Re: [pct-l] bear canisters + bear story.

[reynolds@ilan.com]

My two cents:
Humans are the dominate species and bears and mountain lions have only the right
to die as a result. That is the way of nature.

However, I'd like to save these magnificant creatures and it may require a "no
human zone" to do this.

Further, I'd like to enjoy these magnificant creatures and that requires some
intelligence on the part of humans to avoid training the bears to predate [hunt
and eat] people.

I remember a "knock down, drag out" battle over bear canisters a year ago. Many
people thought defending their food with their body was an option. I did not
because it was "training bears to predate [hunt and eat] people". Now, at least
1 person has been hurt defending his food with his body [or so says the NPS] and
a large part of the sierra requires [by law] a bear canister [or using a bear
box].

Still, many people on this list seem to think that using a bear canister in the
sierra is an "option". Unless a thruhiker is prepared to walk from bear box to
bear box within the restricted area no bear canister is not an option [by law]
and common sense says that having no bear canister in the sierra in the areas
where there are no boxs [north of woods creek bridge] is "training bears to
predate [hunt and eat] people".

This is not a case where you can "Hike your own hike".  Training bears to
predate [hunt and eat] people will result in either "no bears in the sierra"
[all bears killed by NPS] or a "No human zone" of the sierra. Neither of these
options is acceptable to me. However, using rubber bullets on people who
disregard the rules is acceptable to me . <-not a joke

No Karen, you did not offend me.


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