Proper Black Bear country procedures?

[Desiel]

Ok so I have read a few different threads that mentioned different things to do in Black Bear country. A few questions I have.

1. People eat away from their camp, Why afraid of dropping food on the ground for critters to smell?

2. Why not just cook right at the camp fire or if no camp fire under your tarp on an alchly stove?

3. How high do you hang your bear bag and how far away?

That's my three main questions. I understand it's good to be careful but sometime people seem to go too far lol.

[sr1355]

Number one and two are odor control, bears can smell food from miles away taking a awhile to travel that distance drawing them into camp.... Cook two hundred feet from camp is my general rule in bear country...

12' to bottom of bag in general 4-6' out from main tree trunk. I hate bear baggin', never could find the perfect tree so I now carry a bear vault in bear country. Doubles as a stool...

[weird1]

Plus 1 on the Bear vault I was reluctant to get one but it is one of my favorite pieces of gear now. As for the food smells, I just wipe my bear vault with bacon, roll it away from camp and watch the show!!!!

[FLRider]

For me, it's the following:

1.) Pretty much. I'm more afraid of getting crumbs into my sleeping gear than anything else, more because of little rodents than bears. I don't want to come back from a bathroom break with Rocky trying to chew through my bug netting to get at the scraps of tortilla I dropped by accident.

2.) Depends on where the campfire is. If it's at an established site, I will. It's almost a given that someone before me has cooked there, and I won't be hurting anything by having food smells there since they're already concentrated there. If it's a mound fire or one in my wood stove, I usually do that away from camp. It's just insurance, the same as wearing a seat belt or not hanging from emergent trees in a lightning storm. Sure, you probably won't be having trouble, but why not take an extra minute or two to make sure?

3.) A minimum of ten feet off of the ground and four feet from the trunk of a tree. Essentially, if I can jump and grab ahold of the bag firmly, it's too low. I try (ask Duffy some time about how he met me) to hang my food a minimum of 150 feet from camp, hopefully downwind. I worry less about hanging it near a trail; bears will use trails for the same reason that people do, regardless of food--it's more convenient.

All that being said, most black bears are fairly docile when it comes to humans; we're large enough animals to present a threat. A large predator doesn't want to attack another large predator unless it's really hungry or associates that predator with easy food. So, as long as the bears haven't been fed by humans regularly, they'll usually run as soon as they see/hear you. At least, that's been my experience (all three bears that I've been near, anyway ).

I have no experience in grizzly country, though, so take this with a grain of salt if you're going to be out that way.

As always, the above represents personal opinion.

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer.

[E.A.Y.]

When I'm in bear country, I usually have a triangle of spots, all about 200 feet apart. Fire, hammock, toilet. I cook on my stove next to the fire. If no fire, then just a cooking area there.

My bear vault is off somewhere where a curious bear can't roll it into a river or down a hill unless I'm carrying it, opening it, or sitting on it.

I don't go so far as having clothes which I only cook and eat in, but I try not to drip too much and I save the delicious and oh-so-stinky kippered herring for the last meal of the trip. I also eat where I cook.

I won't bear bag since finding the perfect tree is a huge time-sucking hassle and I'd rather spend that time loafing in my hammock. If I can sucker someone else into rigging the line, I might consider it again.

I have considered an ursack, since they are only disallowed in some areas. I'm still considering it.

[olzeke]

In black bear country, the main concern is not acclimating bears to where campers sleep. No one likes waking up to a bear sniffing their gear. The idea of cooking and eating away from where you sleep prevents food smells from accumulating in the regular tenting spots. if you do not use pre-used tent pads, but only set up between 2 trees well off the beaten path, it is less important.

Hanging food bags is a pain, but the PCT method makes it somewhat easier. I am another one of those that takes a canister if i am in bear country, and sometimes when I am in non bear country, but the ground critters are too acclimated. I hate losing food to squirrels and mice. In my own experience, it is these types that do the most damage to your gear, chewing holes looking for food.

In black bear country, 12 ft high, and 6 ft from the tree is a minimum. The couple of times I have been in Griz country, there were poles and cables for use. Those were the times I actually stopped and ate dinner, then moved camp another mile or so before setting up. Made me less wary of drawing in the big fellows. Still, when one walked right through camp, between the 2 tents, it made for an adrenaline filled morning.

[Cannibal]

1. I don't. With very few exceptions, I've always cooked in camp. There have been times when there are reports of 'problem' bears that I've cooked away from camp, but I can probably count those times on one hand. Certainly does not mean I'm correct in doing so and I understand the perceived risks.

2. Usually exactly what I do. I don't worry about it at all when I'm using an established campsite with a fire-pit or ring. I figure the area is saturated with food smells from the hundreds that have come before me so my instant mashed potatoes with jerky and cheese isn't going to be anything new.

3. Get an Ursack and be done with it. Forget about the bears, it's the squirrels and mice that will do the most damage to your food stores. Ursacks keep everything safe, even if Yogi does manage to wander into my camp.

Black bears aren't my concern. Going into Brown bear country...rules change very quickly for me.

[Hawk-eye]

1. I don't. With very few exceptions, I've always cooked in camp. There have been times when there are reports of 'problem' bears that I've cooked away from camp, but I can probably count those times on one hand. Certainly does not mean I'm correct in doing so and I understand the perceived risks.

2. Usually exactly what I do. I don't worry about it at all when I'm using an established campsite with a fire-pit or ring. I figure the area is saturated with food smells from the hundreds that have come before me so my instant mashed potatoes with jerky and cheese isn't going to be anything new.

3. Get an Ursack and be done with it. Forget about the bears, it's the squirrels and mice that will do the most damage to your food stores. Ursacks keep everything safe, even if Yogi does manage to wander into my camp.

Black bears aren't my concern. Going into Brown bear country...rules change very quickly for me.

Best advice I've read based on my experience in NC ... of course we don't have browns, grizzlies or polars ...

If you hike with Hooch you can always came down wind from him and put a dab of peanut butter on the bottom of his hammock

[Rain Man]

If you hike with Hooch you can always camp down wind from him and put a dab of peanut butter on the bottom of his hammock

Butt, butt ... if you are downwind from him, aren't the bears gonna git to YOU first when they smell that dab on HIS bottom and start following the scent upwind?!!!

Rain Man

.

[Hawk-eye]

Butt, butt ... if you are downwind from him, aren't the bears gonna git to YOU first when they smell that dab on HIS bottom and start following the scent upwind?!!!

Rain Man

.

Nawh ... they'll go for the peanut butter first! When they pass and ask where the peanut butter is you can pack up and leave while he's busy with Hooch! Sort of an early warning system