The Bear Facts - Warnings in the WMNF

The Bear Facts

Copied this off the WMNF Web Site.
Just a little FYI

Later...Walker

"Hiker / Visitor Alerts and Current Conditions

Warning: Bear Alert. Bears have been active around Dolly Copp, Russell Pond, and Osceola Vista campgrounds, and the Tripoli Road dispersed camping area. Campers must use proper techniques for storing food. Failure to do so will not only attract bears, but also result in a fine. To learn more, enquire at visitor centers or ranger stations, ask campground hosts or Forest Service personnel, and read the news release at lower right. "

A link would be appreciated...

A bit of searching finds the announcement at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/white_mountain/ , but no sign of the "news release at lower right".

Doug

From http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Newsroom/News_2007/News_2007_Q2/Bear_free_Fourth_062907.htm


When selecting a campsite for the holiday weekend, Timmins suggests that campers consider choosing a campground that uses bear-proof Dumpsters. "Many campgrounds in New Hampshire have done a great job reducing attractants around their facilities, which substantially reduces the chance of a conflict with bears," he said. ..........

This period of summer represents a somewhat lean time for bears, according to Timmins. "The beechnuts and acorns that fell last fall have turned into woody sprouts that are now unattractive to bears," he said. "Although the wild strawberries have begun to ripen in recent days, the bulk of the important summer fruits that provide feed for bears will not become available until a few weeks from now." This period of low food abundance, noted Timmins, causes bears to search out and utilize high quality and readily available foods provided by humans, and is the main reason why the majority of bear complaints in New Hampshire occur during June and July.

Just to underscore how cheeky the bears can be...

Saturday night around 9:20, we stepped outside our home in "downtown" Waterville Valley to watch the fireworks over Town Square. About 15 minutes into the thunderously loud display (we're maybe 1000 feet ACF from where the rockets were exploding), with my kids sitting on top of our Land Rover and a couple neighbors standing and quietly chatting... we look down the hill and see a full-grown black bear saunter by into a clump of bushes about 30 feet away. A couple minutes later, he sauntered back toward where he came from. We scooted in the house on general principles -- the bear wasn't acting aggressively or even paying any attention to us, but why put yourself or your kids in nature's crosshairs, right?

They're out, they're active, and they're pretty sure we're the interlopers.

Last week we rented a house in Bartlett NH, up the hill from Kringle's on Rte 16. One morning a good-size bear was nosing around the house across the street, and on other occasions we saw very large red foxes sauntering up and down the street, once with prey dangling from the mouth. We had no wildlife encounters at all while hiking.

Genie's poop walks after dark became somewhat more of an adventure.

camped at a private ground sat eve in the whites - I haven't camped in a family campground for a couple of years now in the whites, but with our son, this is the way to go with playgrounds, etc...

anyway - I was shocked at the lack of respect for bears, etc.. while the folks running the place tell you about what do do with food - its as though most people don't care and ignore the suggestions. Its unreasonable to expect the owners to police the area. But - was talking to some folks and bears were all around all week, and I am pretty sure I heard one messing around a campsite knocking over pots, etc.

Based on what i saw with people leaving stuff out - If I were a bear - thats where I would be.

giggy said:

camped at a private ground sat eve in the whites - I haven't camped in a family campground for a couple of years now in the whites, but with our son, this is the way to go with playgrounds, etc...

anyway - I was shocked at the lack of respect for bears, etc.. while the folks running the place tell you about what do do with food - its as though most people don't care and ignore the suggestions. Its unreasonable to expect the owners to police the area. But - was talking to some folks and bears were all around all week, and I am pretty sure I heard one messing around a campsite knocking over pots, etc.

Based on what i saw with people leaving stuff out - If I were a bear - thats where I would be.

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very common at those places - staffs are great - tell everyone what they need to know and do - nobody listens. I saw a car have its window get busted by a bear in Crawford Notch by a bear that could smell and see the food...the day after this, when everyone was warned again I walked by quite a few sites where people left large food coolers unattended...crazy? stupid? You decide!

sapblatt said:

very common at those places - staffs are great - tell everyone what they need to know and do - nobody listens. I saw a car have its window get busted by a bear in Crawford Notch by a bear that could smell and see the food...the day after this, when everyone was warned again I walked by quite a few sites where people left large food coolers unattended...crazy? stupid? You decide!

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...And the bears will eventually pay a very steep price for our human carelessness.

sapblatt said:

very common at those places - staffs are great - tell everyone what they need to know and do - nobody listens. I saw a car have its window get busted by a bear in Crawford Notch by a bear that could smell and see the food...the day after this, when everyone was warned again I walked by quite a few sites where people left large food coolers unattended...crazy? stupid? You decide!

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IIRC, the Rangers in Yosemite had to start enforcing bear-safety rules with fines etc.

Bears have good memories and it only takes a few careless humans to keep the bears coming back for more...

Doug

sapblatt said:

... I saw a car have its window get busted by a bear in Crawford Notch by a bear that could smell and see the food...

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Hey, no fair! That's a Yosemite bear trick. They're not supposed to be able to do that around here. I smell a ringer.

Anyway, unfortunately, one can be as diligent and careful as possible when camping in bear country, but if there are sloppy, lazy pigs camping 50 feet away at the next site (or even well-meaning people who just don't know any better), then all bets are off.

DougPaul said:

IIRC, the Rangers in Yosemite had to start enforcing bear-safety rules with fines etc.

Bears have good memories and it only takes a few careless humans to keep the bears coming back for more...

Doug

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As I recall, the bears at Yosemite have developed uncanny abilities - they were posting pics of car doors that had been bent back from the top by bears that smelled food in the cars. They have large steel lockers that you must use - kind of like the ones at 13 Falls in WMNF.

dvbl said:

Anyway, unfortunately, one can be as diligent and careful as possible when camping in bear country, but if there are sloppy, lazy pigs camping 50 feet away at the next site (or even well-meaning people who just don't know any better), then all bets are off.

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And the pigs need not even be there today--any previous time within the bear's lifetime may be enough. Bears are smart enough to keep trying any thing/place that had food previously.

Doug

sapblatt said:

As I recall, the bears at Yosemite have developed uncanny abilities - they were posting pics of car doors that had been bent back from the top by bears that smelled food in the cars. They have large steel lockers that you must use - kind of like the ones at 13 Falls in WMNF.

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Yes, but it is just a matter of degree and sophistication (of the bears). They didn't learn those tricks all at once. They started with easy pickings and got better over time as people presented them with food that was "just one step harder" to obtain.

I'd rather we stop teaching the bears in grade school rather than waiting until they get to college...

Doug

DougPaul said:

Yes, but it is just a matter of degree and sophistication (of the bears). They didn't learn those tricks all at once. They started with easy pickings and got better over time as people presented them with food that was "just one step harder" to obtain.

I'd rather we stop teaching the bears in grade school rather than waiting until they get to college...

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Well put.

After reading this I couldn't help but think of Squeak the Squirrel... a film about how an animal learns.