Yep GA bears are nailing food bags

[rhjanes]

Bears have horrible eye-sight. they find the bags by smell. But they are also bright and habbit prone, just like us. I read a report where the game warden had tracked some bears at a section. The bears know the hanging things that smell good are food. They also remembered when those bags were in the trees and would go on raids. A few months later and the bear had moved back to some other area where they knew to find food.

[nufsaid]

Not being familiar with the Georgia section of trail, I have to ask:

Have they thought about installing steel bear boxes at the shelters and popular camp sites in this area? I've sectioned NJ, NY, CT and MA so far, and most official sites have some sort of steel box or vault to store your food, it seems to solve this issue rather effectively. Is there a reason that this hasn't been tried, or for that matter, has it been tried in the past?

I support relocating the problem bears up North since you guys have all the answers to bear issues.

[nufsaid]

Throw a firecracker near a bear and it will become afraid of humans, trust me

Actually, a better solution is to allow bear hunts.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Appreciate the offer, but we already have enough. If you're interested, we'd be willing to trade you a pound of deer ticks for each pound of bear you send up.

[Elder]

Actually, a better solution is to allow bear hunts.

Actually, they do hunt bears in that area of GA. One more reason a bear fed is a bear dead.

[nufsaid]

Appreciate the offer, but we already have enough. If you're interested, we'd be willing to trade you a pound of deer ticks for each pound of bear you send up.

No thanks. But if we can trade one lawyer for one of your deer ticks we may be able to make a deal.

[RWheeler]

I'm with the other poster about PCT. I don't see it as something that bears can simply "wiggle the rope" for and make the bag drop if it's rigged up right. Maybe it's because my climbing background has always made me tie back-up knots that I've never had a hitch fail while tying a PCT hang... but... they're rugged, reliable, and crazy simple.

[Maren]

I came to this site for the information; I stayed for the snark.

[paradoxb3]

I'm with the other poster about PCT. I don't see it as something that bears can simply "wiggle the rope" for and make the bag drop if it's rigged up right. Maybe it's because my climbing background has always made me tie back-up knots that I've never had a hitch fail while tying a PCT hang... but... they're rugged, reliable, and crazy simple.

i'm with you that a good PCT hang is the best hang... though i could see the point of failure being not the hitch, but the rope itsself. in a few minutes a persistent bear (and they ARE persistent) could pull on it enough to eventually wear the rope in two at the branch. it could depend alot on the friction with the tree limb, and the type of rope used, but i could see it happening.

[Montana AT05]

The only decent food bag hangs I've seen are the pre-installed cable hangs. Normal hiker hangs, including my own, are useless and are in fact much more like tempting a bear like the Jolly Red Button tempts Stimpson J. Cat.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jjN-H62U64

As a thru hiker just don't camp near there, try to plan your hike to arrive at Neels Gap during the day. And expecting a thru hiker to invest in and carry for only 10 or so miles, a bear canister, is silly. I can see requiring them for over-nights in the local area (but it still annoys me and reeks of California nannies come to Georgia).

Pack your food in odor proof alo-saks or similar products.

Just say no to the Jolly Red Button.

[Two Speed]

I came to this site for the information; I stayed for the snark.

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[ScottP]

from what I know the bears in the smokies kept learning to get food from the cable systems there.

Plenty of examples of them breaking into cars

I'm sure that a properly hung bag won't get taken by a wild bear. But a bear that's learned to take improperly hung bags can probably figure out how to get properly hung bags.

Either way properly hung bags are the exception, not the rule.

[rocketsocks]

I came to this site for the information; I stayed for the snark.

That's Awsome +1

[Hawkwind61]

i came to this site for the information; i stayed for the snark.

x2.........

[soilman]

Bears were a problem in this area in 2010. I read of reports in trail register at Woods Hole shelter of bears climbing trees and getting food bags. That same night I camped at Slaughter Creek and lost my food to a bear. I hung in the classic style about 20 feet off the ground and 10 feet from trunk. The bear just broke the cord. I soon learned of the PCT method and used that the rest of my thru and had no problem. I ran into the ridge runner the next day at Neels Gap and he said the bears were getting to be a nuisance in this area. They were shaking cables at shelters trying to get bags loose. Bear boxes would be effective but there probable would not be enough room for all the hikers that come thru in March and April. Some of the cable systems were so taxed by food bags that there wasn't enough hooks. I ran into one hike who thumped a bear one night who came up to the Low Gap shelter. I also heard some anecdotal evidence of bears going into tents in the Smokies after food.

[Pony]

I was talking to an employee at REI who was attacked by a bear for sleeping with his food he manged to survive but lost his food. I couldn't believe this! I had more faith in people hiking the AT with experience of hanging there food. Cant wait to get out there and help people out!

Did they try to sell you a canister or Ursack after this story? Sounds like a sales pitch to me.

[MuddyWaters]

Unfortunately bear boxes will become garbage cans by the actions of a few. It isnt a state park where someone pays to keep them clean.

Unfortunately, good hanging is not easy.

Forget about cables attached to wood poles or trees, small bears can slide down cables and drop onto the bags, ripping them down, or at least open and dropping contents.

cables need to be attached to steel pipe that bears cannot climb. Or hang on hooks on a steel pole, but then need a hanging pole which will probably walk away one day.

Havent seen a bear yet climb a 2-3" steel pipe

[P-Train]

Check out these Smoky Mountain still pics starting about 1:25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NmLDXsIZsGg

The bear knows what's there but can't manage the cables. Beautiful bear by the way. Nice video.

[stranger]

Out of curiosity, is there any documented case where a bear really defeated a proper PCT style hang?

I've seen a PCT fail but it wasn't due to the method, they chose a terrible branch. The bear simply ripped the branch off the tree and the food bag was in the middle of the trail with the branch laying next to it.

The only way I can see a bear busting the PCT method is being able to get to the rope on the branch itself, and cutting it at the limb, being able to reach the bag from the main trunk of the tree, or ripping the branch off the tree.

The whole point of the PCT method is that there is no tension on the rope dangling, even if the bear figured out how to pull on the rope, it would also have to figure out that the stick was holding it up, and would have to hoist, then drop, dozens of times in an attempt to break the stick. With a good sized stick, this wouldn't happen. Also a clove hitch gets tighter under stress, again the knot shouldn't fail.

I don't see this happening anytime soon, perhaps one day.

Bear boxes are good ideas, but they do end up being rubbish bins and mice love em!

[jeffmeh]

I've seen a PCT fail but it wasn't due to the method, they chose a terrible branch. The bear simply ripped the branch off the tree and the food bag was in the middle of the trail with the branch laying next to it.

The only way I can see a bear busting the PCT method is being able to get to the rope on the branch itself, and cutting it at the limb, being able to reach the bag from the main trunk of the tree, or ripping the branch off the tree.

The whole point of the PCT method is that there is no tension on the rope dangling, even if the bear figured out how to pull on the rope, it would also have to figure out that the stick was holding it up, and would have to hoist, then drop, dozens of times in an attempt to break the stick. With a good sized stick, this wouldn't happen. Also a clove hitch gets tighter under stress, again the knot shouldn't fail.

I don't see this happening anytime soon, perhaps one day.

Bear boxes are good ideas, but they do end up being rubbish bins and mice love em!

Yes, I don't expect that a proper PCT hang will be defeated by a bear. That said, certainly there are hikers who employ bad techniques, landscapes with few good branch candidates, etc.