Don't Feed the Bears

Protecting your food in bear country

Introduction

• Bears coexist with us in the wilderness and should be respected
• Inadvertent feeding will ultimately lead to their extinction
• Keeping human food away from them is a step toward protecting our bear population

Bears in the Sierra Nevada

• All bears in the Sierra Nevada are American black bears, Ursus americanus. This name can be misleading, as they may be black, brown, cinnamon, or even blonde in color.
• The last grizzly bear (Ursus arctos) in California was killed near Sequoia National Park in 1922.

 

Wilderness food protection

• Techniques to protect your food
• Treat your pack properly
• Use bear proof boxes when available
• Use a bear canister when appropriate
• Counterbalance your food (hang it in a tree)

Day and night

• Bears are active both day and night.
• At night and any time you are away from camp, remove all food from your pack and
• store it properly.
• Leave your pack on the ground with flaps and pockets open.
• If a bear does get your food, you are responsible for cleaning up and packing out all debris, and for reporting it to the
• nearest ranger.

Storage Boxes

• The US Forest service has placed a few metal storage boxes in the wilderness where bears are more aggressive
• (www.nps.gov)
• Use these boxes when available, even if they aren’t convenient

Bear Canisters

• Smooth sides and rounded edges so bears have nothing to grip
• Stainless steel locks are easy for humans to  open with a coin, but difficult for bears
• Holds up to 6 days of backpacking food (12 days if you do it right)

See www.rei.com

Counterbalancing your food (aka bear bagging)

• Hanging food in a tree does not guarantee it will be safe!
• Any method other than counterbalancing will probably not protect it
• Hang food only when storage boxes or canisters are not available

Select a good tree

• It is hard to find a tree that looks like the ones in the diagrams
• The small branches on the right of this tree look great
• Find a tree with a live, downsloping branch, even if you must select a different campsite.

 

 

Select tree and branch

• Divide food into two balanced bags. Store soap, sunscreen, deodorant, toothpaste and garbage in the same way as food. Bears are attracted to anything with an odor.
• Use enough rope to go over the branch and back to the ground.
• Toss it far out on the branch where it will support the weight of the food but not a bear cub.
• Make sure no objects are below the branch that could support a bear.

Return line

• Replace guide line with heavier rope to protect the tree
• Insert return line through loop in main line and hold both ends of return line

 

Attach second bag

• Hoist first bag to the branch using the return line through the loop
• Tie second bag as high on rope as possible using slip knot and tension knot if required
• Attach a noise maker (Sierra cups)

 

Tension knot

• The tension knot is a slip knot that will keep the bag that is high in the tree from crashing down on your head while you are tying the second bag to the rope

 

Loop and tension knot

• Tie a loop knot below the tension knot and insert the bag through the loop
• Coil the excess rope and hook it over the bag such that it can be knocked loose with a stick

 

Balance the bags

• Remove the tension line
• Pull return line until bags are at equal height
• Remove the return line

 

Retrieve the bags

• Use a stick to dislodge the loop of rope that was hooked to the bag
• Pull on the rope

 

A job well done

• The bags are high
• The branch is small
• It is still light outside

 

Scare the bear

• By making loud noises and throwing objects you can often scare bears away before they get to your food. Be bold, but keep a safe distance and use good judgment.
• Never attempt to retrieve food from a bear.
• Never approach a bear or get near a cub.

Sorting bear leftovers

• The perfect tree
• Expertly executed bear bag technique
• Unanticipated cubs pulled the bags UP, high into the tree and dropped the goods to mom.

 

Summary

• Even the best laid plans can be upset
• Ask the rangers about bears in your camping area
• Don’t assume that you are magically protected
• Learn the tell-tale signs of bear presence
• Report any incidents to the rangers

Words of wisdom

Next to your boots, common sense is the most important thing that you have in the wilderness!