Re: [pct-l] More on bears

[reynolds@ilan.com]

Bears are interested in food, not gear. However, once a bear associates a
place with food he shreds that place looking for food. [Bears have been
known to shred several cars, usually of the same appearance, if food is
found in one car.]

If campers put gear, not food, in the tent there will simply be less ruined
gear. We always put all gear in our tent and our camp is never visited.
[The bear canister 25 yards away is, not the camp]

In areas that were once a very bad bear area [The High Sierra Trail for
example] the installation of bear boxs as caused bears to go elsewhere. My
experience is that a bear box is NOT a bear magnet.

If people store food in the tent and a bear gets it the result will be a
tent shredding bear. [Much easier to shred than a car.] In general bears do
not like to be around humans. However, anyone who has hiked the Sierra has
seen some bears that are not the least bit afraid of a human. Obviously the
result could be a disaster.


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