Any worry of bears in White Mountains

If any of you have lots of time on your hand to read, the subject of bears generates a lot of opinions.

Here's one blog entry/comment stream that has all of them.
http://sectionhiker.com/bear-bag-rant-its-not-about-protecting-your-food/

peakbagger said:

Two issues with bear boxes; 1. They inevitably become trash and garbage containers and tend to attract insects. 2 They only work when the food is in it and the covers are latched shut...
...The best approach I have seen is the bear line used at Chimney Pond in BSP. Its a steel cable stretched between two posts...

Click to expand...

You're right - bear boxes need some policing, like any other backcountry installation. And in these days where "inside the beltway" office people are starting to outnumber field people, that gets hard to do. But I still think they are a good tool.

Regarding cables, once the bears are trained that food is hanging in the air, the cables are shot. At Lake Colden in the Adirondacks, years ago the bears started getting the hangs. NYS DEC tried the steel cable approach. The bears promptly ripped the cables down. (Bears are strong - the cable looked like just another string to them, except they had to pull a little harder to break it.)

A little off topic, but on the topic of the versatile, intelligent and athletic bear, you may enjoy this vid:

http://www.climbing.com/video/bears-cranking-mexican-limestone/

In the past year I've noticed that every AMC managed campsite in the Whites and Mahoosucs has a bear box. My guess is they probably got sick of poorly hung food bags or people sleeping with their food in shelters and campsites. Either way, at least along the AT, every campsite from Eliza Brook to Speck Pond has a bear box (not counting RMC cabins. I didn't see one at The Perch). None of them were trashed when I went through, which is probably helped by having caretakers.

If there is a caretaker or ridgerunner, I expect the box is managed better. I do remember stopping by the campsite across the Pemi from Franconia Falls (on the east side trail) and the box was full of trash last summer. Many of the unmanaged shelters I encountered along the AT outside the whites over the years tended to be full of trash and junk.

Realistically in my years of AT section hiking, I rarely if ever saw any thru hikers hanging food except from the mouse hooks at shelters. If bears were an issue there was either a bear box or a bear cable installed. I generally think the bear boxes in the whites were reactively placed after there were sufficient bear incidents to need them rather than proactively. Unfortunately once momma bear has gotten food from careless campers she will train her cubs and they will keep an eye on this easy food source for years. One or two careless groups a season is all that is needed to keep the bears coming unless the FS deems the bear a threat and then it is generally dispatched.

I didn't find (much) trash left in the bear box at the Franconia Brook East tentsite last November. What little there was went in the Scout's backpacks and went to the parking lot with us. I think there is a caretaker there on weekends in the summer, but I'm sure there are people who abuse whatever system there is.

I'd actually prefer trash in the bear box over trash scattered around the campsite. No trash would be better.

There are bears everywhere in New Hampshire there are trees. And then some, occasionally.

I'll repeat what I just said in another thread:

The last person killed by a bear in New Hampshire died while the Articles of Confederation still governed this country. (For you folks who have forgotten why it was necessary to have a stronger federal government than the Articles provided for, this was back in 1784.)

Fish and Game has some good advice on this subject at Frequently asked bear questions

Alaska's Department of Fish and Game has some good advice if you're going to be out among the larger versions: Living With Bears

A comment worth sharing, from Philip Werner's blog cited above:

"For those who wish to not hang or canister. I hope you never have to see a bear put down. Its not fun to watch. What is worse is seeing the condition of the bear that has had too much human interaction via human food. Sores, teeth missing, matted fur.

That one time in hundreds of times outdoors when the bear finally does have an interaction with your food, you have started or helped along the way a downward spiral for that bear. So think about that the next time you stager into camp a little too late and your tired and decide not to make the effort. Kind of like leaving meth for a 7 year old to get its hands on. Well maybe not so much on the last part, but close."

Must ne why theuyre packin' out west.

An interesting study from University of Calgary about black bear attacks (from 2011, but I would say is still relevant): http://www.ucalgary.ca/news/may2011/bears

I came across it while reading about the tar sans employee that was killed.

From the page:

Examining 110 years of data also allowed the researchers to identify historical and geographic trends of black bear attacks. They found that 86% of fatal attacks occurred since 1960; that fatalities are more common in Canada and Alaska despite lower human populations and less contact between humans and bears than in the lower 48 states; and that human population growth is accompanied by rising fatal bear attacks.

“We didn’t demonstrate why population growth is correlated with more bear attacks but we suspect it is because there are more people pursuing recreational and commercial activities in black bear habitat,” Herrero said. “Similarly, we don’t know exactly why there have been more attacks in Canada and Alaska, but we speculate that it could be because bears in those areas are living in less productive habitat with periodic food stress, which may predispose some bears to consider people as prey.”

Click to expand...

My best "improper" hanging of food I witnessed in Shenandoah NP, which has bear poles at shelters. A group of 30 or so boy scouts put all there food in one trash bag and hung it from the pole leaving it about 3 feet above the ground. They were so noisy though I don't know if a bear would have come around. I did see a bear about a mile from the shelter the next morning.

An agressive bear has repeated hassled campers at Liberty Spring - including trashing the caretaker's cabin tent. The times, they are a' changin' folks, I predict more human/bear encounters in the future.

Chip said:

I believe most of the trouble is at lower elevations, in neighborhoods where pickings are easier and reliable.
Garbage pick up day in Bethlehem, about every 4th can is knocked over and raided.
So even there you can tell that anyone who wrapped/packaged their garbage well, the bear skip those cans.

Generally when camping I'm more concerned about mice, marten and raccoon.

Click to expand...

I'm going to delete this post as I hadn't remember about the Liberty Springs bear, which could be back this season.
Heck, it could be back with offspring.
Plastic Bear Canisters are a cramp, but that's a better option there than trying to hang stuff high enough.