[pct-l] RE: Food storage/Bear Boxes

[CMountainDave@aol.com (CMountainDave@aol.com)]

In a message dated 11/6/02 5:43:42 PM, kborski@yahoo.com writes:

<< It doesn't hurt to know what the park service requires
and advises, especially if you do a lot of hiking
there.  Consider your "proper food storage" a good
deed where you can directly contribute to protecting
the future of wild bears.
 >>

And it doesn't hurt to speak up when you believe that a chosen policy is the
wrong approach. If that makes me anti wilderness in someone's mind, so be it.
Remember, there already ARE problem bears who cannot be considered wild. I
want something done about them and I think alternate means would be far more
effective than requiring weekenders/thru hikers to store their food properly
and far easier to do. I have read of these alternative methods being used
with success in other places. I have to wonder why they are not at least
trying the same approach.
   Bears are supposed to be afraid of us. We are supposed to dominate them,
not the other way around. Otherwise they could kill us at will, slow and
clumsy as we are.
  So until every black bear I see is wary of me, I'm not going to see the
"ecosystem" as normal. It is, I have read, in most wilderness areas where
bears still fear man because of hunting
   Since hunting is not allowed in National Parks, the way I see it, it's up
to Park managers to find an alternative means to make bears afraid of us. Any
bear that enters any camp should be "reeducated" to fear contact with us.
Sometimes I get the feeling that what people really want is Gentle Ben, maybe
coming into camp  to check out the smell of a camp and and receive a friendly
pat or two. Makes a great photo op when he bats around the canister.
 Me, I want to see them at a distance -- not because I fear them, but because
that is the best thing for them. The less contact they have with us, the more
normal they will be
  Some people like to be boss and force you to do it their way or else,
regardless of the faulty logic.
  And some people like to get into a pissing contest to see who is most
sensitive to the needs of the wilderness: Anyone who doesn't see it their way
is screwing up our wild lands and should be ashamed of themselves. Thanks for
the attempted guilt trip: I'll add it to the guilt I'm supposed to feel every
time I have an "allowed" campfire. Meanwhile, the NPS credibitly gap
continues to widen in my mind