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General Discussion / Grizzlies in Yellowstone and Glacier
« on: March 26, 2022, 06:09:27 pm »
A Montana man was killed this week just north of Yellowstone.
Most likely by a grizzly bear - probably a bear just coming out of hibernation.
https://www.newsweek.com/hiker-killed-grizzly-bear-montana-1692162
The victim was an experienced outdoorsman.
He probably came upon the bear suddenly.
Sows are especially defensive of their cubs just after hibernation.
And all bears are ravenously hungry just coming out of hibernation.
They do eat winter kill and roadkill.
This man may have done everything right, but he was still killed
Last summer, a cyclist was killed in the small Montana community of Ovando.
It seems that her group had used poor food handling and storage techniques.
https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/new-details-about-grizzly-bear-attack-that-killed-a-woman
I've lived in Wyoming and Montana for 30+ years.
I've camped - usually solo - in bear country from Wyoming to Alaska.
I am horrified reading some cyclists' journals when I see the risks they take.
Cooking in their tents because it's raining.
Eating in their tents because the mosquitos are thick.
I am actually more comfortable camping in the backcountry in Alaska than Wyoming.
Because grizzlies and other bears are still hunted there and have an innate fear of humans.
Most Yellowstone and Glacier bears have little fear of humans.
In addition, grizzly populations have increased greatly in the past 25 years.
They were nearly wiped out in the early 1970s after parks stopped allowing feeding.
The National Park Service cut them off cold turkey and they lacked foraging skills.
But now populations are such that some areas may have reached capacity.
Human/bear conflicts have increased significantly in the past 10 years.
So, let me take a moment to remind people - especially those not from the Rocky Mountains -
of a few crucial safety practices when cycling through grizzly country.
<<<>>>
A) If you plan to camp only at designated campgrounds:
1. Never. Ever. Cook or eat in your tent. Not in Wyoming. Not in Kansas. Not in New Jersey.
If you have cooked and eaten in your tent, consider getting another tent.
You may not be able to smell the peanut butter and jelly, but bears can.
2. Nearly all national park and national forest campgrounds in bear country have bear boxes.
Use them. Put everything with any odor in them immediately. Toiletries & water bottles, too.
Place your tent upwind from the area where you will be cooking.
3. Prior to arriving, try to keep food and toiletries in specific panniers.
If food items have been in all your panniers at one time or another, then put them in the bear box, too.
4. Bears are curious and may know, already, that packs and panniers often contain food.
Keep as clean of a camp as possible - day and night - so bears have little reason to check out your campsite.
5. If the people in neighboring campsites leave food and coolers out, say something to them.
Sometimes people can get defensive with you, but rangers will fine people for doing so.
Maybe use a little fibbing and say you were threatened with a $100 fine the day before.
6. Forest service and park service rangers do haze and/or remove problem bears regularly.
So, if you stay in a developed campground, you should have minimal concerns - - -
Provided you use safe camping techniques.
B) If you plan to random camp or backcountry camp -
1) Follow all of the above, plus -
2) Backcountry camping in Yellowstone and Glacier is magnificent, but challenging.
You must get a reserved backcountry campsite. Usually, some are available the morning of.
Nearly all campsites have a bear pole. Verify. And you will near 50+ feet of lightweight climbing rope.
(Which also comes in handy as a clothesline, a tarpline in case of a quick rain storm, etc.)
3) Keep a triangular camp with your tent upwind 200 yards, cooking and bear pole 200 yards apart.
4) If you are random camping on national forests - know the rules.
Random camping is prohibited in Yellowstone N.P and Glacier N.P.
Random camping is prohibited in many national forest areas adjoining national parks.
Bicycles are prohibited in wilderness areas.
5. If random camping, know how to hang your food, how to select a tree -
Or carry a bearproof cannister or ursack.
And practice hanging your packs BEFORE you head out. (Trust me.)
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/food-handling-storage.html
https://www.princeton.edu/~oa/training/bearbag.shtml
6. Some areas may require cannisters because of poor hanging for many years.
Hanging your pack from a branch is worthless - probably too low or a bear can climb up.
The single tree tie-off is better than nothing, but bears have learned to chew through the diagonal cord.
Remember, that a jar of peanut butter is a huge calorie and fat food source for little effort.
Once bears discover human food they quickly become habituated and usually have to be destroyed.
The most dangerous bears are those looking for human food.
Don't give them the opportunity.
Most likely by a grizzly bear - probably a bear just coming out of hibernation.
https://www.newsweek.com/hiker-killed-grizzly-bear-montana-1692162
The victim was an experienced outdoorsman.
He probably came upon the bear suddenly.
Sows are especially defensive of their cubs just after hibernation.
And all bears are ravenously hungry just coming out of hibernation.
They do eat winter kill and roadkill.
This man may have done everything right, but he was still killed
Last summer, a cyclist was killed in the small Montana community of Ovando.
It seems that her group had used poor food handling and storage techniques.
https://www.krtv.com/news/montana-and-regional-news/new-details-about-grizzly-bear-attack-that-killed-a-woman
I've lived in Wyoming and Montana for 30+ years.
I've camped - usually solo - in bear country from Wyoming to Alaska.
I am horrified reading some cyclists' journals when I see the risks they take.
Cooking in their tents because it's raining.
Eating in their tents because the mosquitos are thick.
I am actually more comfortable camping in the backcountry in Alaska than Wyoming.
Because grizzlies and other bears are still hunted there and have an innate fear of humans.
Most Yellowstone and Glacier bears have little fear of humans.
In addition, grizzly populations have increased greatly in the past 25 years.
They were nearly wiped out in the early 1970s after parks stopped allowing feeding.
The National Park Service cut them off cold turkey and they lacked foraging skills.
But now populations are such that some areas may have reached capacity.
Human/bear conflicts have increased significantly in the past 10 years.
So, let me take a moment to remind people - especially those not from the Rocky Mountains -
of a few crucial safety practices when cycling through grizzly country.
<<<>>>
A) If you plan to camp only at designated campgrounds:
1. Never. Ever. Cook or eat in your tent. Not in Wyoming. Not in Kansas. Not in New Jersey.
If you have cooked and eaten in your tent, consider getting another tent.
You may not be able to smell the peanut butter and jelly, but bears can.
2. Nearly all national park and national forest campgrounds in bear country have bear boxes.
Use them. Put everything with any odor in them immediately. Toiletries & water bottles, too.
Place your tent upwind from the area where you will be cooking.
3. Prior to arriving, try to keep food and toiletries in specific panniers.
If food items have been in all your panniers at one time or another, then put them in the bear box, too.
4. Bears are curious and may know, already, that packs and panniers often contain food.
Keep as clean of a camp as possible - day and night - so bears have little reason to check out your campsite.
5. If the people in neighboring campsites leave food and coolers out, say something to them.
Sometimes people can get defensive with you, but rangers will fine people for doing so.
Maybe use a little fibbing and say you were threatened with a $100 fine the day before.
6. Forest service and park service rangers do haze and/or remove problem bears regularly.
So, if you stay in a developed campground, you should have minimal concerns - - -
Provided you use safe camping techniques.
B) If you plan to random camp or backcountry camp -
1) Follow all of the above, plus -
2) Backcountry camping in Yellowstone and Glacier is magnificent, but challenging.
You must get a reserved backcountry campsite. Usually, some are available the morning of.
Nearly all campsites have a bear pole. Verify. And you will near 50+ feet of lightweight climbing rope.
(Which also comes in handy as a clothesline, a tarpline in case of a quick rain storm, etc.)
3) Keep a triangular camp with your tent upwind 200 yards, cooking and bear pole 200 yards apart.
4) If you are random camping on national forests - know the rules.
Random camping is prohibited in Yellowstone N.P and Glacier N.P.
Random camping is prohibited in many national forest areas adjoining national parks.
Bicycles are prohibited in wilderness areas.
5. If random camping, know how to hang your food, how to select a tree -
Or carry a bearproof cannister or ursack.
And practice hanging your packs BEFORE you head out. (Trust me.)
https://www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/food-handling-storage.html
https://www.princeton.edu/~oa/training/bearbag.shtml
6. Some areas may require cannisters because of poor hanging for many years.
Hanging your pack from a branch is worthless - probably too low or a bear can climb up.
The single tree tie-off is better than nothing, but bears have learned to chew through the diagonal cord.
Remember, that a jar of peanut butter is a huge calorie and fat food source for little effort.
Once bears discover human food they quickly become habituated and usually have to be destroyed.
The most dangerous bears are those looking for human food.
Don't give them the opportunity.
