bear harassment
- rlown
- Topix Docent
- Posts: 8225
- Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
- Experience: Level 4 Explorer
- Location: Wilton, CA
bear harassment
A simple set of questions to everyone.. how many had bear encounters this year? how many were food storage related? If you had an issue, what was the issue?
Russ
Russ
- balzaccom
- Topix Addict
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:22 pm
- Experience: N/A
Re: bear harassment
Zero. 170 miles...and 23 days in the back country, Never saw a bear.
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
- maverick
- Forums Moderator
- Posts: 11841
- Joined: Thu Apr 06, 2006 5:54 pm
- Experience: Level 4 Explorer
Re: bear harassment
No bears for me either, don't even remember seeing any scat, or paw prints, which I
at least see on one of my trips during the year, but not this year.
I usually only see them in the front country, or back country trail camps
when I do see them, or at least hear the noises associated with them raiding
someone's campsite.
I have never seen a bear while I have been cross country hiking, I do see evidence
of them passing through some of the areas in the form of scat, paw prints, claw
marks on trees, or dead trees torn apart, but not the bear itself.
at least see on one of my trips during the year, but not this year.
I usually only see them in the front country, or back country trail camps
when I do see them, or at least hear the noises associated with them raiding
someone's campsite.
I have never seen a bear while I have been cross country hiking, I do see evidence
of them passing through some of the areas in the form of scat, paw prints, claw
marks on trees, or dead trees torn apart, but not the bear itself.
- oldranger
- Topix Addict
- Posts: 2861
- Joined: Fri Jan 19, 2007 9:18 pm
- Experience: N/A
- Location: Bend, Oregon
Re: bear harassment
Since I've retained my amateur status as a backpacker I have not been lucky enough to encounter a bear anywhere. Like Maverick I've seen sign but no critters. In the old days in Roaring River country I encountered them several times a year when I was out and about--including off trail jaunts. Most of the time I was on horseback which gave me the advantage of elevation and more opportunity to look around, not having to watch where I put my feet. Frequently the bear never knew I was around and I usually turned the horse in another direction so the horse wouldn't notice the bear--they really didn't like bears and would get a little skittish for the rest of the day when they spotted a bear--but llamas were worse!
Mike
Mike
Mike
Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
Who can't do everything he used to and what he can do takes a hell of a lot longer!
- gary c.
- Topix Fanatic
- Posts: 1479
- Joined: Tue Jan 24, 2006 4:56 pm
- Experience: N/A
- Location: Lancaster, CA
Re: bear harassment
Over 100mls and more than 20 nights without a sighting this year. About the same miles and nights last year with one sighting near Half Dome and it moved away as soon as it saw us comming down the trail.
"On this proud and beautiful mountain we have lived hours of fraternal, warm and exalting nobility. Here for a few days we have ceased to be slaves and have really been men. It is hard to return to servitude."
-- Lionel Terray
-- Lionel Terray
- Tom
- Topix Acquainted
- Posts: 64
- Joined: Mon Oct 30, 2006 9:55 am
- Experience: N/A
- Location: Santa Maria, CA
Re: bear harassment
Plenty of sightings in the last 5 years...Kern river Canyon, SEKI, LeConte and other heavy usage areas...no bear problems. Along the Kern I even would smooth over sandy areas around camp and look for tracks in the morning. Nothing. I sat against a log near the Kern Lakes area and watched 3 bears forage across the river (Fall) and never was bothered.
Does this mean that all of the efforts with cannisters and the like are working? Or am I opening a can of worms?
Does this mean that all of the efforts with cannisters and the like are working? Or am I opening a can of worms?
- hikerchick395
- Topix Regular
- Posts: 174
- Joined: Fri Sep 11, 2009 4:41 pm
- Experience: N/A
- Location: Round Valley, Bishop
Re: bear harassment
I saw six bears this year...all in Yosemite. 3 out on the trail and 3 in the campground. The mom and two cubs (on the Panorama trail) were so great that I was almost disinterested with the ones in camp.
Saw the same amount last year and also, all in Yosemite, but I encountered one in the high country cross country hiking.
As for harassment, we usually take the opportunity to annoy the bears, not the other way around. These last couple of years, in the situations that we have come in contact, we have been quite content to just observe.
Saw the same amount last year and also, all in Yosemite, but I encountered one in the high country cross country hiking.
As for harassment, we usually take the opportunity to annoy the bears, not the other way around. These last couple of years, in the situations that we have come in contact, we have been quite content to just observe.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- cmon4day
- Topix Regular
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Wed Mar 29, 2006 3:08 pm
- Experience: N/A
- Location: Dublin, CA
Re: bear harassment
This was my bear encounter this year out of Hetch Hetchy. As I was hiking up the Moraine Trail I met face to face with a mom and her cub. We stood motionless for a few moments staring at each other until I looked away to get the camera. At that moment the mom and cub ran off.
You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.
- rlown
- Topix Docent
- Posts: 8225
- Joined: Thu Oct 25, 2007 5:00 pm
- Experience: Level 4 Explorer
- Location: Wilton, CA
Re: bear harassment
I asked because I haven't seen a bear since 2007. In the backcountry, they don't even seem interested anymore in us since we went to bear cans.. Probably a good thing. I know back in the 90's when we hung our food on the cables at Vogelsang, it was a nightly attack and party to watch the bear's try and figure that out.. early 00's, with cans, nothing..
the last scat I've actually seen was in a duck blind near Little Dry Creek near Colusa (go figure). It was red. They are eating crawfish.
Love the pics you all posted btw..
Russ
the last scat I've actually seen was in a duck blind near Little Dry Creek near Colusa (go figure). It was red. They are eating crawfish.
Love the pics you all posted btw..
Russ
- balzaccom
- Topix Addict
- Posts: 2970
- Joined: Wed Dec 17, 2008 9:22 pm
- Experience: N/A
Re: bear harassment
On the other hand...when our company went camping at Calaveras Big Trees SP, the folks at the camp next door were idiots, left food out, and had some bear problems. But in the backcountry? nothing.
Check our our website: http://www.backpackthesierra.com/
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
Or just read a good mystery novel set in the Sierra; https://www.amazon.com/Danger-Falling-R ... 0984884963
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot] and 417 guests