[pct-l] Bears: What I advocate

[reynolds@ilan.com]

I, Tom Reynolds do NOT advocate any specific food storage method.

What I do advocate is: Do NOT use a bear's natural distaste/fear of humans
to prevent human food from being stolen.

I advocate this because I believe that such practice will reduce bears
natural distase/fear of humans and lead to serious confrontations between
bears and humans, particulary me and my family.

I objected to BJ's "24 hour guard" approach because the guard was "the
bear's natural distaste/fear of humans" not a human with a gun, slingshot,
pepper spray etc. that was actually "guarding" the food. I object to
sleeping with food because it relys on "bear's natural distaste/fear of
humans".  I support methods of agressively driving bears off because these
do NOT rely on a bear's natural distaste/fear of humans but I question the
effectiveness of such methods. I do not object to stealth camping. However,
if you believe stealth camping really works just hang your food over a tree
branch! Don't sleep on it.

I believe that the evidence is clear. Human/Bear confrontations have
increased dramatically. Some bears are losing their natural distaste/fear
of humans and the consequences are not good for the humans. Yes, I know
that the consequences are not good for the bears either. Every time a bear
gets a meal of human food that bear is one step closer to getting shot.
However, if someone loses his/her food to a bear it is not my problem while
a bear that has lost   their natural distaste/fear of humans may very well
be! That bear at 1000 Island Lakes didn't just get up one morning and
decide to crash a tent that had a few crumbs in it. That bear had been
previously tempted by backpackers that used a bear's natural distaste/fear
of humans to prevent their food from being stolen. The bear wasn't looking
for crumbs. He was looking for a meal.

Lastly, please do not make this a thruhiker vs non-thruhiker issue. Do not
argue that a thru-hiker must sleep on his/her food because he/she walks so
many miles. First, this is untrue. Second, if it was true then thruhiking
the PCT will be stopped. If you thruhike the PCT in early season and you
believe stealth camping works just hang your food over a tree branch! Don't
sleep on it. If you are wrong about stealth camping lose your food and go
hungry like a man.


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