[pct-l] Bear deterrence thoughts (long)

[rellinwood@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Robert Ellinwood)]

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--
Jim,

Glad to see the cold didn't freeze your...ahem...off at the Ruck!

2 things I've heard on the car/mothball thing - one I understand, one I
don't.  "They" say not to let the mothballs touch or lie against your tires
when using them to repel rodents, etc. Could hurt the rubber compound. OK, I
guess that makes some sense.   The other: Our jeep dealer says one should
use mothball flakes, not actual mothballs.  Geez, I'm scratching my head on
that one! I dunno!

Bob

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Ginny & Jim Owen [mailto:spiritbear2k@hotmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, January 26, 2003 2:54 PM
> To: rellinwood@worldnet.att.net; mardav@charter.net; PCT-
> L@mailman.backcountry.net
> Subject: RE: [pct-l] Bear deterrence thoughts (long)
>
> 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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