Fwd: Re: [pct-l] Bear Attack.... or Food for thought

[pfreiman at popmail.ucsd.edu (Paul Freiman/Vicki Cavataio)]

Maybe it was because scouts had just been there, but there was no 
litter around Little Jimmy trail camp.  The Fish and Game man said it 
was "polluted bears" that were use to the garbage from the bad 
concessionaires at now closed Crystal Lake, just a stone throw away 
on the other side of Windy Gap, that are causing the trouble.  There 
are tons of bears in these mountains, but only one or two that hunt 
the trail camps.  I asked the Fish and Game why they don't put a bear 
box in there and he said that it wasn't that simple, that the bear 
just learns that he needs to get the food before it goes in the box. 
Last year he said that "your cub" was knocking hikers down and 
ripping the food right off their backs.  I have the fear that if we 
stop using the camp, which we should, that this would cause the bear 
to attack our hikers on the trail.

I have only been to the Sierras twice, but when a bear saw me he 
split as fast as he could.  I have never tree-d my food.  I didn't 
carry the rope to do so.  Everyone but you seems to be surprised at 
this situation.  You know, I have friends who do go to the Sierras 
and swear that they never have put food in their tent........, but 
the bears learn to associate tents with food and they have come back 
to the tent after a days outing only to find the tent shredded.  The 
same with Mark, who didn't have food in the car but got his car 
destroyed anyway, because the bears associate cars with food.  Do you 
think Mark was stupid?  His car didn't have food in it.

By the way, Fish and Game does a wonderful job.  Do you really think 
they are "trigger happy Rangers"?  First off, the rangers is not the 
proper agency.  Second, they send someone out there to to evaluate 
the bear behavior in the area.  Third, they analyze the findings.  It 
is not realistic to think they will close the mountain and shut down 
the PCT, so they discuss whether moving the bear will help.  Fish and 
Game takes the job seriously, not "Oh boy, let's us shoot a 
bear.....OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Yours truly, Capt Bivy

>
>Capt Bivy
>
>Because of hikers and backpackers carelessness they expect every 
>bear to be shot. When you posted this some trigger happy Ranger will 
>have a reason to shoot the bear. Sleeping  on your pack with food in 
>it raises a lot of eyebrows. You should have a bear bag or 
>Canister.They never had a bear dumpster there they had a varmits 
>dumpster which is not effective against bears. It was removed after 
>pigs (humans) left the garbage scattered around the camp ground. 
>Littler Jimmy Camp Ground after a week end can be a real dump. Last 
>year Fish and Wildlife killed the mother bear not knowing she had a 
>cub which wondered around following hikers for weeks. The cub tried 
>to play with  my dog. What a pity, I don't know what happen to the 
>cub perhaps its the bear who took your pack.
>
>Let see group of 04 has had two forest fire and this year so far. 
>With posted like this there will be more to follow.
>
>Lonetrail
>
>
>
>post another for my section
>C and D trip and water report...............
>
>I got to Little Jimmy in the San Gabriels about 5:30.  I usually hike
>'till 8, but it was getting cold and the if I was going to climb any
>further I was going to be camping at 8500 feet.  Besides, there were
>several people already there.  I have a bad memory for names, so
>earlier on the hike I was writing the names down as I passed, but I
>had lost my pen, so I wasn't doing that anymore, but two of the
>co-campers with me were Ertman and Bobby Compton.
>
>Anyway, when the first hiker got to Little Jimmy there was a big ol'
>bear in camp.  Now, I'm not sure how he knew, but he said there was a
>scout troop there the day before and they were quite hassled by the
>bear.  The others hung their food, but I didn't have a rope, or any
>experience in the Sierras (I'm from San Diego and do most of my
>hiking in the desert) with bears.  I kept the food in my pack and use
>my 30 year old Kelty Tioga as a head rest.  The hip belt pad is just
>the right height off the ground for a head rest.  I was sleeping
>restlessly, but quite, when the bear pulled the pack from under my
>head, dropping my head to the ground.  BEAR IN CAMP........BEAR IN
>CAMP, I yelled.  Only Ertman stirred.  I borrowed his photon (my
>light was in the pack) and walked up where I thought the munching
>sound were coming from.  Two reflector eyes caught the beam of the
>light.  GGGRRRRRRRRR..........GGGRRRRRRRRR, I SCREAMED.  The bear
>returned my yells and took the pack further uphill.  Ok, that was
>dumb.  Instead of warding the bear off the pack, he dragged it
>further away.  Time to go to sleep and wait 'till morning.  It was 2
>am.
>
>They had problems with a bear at Little Jimmy last year.  All the
>locals I talked with said, "I heard they solved the problem last
>year, they shot the bear."  So, I guess were have a new bear.  I also
>heard that they use to have a bear box........until the bear
>destroyed it.
>
>We wrote notes on the camp bulletin board, and since I was going
>southbound I told everyone.  I talked to Billy Goat about it and he
>said he does the same thing as me......just keeps his food next to
>him.  I'm going to rethink that option.
>
>Captain Bivy
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