[pct-l] critter encounters

[Bill Thompson]

Amen, Fireweed. I have been backpacking in the Sierra for 40 years and 
always store food in my tent at night when it is inconvenient to hang, or 
when I'm not required to lug one of those damnable bear cans. Never lost an 
ounce of food because I defend the food if a bear does come around - making 
noise, throwing rocks, and chasing the bear away. Bears are shy, inofensive 
creatures who would have nothing to do with people food if campers protected 
it and acted aggressively toward them. Keep your bear cans close, hang your 
food where you can see it from your tent, and sleep with it if necessary. 
Most of all make the bear unwelcome in your campsite - don't huddle in the 
tent when the bear tries to get your food, get up and chase the varmint 
away.

Baggins
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <mkwart at gci.net>
To: ""Elderly Ellen" Shopes" <igellenig at gmail.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2012 12:07 PM
Subject: [pct-l] critter encounters


> Elderly Ellen wrote: At the campground near Drakesbad, I dutifully put
> our food and water bladder in the bear locker when we went to bed.  The
> next day, I noticed the bite piece in the drinking tube had 'broken'
> after I used it.  On further inspection, it had been chewed on by a
> rodent, as had our gorp supply...think it would have been safer in the
> tent!
>
> I agree that I think food is sometimes safer in the tent. I have had a
> lot more problem with rodents than I have with bears. Keeping food in
> the tent is anathema to the usual hiking ideas, but I have never had any
> problem. Maybe its also because I usually hike alone. I use a bear
> canister in the Sierras only where it is required by law. I am going on
> a backpack trip to the Red Buttes wilderness south of Ashland, OR in the
> beginning of July and people are talking about how they are taking bear
> canisters! I sure won't. We have a tendancy to judge all bears by the
> Sierra yardstick. Most bears are not acclimatized to the herds of hikers
> like those found in the Sierras and have better things to do with their
> time than bother backpackers.
>
> --Fireweed
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