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2torial #0892:
Learn2 Keep Your Food From Bears
Hey Boo Boo, that picnic basket's in a tree!
Let's hear it for bears! They're big and furry
and kinda cute. Still, bears and other wild
creatures shouldn't feed on human food supplies.
Once a bear gets food from humans, it often
abandons its natural food sources, becomes a
campground nuisance, and may even need to be
relocated (if not killed) by rangers. Yogi
rummaging picnic baskets at Jellystone Park may
have seemed like a hoot on TV, but you won't be
laughing when a bundle of fangs, fur and claws the
size of a Hyundai tears your possessions to shreds.
That's why every camper in bear country should
be able to bearbag. Bearbagging is the
practice of storing anything that smells like food
(as well as the food itself) into two bags, and
hanging them over a tree limb that a bear can't
reach by climbing or stretching. And when you're
out on the trail, the ability to bearbag quickly
becomes a matter of self-preservation--you need
that food to get back to civilization!
Keep this in mind: bears a.) learn quickly , b.)
have a powerful sense of smell, and c.) have a more
generous definition of "food" than you do.
Anything that once contained food, or
physically contacted food, or even had an
edible liquid like soup or juice spilled on
it is capable of attracting a bear. They'll also go
for these:
- liquor
- toothpaste
- gum wrappers
- bars of soap (most contain fats)
- scented sunscreens
- deodorants
If you're unsure about the item, play it safe
and place it out of reach--odds are that you'll be
glad you did.
Bears can scent food through plastic bags, foil
wrapping, even lidded plastic containers. Once a
bear finds food at a site, it's bound to return in
the future--much to the discomfort of whoever's
camping there. Established camp sites often have
metal food storage lockers available, but you won't
find these once you hike in a few miles. That's
when you need to bearbag.
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