Put all your food in a bag and hang it in a tree folks. Do NOT have food in your tent. Though the article doesn’t say, the chances are good this guy had food.
“Though the article doesn’t say, the chances are good this guy had food.”
Or chances are the bear thought he was food. Maybe the guy told the bear he was in his space space and the bear retreated.
In one of my recent trips to the Adirondacks, some smart-ass Ranger hung a thick, HDPE drum, that had been literally shredded by a bear, with a sign that said “this is NOT a bear-proof canister.”
I’m told that bears are especially attracted by the smell of toothpaste, shampoo or even mouthwash - so don’t keep those in your tent as well.
Or you'll be sleeping in a zip-lock bag.
Right you are.
However, the only way to help minimize a bear encounter is to ensure ALL food, and toiletries (toothpaste & soap) are in an Airtight zip bag and then it’s recommended that you hang your food on a bear-proof bag or cannister 100+ feet away from your campsite.
*I have had a bear come right up to my tent, its nose against my head, even though there was Absolutely No food or wrappers in or around the tent.
The bear was attracted to the very faint peppermint odor in the toothpaste I used an hour prior to the encounter.*
Bears have incredibly sensitive sense of smell, and can detect and track the smell of food (through two new sealed zip lock bags) a mile away. Ziplock bags are slightly porous
My recommendation that has worked hiking hundreds of miles through bear country:
1. Get an Ursack and follow the directions Completely.
2. Carry a small 1 Oz bottle of PineSol and put two drops on your food bag before you hang it up outside your tent, as well as two drops on your pack, and both sides of your tent.
The USFS, and State wildlife Biologists attest to the fact that PineSol (7% turpentine oil) is very effective at masking faint food odors from being detected by bears.
Ursack.com
RE: “Put all your food in a bag and hang it in a tree folks. Do NOT have food in your tent. Though the article doesn’t say, the chances are good this guy had food.”
Agreed. This is not a bear attack.
The bear don’t go for the hard to reach. He just wanted him some leg.
Yup. Probably in his sock.
This is basic information that any camper (or Boy Scout) is taught.
And not only Bears but other critters will be paying you a visit in the middle of the night.
You are absolutely correct-and from personal experience, may I also say don’t leave even a crumb of food in your vehicle, even in a closed ice chest.
My 1st husband was from New Mexico, and we went camping there a lot, especially when our cub was young-on one trip, we did as always before turning in for the night, hanging up or taking all food supplies into the pop-up camper with us. We were awakened later by the sound of something being squashed and destroyed-our cub had not only forgotten to close the back window of the Suburban-she had also left a package of Oreo cookies she’d been munching from that afternoon in the Styrofoam ice chest in the cargo area.
A bear had climbed through the window, gotten the ice chest, and was beside the Suburban, gleefully shredding it to get at the package of cookies. We woke the kid up so she could watch the carnage and remember no food left at ground level means just that-she never did that again...
Raise the hunting limit on Bears. With the loss of the chestnut, the high numbers of bears is unsustainable.
That’s what I’m thinking. Somebody sneaked a twinky in their tent. Always hang food up in a tree.
I’ve heard of cars being destroyed over gum left in the car. We can’t even fathom a bear’s sense of smell.