Re: [pct-l] bears

["(R.J.Calliger)" <calliger@infolane.com>]

I agree! The park management (YNP) is *finally* realizing this and
starting to use rubber bullets to put this fear back into the bears.

I will take this one step further: ie, I am sure you have seen the
bear traps used in Yellowstone, Yosemite, et al?  Well, did you
ever notice  the reflectors, the wheels and the shape of a bear
trap? Looks almost exactly like a car to bears. Now how did bears
learn about cars? Sloppy food storage or the yummy bear traps
the Rangers habituated the bears on learning there was food inside
(even if they get caught the worst that happens is they go for
a long ride and then walk back!)-- They shoud rethink this one as
well!

oh- BTW- the ursack is being recalled (does not work!) so take care on that
route.

I also have been sleeping with my food, however one attack got
quite scarey as the bear WOULD NOT leave and kept trying to
get into my tent. I had to start a small fire and wave a burning
stick at the bear before it left. Rocks would not do it this time
(Lyell canyon above the last bridge and a few hundred feet
below Donahue pass). In 20 years I have **never** seen such
an aggressive bear!

I now put a decoy (small bag of open food) away from my tent
with an alarm (cook pot and rocks and body alarm) tied to it.
 Wakes me up before they get to the tent and I can then do battle.
Carrying extra 1.5 or 3 lb cannister is stupid regulation-- hanging
food still works in heavy areas if it is high enuf up and between
two small tall trees which even the cubs won't climb. (Also worked
in Lyell again this summer)

Happy Trails,

Rich


PS- I am leaving Dave's note attached below becasue it makes so
much sense and it puts my response in proper context)
(usually should delete and not repost again)

At 4:42 PM -0800 8/31/00, CMountainDave@aol.com wrote:
>In my humble opinion, the bear problem is really a Park management problem.
>Bears lost their fear of man because Park officials failed to keep it
>instilled in them. Then they have the audacity to blame us hikers for the
>problem because of our supposedly sloppy food handling techniques. All these
>years they've been telling us to hang our food and it turns out that was
>lousy advice. Now you get a fine in Yosemite for hanging food while in the
>Olympics you get a fine if you don't hang your food. Talk about a lack of
>credibility! I and most other thru hikers I met simply kept their food in
>their tent at night. When I encountered a black bear in Yosemite who entered
>my camp, I immediately attacked him with rocks and obscenities and when he
>realized I would vigorously defend my food, just like HE would, he backed
>off. I didn't lose a wink of sleep that night with my food beside me because
>I knew beyound a shadow of a doubt that he moved on to easier pickings,
>    If and when bear cannisters are required on the trails I use, I will use
>the following strategy. Show them a bear cannister at the ranger station and
>then toss it into my car. If asked to see one by a backcountry ranger, I will
>say it's in my tent and ask to see a search warrant if they wish to search my
>tent for it. The fifth amendment to the Constitution  states that I don't
>have to produce evidence that would incriminate myself, so the way I see it,
>it's up to them to prove I don't have a bear cannister. They don't have the
>right to illicit a confession of non compliance
>    To any management type rangers eavesdropping; How's about getting your
>act together and start managing our National Parks correctly and stop
>portraying us hikers as the enemy. You're responsible for your policy screw
>ups, not me. You can start by instilling the fear of man back into your
>mismanaged bears instead of blaming me for the problem.
>  I would use an ursack, if reqiured, because of the nonprohibitive weight
>* From the PCT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *



* From the PCT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================