[pct-l] Bear deterrence thoughts (long)

[spiritbear2k@xxxxxxxxxxx (Ginny & Jim Owen)]

Bob -
Haven't been following this discussion, but the combination of your name and
the subject got me curious.  <VBG>

We routinely use mothballs to deter damage to vehicles left at trailheads -
especially in PA.  In the past, a number of friends have lost brake lines,
radiator hoses, electrical wiring and other miscellaneous auto parts to the
depradations of porcupines and other varmints.  All of those people now use
mothballs.  I've never heard of using mothballs to deter bears, but there's
no reason to suppose that bears would like the smell any more than
porcupines.

I've also used the macho male marking method of peeing around the tent.
Seems to work.  At least, we've never been disturbed by my "bear brethren"
when we've used it. Bears are far more respectful than humans <G>

Walk softly,
Jim




>From: "Robert Ellinwood" <rellinwood@worldnet.att.net>
>To: "'Marion Davison'" <mardav@charter.net>,<PCT-L@mailman.backcountry.net>
>Subject: RE: [pct-l] Bear deterrence thoughts (long)
>Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2003 14:17:00 -0500
>
>This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
>--
> > spraying ammonia all around the outside of the store to keep bears away
>
>Sounds interesting.
>
> > the seemingly lost art of peeing around your tent to deter bears.
>
>Lost art?  I do it around the tent routinely.  Old timers with many more
>hiking miles than I have still do it, only I have heard a couple of them
>say
>that only male urine is effective.  How they know that for sure, who knows?
>Some of these things just get handed down from earlier generations.
>However,
>as with a lot of folk remedies, I figure that if there's even a grain of
>truth to it...why not try it?
>
>Moth balls?  Any of you try them around your tent to "mask" food (or other)
>odors inside?  Again, I know a few experienced folks who routinely do this
>when in serious bear country... and while I used to think that meant
>Grizzly
>country only, from the archives I've come to think Kennedy Meadows to
>Sonora
>Pass might qualify. I first learned of this trick from an article I've
>saved
>from the 1970's that cited Dick Hatfield, a ranger then in the Gallatin NF,
>saying that he stumbled onto a bear-mothball relationship accidentally one
>summer.  Outside the trailer where he lived, the trash can was routinely
>ravaged by bears.  One morning he noticed it was undisturbed and noted that
>he had dumped some mothballs on top of the garbage the night before.  So,
>he
>set up his own little experiment and would go several days w/o mothballs -
>bears messed up garbage - and then do a "mothball" day - garbage
>undisturbed
>by bears. He said he kept this up for some time with consistent results.
>
>Now, when I ask anyone in the FS about this, I get a disbelieving "Never
>heard of it" and "Don't try it."  OK...  I tried very hard to reach Dick
>Hatfield through the FS and the retired ranger contacts, but no luck at
>all.
>Perhaps he was a seasonal employee and not fully on their rolls? All I have
>is the statement in that article. It was stated that he used, specifically,
>Paradichlorobenzene mothballs, one of three (I believe} possible
>ingredients
>in mothballs.  I called the company that makes mothballs and the technician
>told me that that ingredient would be the strongest, smell-wise. It's
>harder
>to find mothballs with this ingredient. The gas station at Macks Inn (of
>all
>places) had them.
>
>Problems:  They weight a bit and you have to be careful about fumes and
>contamination of food.
>
>I'm not in the slightest interested in debating this or responding to
>flames
>or trolls. I have no proof that this works.  As one old timer (that most of
>you know) said, after using them for years and then stopping, "Well, I was
>never bothered by moths!"  Who knows?
>
>Happy to respond off-list to reasonable queries.  Just thought I'd throw
>this out to the wolves, not having heard anyone mention it.


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