Re: [pct-l] mini-bears

Camping on Santa Cruz Island in 1999 our camp, after sundown, was over run 
with hundreds (no exaggeration here!) of field mice, a subtle result of more 
vegetation from El Nino rains the winter before.  They ran over our camping 
gear, into the tents, up the trees, around the still warm stove, throughout 
the pots (cleaned them up real good!).  Fortunately they hadn't learned to 
chew through some Rubbermaid containers that we kept the food in.  In fact 
they didn't chew through anything, just explored thoroughly anything that was 
open. 

 I slept on the ground under the stars as it was perfect weather with my two 
young sons.  Everyone thought we were crazy.   However, they stayed off of 
us, just running over the sleeping bags once in a while and then you could 
launch them by whacking the sleeping bag out wherever they were!  My boys 
thought is was fun!

The mice there have a form of bubonic plague that is apparently, from much 
intensive study, not harmful to humans due to isolation on the island.  

I'll bet the raptor population swelled in response to their swell in 
population, soon thereafter.

Best regards,

Greg "Strider" Hummel
* From the PCT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *

==============================================================================
To:            "pct-l" <pct-l@edina.hack.net>