pocket..
No bigfoot,,no aliens,,no dear or raccones ......bear container are required .....if....your camping along the trail....
If you stay at the shelter, bear can...not neccessary....you are hanging your food...
And that's the rest of the story
hikerboy57
05-31-2013, 11:54
and there you have it!!
max patch
05-31-2013, 11:58
If you stay at the shelter, bear can...not neccessary....you are hanging your food...
That is not correct. You can only stay at the shelter if you have and use a bear vault. Period.
Bear vault restriction ends for the year on Sunday.
Let me clarify,,,,we saw "the bear" or another one just about ten minutes later,,,i took pics,,,big black bear...
Found pack , by searching , simply thing to do..... Food was hung on bear cables....there was one empty package of consumed mountain house dried food.stored in the out mesh pocket...that must have got the bears interest... I found it removed the the pocket..
No bigfoot,,no aliens,,no dear or raccones ......bear container are required .....if....your camping along the trail....
If you stay at the shelter, bear can...not neccessary....you are hanging your food...
And that's the rest of the story
I love when I am right. Make me laugh and enjoy.
It seems Somebody needs Re read the rules about the bear Canister . If I should put my money ,I will put on Max Patch to be right, No offence to you Mr henry g wilgo, Max patch is just too good about knowing the rules and regulations and history of the trail .
Let's see about how good a gambler I could be?
MDSection12
05-31-2013, 12:31
and there you have it!!
I still think that shelter is haunted.
hikerboy57
05-31-2013, 12:41
I still think that shelter is haunted.
im pretty sure you're right, maybe a ghost of a bear-hence no damage to the pack.
polterbear?
FarmerChef
05-31-2013, 13:06
im pretty sure you're right, maybe a ghost of a bear-hence no damage to the pack.
polterbear?
I'm thinking more of a beartergeist.
I still think that shelter is haunted.
Shucks, when my son and I stayed their 3 years ago all we saw were mice, no ghosts, no bears, no aliens, or anything like that. I guess timing is everything.
Seatbelt
05-31-2013, 14:48
Still another possibility nobody mentioned......Army Rangers training in the area--one sees an unidentified backpack--takes it 150 yards away from innocent people and searches---just forgot to return it?????
Seatbelt
05-31-2013, 14:49
Forgot to add the appropriate :confused:
max patch
05-31-2013, 14:51
Still another possibility nobody mentioned......Army Rangers training in the area--one sees an unidentified backpack--takes it 150 yards away from innocent people and searches---just forgot to return it?????
The Rangers don't mess with civilians when they are out doing maneuvers. There's no way a Ranger would take a backpack that was hanging on the shelter wall.
Seatbelt
05-31-2013, 14:55
The Rangers don't mess with civilians when they are out doing maneuvers. There's no way a Ranger would take a backpack that was hanging on the shelter wall.
I really was just jesting in a dry sort of way--you know how concerned everyone is these days with the possibilty of "loaded" backpacks.:)
I really was just jesting in a dry sort of way--you know how concerned everyone is these days with the possibilty of "loaded" backpacks.:)
I give the alien origin more credit than a ranger origin in this case.
im pretty sure you're right, maybe a ghost of a bear-hence no damage to the pack.
polterbear?
I've heard of bears opening zippers without damaging the pack.
mattmais
05-31-2013, 19:55
kookork, its a story, just a story. and without more details, its hard to swallow.it would be hard for a bear to carrry a pack ,thinking there was food inside,and not do any damage to the pack whatsoever,certainly would have been digging through the pockets if he scented food..
perhaps the op can enlighten us as to where exactly the pack was found, whether there was bearsign around or any other evidence that would let him to conclude it was a bear. all we know is he woke up to find his pack 150 yards away from wear he hung it.he never said he saw either a bear or any sign of bear.
innocent until proven guilty.
im sure it was a chipmunk, maybe a rabbit.What other animal would be able to carry the pack....come on!
hikerboy57
05-31-2013, 20:25
im sure it was a chipmunk, maybe a rabbit.What other animal would be able to carry the pack....come on!ummm...human?
kythruhiker
05-31-2013, 21:32
Hopefully it was 150' in the correct direction, free slackpacks are the best. :)
im sure it was a chipmunk, maybe a rabbit.What other animal would be able to carry the pack....come on!
A deer. I know a thru hiker that had a trekking pole stolen by a deer. It wanted the salt in the grips. A pack could also have salt and get carried off by a deer. I know another hiker that had a bandana stolen by a squirrel, it wasn't recovered. And folks are worried about bears?
I've heard of bears opening zippers without damaging the pack.
.
In 1977 I was camped in Low Gap in NC and a bear had opened my Jansport pack which has a semi-circular zipper on the front. He/she opened the zipper, stuck its head in the pack, caused no damage except for a slight tear on a stuff sack, and then left. I witnessed the whole episode. Found out later that day I was in a bear sanctuary. In 2010 bears were active in the area of the Woods Hole shelter. Several people lost food and packs. One group tied their put their food in a pack and tied the pack to a small tree. The bear broke down the tree and took the pack
Theoretically it could have been carried away by a flock of geese also but just theoretically. When you are in bear territory and interaction is increasing between the wildlife and hikers, rare encounters may happen more commonly but still they are rare . Deer is in that category for me.Plausible but nowhere near bear.
kythruhiker
05-31-2013, 22:16
Theoretically it could have been carried away by a flock of geese also but just theoretically. What about a swallow? I don't think a European swallow could carry it away, an African swallow, maybe.
Sarcasm the elf
05-31-2013, 22:46
What about a swallow? I don't think a European swallow could carry it away, an African swallow, maybe.
Unlikely, for that to be true the pack would need to be extremely light, like less than the weight of an average coconut...
Carry-On
06-01-2013, 03:46
Unlikely, for that to be true the pack would need to be extremely light, like less than the weight of an average coconut...
Perhaps if there were two swallows...
I had a bear encounter today. Bear didn't get my pack though....because I wasn't wearing one. I saw a 2-3 yr old male, looked well fed too, in downtowm Alpharetta this afternoon strolling through the busy 8 way intersection of Windward and Deerfield. Called PD to let folks know there was a bear in the area and to have them watch for any aholes feeding the bears marshmallows.
globetruck
06-01-2013, 06:13
Similar thing happened to me in PA. My bag was covered in thick and slimy bear slobber! It was gross. And I saw the bear.
Then it should have been a thief. what thief steels a backpack 11 pm off the wall of a shelter then leave it 150 yards away intact?
Maybe a thief who dropped it and ran because they thought they were going to get caught. If I were looking to steal high dollar equipment I'd find a shelter just a few miles from a road crossing and hike in at night while everyone would be asleep. Someone watching shelter journals could easily predict who/what/how many would be at the given shelter. You could even wait at road crossings and give people trail magic in order to case what kind of equipment they had.
Does it make sense to anyone that a bear could carry a pack 150 yards, presumably with either its claws or teeth, without doing any damage? Why would it take a pack with no food smells? If there were food smells, why wouldn't it rip the pack open looking for the food?
Maybe it was just somebody playing a practical joke, trying to make people think it was a bear. A jokester wouild make sure to place the pack where they knew it would be found easily. A jerk who really wanted to screw with you would put it somewhere they thought you might not find it at all. Did the guy piss anybody off recently, and were they at the shelter or even just possibly in the area that night?
When I was at basic training in the Army our drill sgt used to go through the barracks after we'd left in the morning and if your bed wasn't made to his standards he'd toss the whole thing and make a mess of it. One guy in particular had his bunk tossed more than once, and it just infuriated him. It was funny to watch his reaction when he returned at the end of a long day to find his bunk messed up. So we started racing back to the barracks so we could get there before him and toss his bunk even if the drill sgt hadn't done it. After 8 weeks the guy never figured out that we were doing it and there were 7 of us in on the gag.
max patch
06-01-2013, 08:31
I had a bear encounter today. Bear didn't get my pack though....because I wasn't wearing one. I saw a 2-3 yr old male, looked well fed too, in downtowm Alpharetta this afternoon strolling through the busy 8 way intersection of Windward and Deerfield. Called PD to let folks know there was a bear in the area and to have them watch for any aholes feeding the bears marshmallows.
I saw cellphone video of that bear last nite on the local news. He was at a Walmart.
Maybe a thief who dropped it and ran because they thought they were going to get caught. If I were looking to steal high dollar equipment I'd find a shelter just a few miles from a road crossing and hike in at night while everyone would be asleep. Someone watching shelter journals could easily predict who/what/how many would be at the given shelter. You could even wait at road crossings and give people trail magic in order to case what kind of equipment they had.
Does it make sense to anyone that a bear could carry a pack 150 yards, presumably with either its claws or teeth, without doing any damage? Why would it take a pack with no food smells? If there were food smells, why wouldn't it rip the pack open looking for the food?
Maybe it was just somebody playing a practical joke, trying to make people think it was a bear. A jokester wouild make sure to place the pack where they knew it would be found easily. A jerk who really wanted to screw with you would put it somewhere they thought you might not find it at all. Did the guy piss anybody off recently, and were they at the shelter or even just possibly in the area that night?
When I was at basic training in the Army our drill sgt used to go through the barracks after we'd left in the morning and if your bed wasn't made to his standards he'd toss the whole thing and make a mess of it. One guy in particular had his bunk tossed more than once, and it just infuriated him. It was funny to watch his reaction when he returned at the end of a long day to find his bunk messed up. So we started racing back to the barracks so we could get there before him and toss his bunk even if the drill sgt hadn't done it. After 8 weeks the guy never figured out that we were doing it and there were 7 of us in on the gag.
You mentioned some nice plausible explanations for the human scenario. I like it . But , there is a but here. Is that shelter close to a busy road?
Did he ( a 70 years old man have any dough with some hikers?
The bear has been seen around the time of incident , so who dares to go 100 yards in the wood in the middle of the night to prank a mature hiker?for what reason?
Still your scenarios are plausible alternative if the BEAR was nor around. Right?
max patch
06-01-2013, 09:20
Is that shelter close to a busy road?
About 2 1/2 miles. Each way.
Hopefully it was 150' in the correct direction, free slackpacks are the best. :)
Hahaha! Fantastic way to start my morning. Coffee and a solid laugh :)
Half Note
06-01-2013, 12:27
Perhaps if there were two swallows...
That theory is hard to swallow.
That theory is hard to swallow.
this thread is becoming unbearable
hikerboy57
06-01-2013, 14:47
this thread is becoming unbearable
cant be helped, we're in a bear market
SouthernPride
06-01-2013, 14:56
I confess!!! It was me. I thought I smelled some Jack Links Sausage. Sorry.
Signed,
Sasquatch
hikerboy57
06-01-2013, 15:34
I confess!!! It was me. I thought I smelled some Jack Links Sausage. Sorry.
Signed,
Sasquatchthere have been many incidents where people had mistakenly thought they had seen a bear, when in reality it was a sasquatch.
im betting the same in this instance.
cant be helped, we're in a bear market
Yeah, but I am hoping for a Bull Market. Any one out there with a scenario where it could have been a Bull?
I saw cellphone video of that bear last nite on the local news. He was at a Walmart.
Alpharetta bear. Yeah the Wally World is near the intersection. Figured the bear knew about the sales on honey, peanut butter and hot wings WW was having so decided to stop in to take advantage of the sales.
Bears ought to not go where they don't belong..... which is anywhere humans don't want them.
hikerboy57
06-01-2013, 16:33
Alpharetta bear. Yeah the Wally World is near the intersection. Figured the bear knew about the sales on honey, peanut butter and hot wings WW was having so decided to stop in to take advantage of the sales.
Bears ought to not go where they don't belong..... which is anywhere humans don't want them.
especially in their own habitat we keep infringing upon.this doesnt happen with sasquatches.
henry g wilgo
06-02-2013, 11:33
woods holes shelter 11 pm pack with no food,,hung on outside wall..bear removed pack from nail hook on outside wall.may 26 ...
Unbelievably found pack 6 am next morning..no damage...not even to the loop of the pack...about 150 yards away...
Bears smart in georgia,,,must have lifted it clean off the nail..
Henry from boston...
Need info to contact ron and son12 years old,,,from south carolina
son's name ..........isiaha
repeat...bear was sighted 10 minutes later as it returned to the shelter once again (henry wilgo) boston
henry g wilgo
06-04-2013, 12:30
bottom line guys...
bear was a large black bear...seen by witnesses and pictures taken..
guessing bear was attracted by scent from a used mountain house food pouch,,,unconsciously put in side mesh pocket of backpack...
" and that is the rest of the story...henry from boston
henry g wilgo
06-04-2013, 12:40
bottom line guys...
bear was a large black bear...seen by witnesses and pictures taken..
guessing bear was attracted by scent from a used mountain house food pouch,,,unconsciously put in side mesh pocket of backpack...
" and that is the rest of the story...henry from boston
"bear this in mind"............bears do exist and are smart,,even smarter than some of the above doubtfull posters to this thread...*******
Henry, did someone actually see the bear carrying the pack? If not, then while possible that the bear took it 150 yards with no physical evidence on the pack itself, it is much more likely that a person ran off with it.
Seatbelt
06-04-2013, 13:30
Henry, did someone actually see the bear carrying the pack? If not, then while possible that the bear took it 150 yards with no physical evidence on the pack itself, it is much more likely that a person ran off with it.
and, losing their "bearings" just couldn't "bear" it any longer and dropped it when confronted by a "real" bear:p>
Tipi Walter
06-04-2013, 13:43
Check out Patman's bear encounter whereby he lost his pack---
http://www.trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129405.html
rocketsocks
06-04-2013, 14:20
Check out Patman's bear encounter whereby he lost his pack---
http://www.trailspace.com/forums/trip-reports/topics/129405.html
Wow, that's some story...I to put my pack in my tent..along w/ shoes, food, and well...every thing I don't want taken, and I'll never leave my pack unattended after reading Pat's story, thanks for posting.
squirrely
06-04-2013, 15:11
Chupacabra!!!!