Pirate 4x4 banner

Wildlife on the Con

2K views 46 replies 24 participants last post by  DavidO 
#1 ·
Just a reminder to take "Bear" precautions with your food while camping. Last Saturday evening while camping on the back side of the box we met the local resident bear. Our camp was quiet, and we where the only ones camped on the back side. Within 5 minutes of zipping the tents shut we heard the coolers being raided (my first thought was Joel or Matt raiding beer). We are got up to find the bear had climbed into the back of Rubi's rig and ran off with some doughnuts and cake.

The bear scared off easily this time, and did not return. If the bear develops a taste for 'people' food it may not be so easy to scare off next time. Needless to say we hung the garbage from a tree, moved the coolers away from the main camp area and stacked rocks on all the items to scare the bear if it tried to get into anything.

For those of you former Boy Scouts can you elaborate on proper camp precautions. The last thing I want to see is the bear needing to be shot or moved due to potential danger to humans, we are the visitors.

Thanks Joe
 
#2 ·
They won't move the bears they kill them.

Government Policy

• There is no bear relocation program in the state of California.
The California Dept of Fish and Game WILL NOT relocate bears.

When a complaint is registered about a problem bear that involves a threat to personal safety, or property damage, a depredation permit is issued. A trap is set and the bear that enters the trap is destroyed

from here:
http://www.savebears.org/id27.htm
 
#4 ·
cbassett said:
Helps if fawkers don't leave donuts sitting in their rigs.. :rolleyes:


This is THEIR backyard, not OURS.
You are correct it was our fault, we should have taken the proper precautions. The food was stored in containers, but that won't stop most bears. I don't think on busy weekends the bear will show.

Joe
 
#5 ·
The bears, if hungry, will show.

There were plenty of tracks all over the trail on July 13 weekend.... and I watched a bear strolling around a dumpster in Tahoma while airing up (yeah, I ran in the dark to the well-lit station in Tahoma; not wanting a bear coming up my back in the dark)- he looked over at me and could give a sh*t I was there.
 
#6 ·
Oh come on... you guys go into bear counrty and don;t use a Bear Sack?

FYi.. i used to work ona ranch in Colorado. i had to clean up the messes the bears made each morning... IT SUCKED.
 
#7 ·
Chister said:
Oh come on... you guys go into bear counrty and don;t use a Bear Sack?

FYi.. i used to work ona ranch in Colorado. i had to clean up the messes the bears made each morning... IT SUCKED.
heheh that just makes cool marks in trees! ;)
 
#10 ·
Lance said:
Steve Erwin may wrestle crocs, but Mike "The Maniac" (pres of POR) likes to wrestle bears. We are safe. :D
There's a reason he's called "Maniac". :laughing: :laughing:
 
#11 ·
Would somebody explain the rationale behind hanging food from trees? Here's the way I see it. If I hang my food from a tree, here's what happens when the bear comes.....Mr. Bear shows up as because he smelled the food in the tree. Mr. Bear now smells people in the tent. Mr. Bear now realizes the food in the tent is easier to get to than the food in the tree. I don't like to be bear food.

I know my logic has got to be wrong, but if I was a bear....
 
#12 ·
The logic is that unless you live in grizz country, bears are not to much of a danger. Hanging your food is a good rule, just make sure it's not above your tent. Co2 air horns that you can pick up at Big 5 sports, are great for chasing of your hairy nocturnal friends.

If you want to have fun place candy bars under your buddies tent
:D:D:D (just kidding)

Rich
 
#13 ·
Honkylips said:
Would somebody explain the rationale behind hanging food from trees? Here's the way I see it. If I hang my food from a tree, here's what happens when the bear comes.....Mr. Bear shows up as because he smelled the food in the tree. Mr. Bear now smells people in the tent. Mr. Bear now realizes the food in the tent is easier to get to than the food in the tree. I don't like to be bear food.

I know my logic has got to be wrong, but if I was a bear....
Using your logic, why doesn't the bear just reach down and take a big bite out of his leg? It is easier to get to than the food in the tree. :rasta: YOU don't smell like food to the bear. Actually, you probably smell like gear oil! I have heard of cases where tooth paste attracts bears though, something to consider before brushing at night.

Just run a rope between two trees and hang your food AND TRASH up there. Remember that bears are taller than you are too, so if you can reach it from the ground, you are just putting it and mouth level for them. :D Another option is food containers .
 
#15 ·
really when you get down to it bears can get into both bags and containers without much difficulty. The big thing is to keep your food away from your tent. Almost every case I've ever heard of someone getting mauled they either wandered up onto a bear and scared it, got too close to a cub, or had food in their tent. BTW that tasty toothpaste stuff? Yep, its food.
 
#16 ·
Honkylips said:
Would somebody explain the rationale behind hanging food from trees? Here's the way I see it. If I hang my food from a tree, here's what happens when the bear comes.....Mr. Bear shows up as because he smelled the food in the tree. Mr. Bear now smells people in the tent. Mr. Bear now realizes the food in the tent is easier to get to than the food in the tree. I don't like to be bear food.

I know my logic has got to be wrong, but if I was a bear....
because bears are not carnovious[sp] :rolleyes:
 
#17 ·
mike said:
really when you get down to it bears can get into both bags and containers without much difficulty. The big thing is to keep your food away from your tent.
Actually that is not what people are saying. If the bears eat your food, even if it is not near your tent, they will become more dependent on human food and less timid. This gets the bears killed. If they can't get to your food then it is all just a waste of time and effort for them and they won't be as inclined to go into the next camp.
 
#18 ·
Dirty Harry said:


Actually that is not what people are saying. If the bears eat your food, even if it is not near your tent, they will become more dependent on human food and less timid. This gets the bears killed. If they can't get to your food then it is all just a waste of time and effort for them and they won't be as inclined to go into the next camp.
Bingo, they also become less scared of humans and the noise we make, meaning even on busy loud weekends the bear will approach camps to feed.

Joe
 
#19 ·
Dirty Harry said:


Actually that is not what people are saying. If the bears eat your food, even if it is not near your tent, they will become more dependent on human food and less timid. This gets the bears killed. If they can't get to your food then it is all just a waste of time and effort for them and they won't be as inclined to go into the next camp.
lemme think about that... I've seen bears break into houses, tear open car doors and trunks to get food. You really think you're going to prevent them from eating your food if they want it? Well, I could. I could bust out the 10ga, that always worked real well for dropping bear. Nope the game plan is to make it difficult and not to make yourself interesting in the process.
 
#20 ·
mike said:


lemme think about that... I've seen bears break into houses, tear open car doors and trunks to get food. You really think you're going to prevent them from eating your food if they want it? Well, I could. I could bust out the 10ga, that always worked real well for dropping bear. Nope the game plan is to make it difficult and not to make yourself interesting in the process.
OK Rambo, do whatever you want. My point was, bears in the wild DON'T "break into houses, tear open car doors and trunks to get food", they hunt for thier food because they are WILD ANIMALS. They only gain the above traits when they become accustomed to a "free lunch".

Instead of taking your 10 gauge to the Rubicon, maybe you should just stay in bear-free Antioch.
 
#21 ·
Dirty Harry said:


OK Rambo, do whatever you want. My point was, bears in the wild DON'T "break into houses, tear open car doors and trunks to get food", they hunt for thier food because they are WILD ANIMALS. They only gain the above traits when they become accustomed to a "free lunch".

Instead of taking your 10 gauge to the Rubicon, maybe you should just stay in bear-free Antioch.
Wow asshole, I point out a simple fact and you go ballistic with an amotional arguement. Typical Californian liberal responce. BTW I grew up in the woods, with the nearest house about 10 miles away. Watching bears and deer etc in my "back yard". Which is obviously a lot closer to em than you've gotten. And despite what you think, when you're in the woods be it in your house or your car what you have for food is fair game for WILD ANIMALS. Think theres no such thing as scavengers in nature? Man maybe you should get out in the woods.
 
#22 ·
mike said:


Wow asshole, I point out a simple fact and you go ballistic with an amotional arguement. Typical Californian liberal responce.
I apologize, I didn't realize that "I could bust out the 10ga, that always worked real well for dropping bear." was a simple fact. :rolleyes: Actually I am a member of the NRA, but we need people who kill bears for eating food lying around their camp about as much as four wheelers need drunken ******** littering and blazing trails through meadows.


BTW I grew up in the woods, with the nearest house about 10 miles away. Watching bears and deer etc in my "back yard".
How did you ever survive out there with all of those bears breaking into your house and car all of the time? :rasta:

And despite what you think, when you're in the woods be it in your house or your car what you have for food is fair game for WILD ANIMALS.
Right, which is exactly why I wrote "If they can't get to your food then it is all just a waste of time and effort for them and they won't be as inclined to go into the next camp."

Just because it is "fair game" doesn't mean that you should make it easy for the bears, as you implied when you wrote "bears can get into both bags and containers without much difficulty. The big thing is to keep your food away from your tent."
 
#24 ·
Dirty Harry said:
I apologize, I didn't realize that "I could bust out the 10ga, that always worked real well for dropping bear." was a simple fact. :rolleyes: Actually I am a member of the NRA, but we need people who kill bears for eating food lying around their camp about as much as four wheelers need drunken ******** littering and blazing trails through meadows.
Wow, I really dont know what to say. Evidentally any sarcasm or sense of humor or lightness is lost. FWIW I've hunted bear, legally, during season and everything. So I must be a wreckless dangerous criminal out to ruin our enjoyment of the outdoors :rolleyes: BTW for those that missed the simple fact here it is: a bear can break into a bear container and they can climb that tree the bags suspended from.

How did you ever survive out there with all of those bears breaking into your house and car all of the time? :rasta:
By not leaving it where I would be, now isnt that what I said in the first place? So you're saying that a bear containers safe in my tent? Wow, it must be.. its a bear container afterall.

Right, which is exactly why I wrote "If they can't get to your food then it is all just a waste of time and effort for them and they won't be as inclined to go into the next camp."

Just because it is "fair game" doesn't mean that you should make it easy for the bears, as you implied when you wrote "bears can get into both bags and containers without much difficulty. The big thing is to keep your food away from your tent."

When did I EVER say to feed the bears? Do you see it? God I missed it. I believe i said that a motivated bear could get into your bear bag or container anyway so keep IT out of your camp? I musta missed something.


One more thing, that could be important, but since Im a wreckless ******* yahoo I must not know about such things is that women NEED to deal with and store feminine products carefully. For more information check out http://www.griztrax.net/bearsafe_menstrual_risks.html They've thoughtfully written it all down.
 
#25 ·
XJJack said:
I've always hung food and trash, but why is it that at camp grounds it says you can't do this?
Because that brings them into the camp ground. It's openly available when its hung. Im assuming you're talking about non-primative camps that offer some services like food and trash lockers.
 
#26 ·
mike said:

Wow, I really dont know what to say. Evidentally any sarcasm or sense of humor or lightness is lost.
Actually I just re-read what you originally wrote and you are right, I missed the sarcasm. I thought that you were trying to be macho but after re-reading it I see that you were just joking. I aplogize (for real this time :flipoff2: ) for going off.

I do still get the impression from your posts that you feel that you shouldn't even TRY to hang food or put it in bear boxes because you think that they can just get it anyway. Although this is true in some cases, I still think that every possible precaution should be taken to keep food and trash from being accessible to the bears so they do not become dependent on humans and less afraid of us.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top