[at-l] Propane's attraction for bears.

[icw39@ncfreedom.net (Clark)]

good point - all I can do is relay the anectdote, which came from a
grizzled western hunting guide; I asked him whether he thought it was
just due to the correlation you mentioned, and he emphatically said
"no."  He stated he is positive re the specific association, and that he
uses it as his best "bear bait" when he is either taking people to hunt
bears where it is legal, or getting rid of "problem" bears in wilder
spots, like up in Alaska . . . I have no idea from personal experience,
as I neither hunt bears, nor use propane stoves . . .

Thru-Thinker

Steve Adams wrote:

> I deleted the senders address, and paraphrased the message but someone
> provided close to the following:
>
> Bears love the organic carbon smell of propane or other bottled gases.  A
> wilderness guide uses them to bait bear, opening the canister slightly, and
> hanging it high.  Bear detect the gas and come from miles around.
>
> I would be interested if this information is the result of a scientific
> study; one comparing the relative attraction of carbon based odors with
> other odors.  It seems, if this is logically deduced based upon anecdotal
> data, bears may have come to associate the odor of cooking fuels with food.
> It doesn't seem unlikely for someone who cooks with bottled gas to also
> dispose of their garbage (a term translated by bears as "food") as compost.
>
> Steve
>
> _________________________________________________________________
> MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos:
> http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx
>
> _______________________________________________
>
>> From the AT-L mailing list         est. 1995
>
> Need help?  http://www.at-l.org
> Archives: http://www.backcountry.net/arch/at/
> Change your options or unsubscribe:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/at-l
>
> Stay on topic!
>
>