[pct-l] RE: Not stupid people but smart bears

[reynolds@iLAN.com (Reynolds, WT)]

Joanne-
Using a canister successsfully is very simple. Keep it closed except when
adding/withdrawing food. Bears can sneak around all they want at night but
all the food is in a sealed canister. Obviously we cook before dark and
never leave the kitchen unattended. Fortunately bears aren't bold enough yet
to walk into a camp and snatch food from an attended stove. If they become
so bold, I suspect bears will be killed by the Rangers.

Tom

-----Original Message-----
From: Joanne Lennox [mailto:goforth@cio.net]
Sent: Tuesday, August 07, 2001 9:36 PM
To: pct-mailing list; Reynolds, WT
Subject: Not stupid people but smart bears



Well, tom I sent a post to the list but it never came back.  I do not know
what has happened.

In The hikers Camp in Tuolume in 99 a small bear was nightly retrieving
things off picnic tables with people either sitted at them or in the
immediate environs.  All the hikers were aware of the problem, were using
bear boxes and were being careful.  But the bear was using stealth,
surprise and darkness to its advantage.  I do not know how one deals with
this.  The bear is much faster than we are, it is seamless to the night and
can approach noiselessly, you are not aware of its presence untilit has
snatched something.  If it has something in its mouth , it is history.  If
it is trying to carry it off, there is a much better chance of getting the
item, but it is dangerous.  The camp was completely dark, and if there is
more than one person going after the bear it can be confusing.  They
obviously have much better flashlights than we do, and probably better
night vision.

If knowledgeable people using bear boxes in a campground can not keep food
from a bear, how can people using cannisters?