[pct-l] Re: Bear Canister thoughts

[Brett Tucker" <blisterfree@xxxxxxxxxxxxx (Brett Tucker)]

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  ----- Original Message -----
  From: AV8TORX@aol.com
  To: blisterfree@earthlink.net
  Sent: Friday, January 24, 2003 5:20 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Re: Bear Canister thoughts


  Just curious,  Why don't you follow the laws?  I mean how hard is that?  =
I am not an angel but hell if we followed the rules things would better for=
 everyone even the bears.

Please re-read my previous post and then let me know where I mention anythi=
ng about my personal, actual breaking of laws.

Actually, truth be told, the "laws of the hills" are not designed to protec=
t animals, generally. Rather, they are designed to serve the interests of t=
hose who would wish to control the activities of people on land which we - =
you and I - own. In fact, the government often starts the bear problem by a=
ttempting to corral campers into official campgrounds, often under threat o=
f fine if we disobey. What these campgrounds do is serve as bear magnets, s=
ince the campers all cook in the same spot, a predictable spot which the be=
ars then visit nightly, regardless of how well we protect our food. Once a =
bear has learned to associate people with food, there is nothing we can do =
to prevent that bear from becoming a nuisance or a hazard and potentially b=
ecoming a target for, you guessed it, Mr Ranger's shotgun. Bear cans won't =
solve the problem if the bears already associate people, and especially tho=
se campgrounds, with food. A nosey bear, whether or not a fed bear, is a de=
ad bear.

The solution is not written into the law. Rather, it's generally either ill=
egal or is officially ignored. And that is, to get thyself out of the offic=
ial campgrounds and to stealth camp far away outside the range of regular b=
ear activity. Here it doesn't matter if we're carrying a bear can or not, b=
ecause the chances of encountering a bear is much lower. Also, if we simply=
 avoid cooking at these stealth camps, we eliminate the bear's number one s=
ignal odor, further reducing the likelihood of a confrontation. This we can=
not do at the official campgrounds, because the signal odor is already pres=
ent, even days after the last person cooked there. And because the bear's m=
emory is almost as superb as his nose.

IMHO, laws are great at regulating the activites of humans, and in the city=
 they are our best means of staying safe and of preserving some semblance o=
f order. But in the woods, nature's laws make a lot more sense. When offici=
al law is at odds with natural law, you tell me which should win out.

- blisterfree