ckent323
Senior Member
- This topic was stimulated by a lengthy comment I made to a different topic thread on trash cans. -
We deal almost exclusively with two kinds of Bears while camping in the US and Canada, Grizzly Bears and Black Bears. However, those who venture into the near north Polar regions may also encounter Polar bears.
Since the most often encountered Bears are Black Bears and since they are the smartest and most nimble of the three kinds of Bears in North America most of the information below will be about them.
Bears have an incredible sense of smell. It is estimated that Black Bears' sense of smell is about seven times greater than a bloodhound's!
Ref:
https://www.nps.gov/... famous,that it's%20difficult%20to%20measure.
They also learn to associate human odors with food.
Bears are naturally drawn to food odors and are very curious. They will investigate anything that smells like food including deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash and other 'nice' smelling things, even stinky trash.
Black Bears are quite intelligent, can learn and can see in color so once they learn, after finding and eating something, that a particular color and design of say a candy wrapper or box of food contains something they like they will remember and actively try to get to it when they see it or something like it after following food odors to a car, a tent, a car, a boat, a cabin, a picnic table, etc.
If they are able to look in a window and see something they associate with food they may try to break in to get it. Bears are very strong and can easily pop open car doors and cabin doors.
These are reasons why it is so important to store all food and food like items out of sight and in secure containers like bear boxes.
https://www.popsci.com/environment/are-bears-smart/?fbclid=IwAR2XQRwLFnqyVnb6HSm692ohWxSg87YE0aSQzszOFPGFmRqVIURWJuzA0P8
It is important to note that Bear canisters and food bags do not prevent Bears from smelling the food odors because food odors are almost always present on the outside surfaces of the containers and as was discussed above Bears have an incredibly sensitive ability to smell. Even a clean sealed container can emit tiny amounts of food odor molecules as the air in the container expands and contracts during heating and cooling during the day and night,. So while Bear resistant containers often use tight seals on the lids, that is mainly to keep water, dirt and tiny bugs out.
In places that have had or are near (within miles since Bears wander over miles) where lots of campers have hung food or trash, it generally no longer works to keep Black Bears from getting at the food (or trash). This is because the Bears have actually learned over time how to defeat the food hanging technique and get to the food or trash. They have learned they can climb out on the limbs or send Cubs out to bend the branch down or break off the limb to get the food. They have even learned to defeat commercial Bear poles by Cubs climbing up and standing on the shoulders of a standing Mama Bear.
Many places that once had Bear poles for hanging food have removed them and installed metal food storage lockers.
That intelligence and love of food is why once they break into a vehicle and successfully get a food reward often times the very next vehicle, they will try will be a car that looks identical in style and color.
That intelligence is also is why there is documented evidence of Bears working together to defeat latches on large trash bins; One Bear trips the latch while another opens the lid. Incredible and true.
Grizzlies are more brutish than nimble and smart but they are also drawn to food and they are less fearful of humans so they may may simply try to attack or smash and grab.
The Park Service, Forest Service, BLM as well as California Forest and Park rangers say “a fed Bear is a dead Bear”. Once a Bear is successful at getting human food they will very quickly become repeat offenders and thereby become dangerous to humans. That in turn too often leads to them ultimately being euthanized.
Please seek input from Rangers wherever you camp and dutifully employ their advice on how you can avoid inadvertently feeding Bears and thereby helping create a problem Bear. It is important to do this every time because the situation is constantly evolving. Places where Bears were not historically a problem are now having Bear problems due to the massive increase in visitation and sloppy camper food and waste storage habits.
Factually, this is a people problem not a Bear problem. The Bears are just doing what they have evolved to do The problem is people feeding them intentionally or unintentionally though ignorance or carelessness.
Here are National Park Service, Dept of Agriculture and Calif Parks & Recreation links to proper food storage when camping:
https://www.nps.gov/...storingfood.htm
https://www.fs.usda....prdb5191168.pdf
https://www.parks.ca...NewsRelease/806
I hope this information is helpful,
P.S. I have been in the Bear resistant food storage business, working with Park and Forest Service Bear experts, for over 20 years as well as an avid camper and backpacker for nearly 60 years (since before i was a teenager). I have personally tested containers many times with both Grizzly and Black Bears and I have encountered Black Bears while both camping and backpacking several times. No Bear has ever gotten any of my food or trash (except during supervised testing).
Craig
We deal almost exclusively with two kinds of Bears while camping in the US and Canada, Grizzly Bears and Black Bears. However, those who venture into the near north Polar regions may also encounter Polar bears.
Since the most often encountered Bears are Black Bears and since they are the smartest and most nimble of the three kinds of Bears in North America most of the information below will be about them.
Bears have an incredible sense of smell. It is estimated that Black Bears' sense of smell is about seven times greater than a bloodhound's!
Ref:
https://www.nps.gov/... famous,that it's%20difficult%20to%20measure.
They also learn to associate human odors with food.
Bears are naturally drawn to food odors and are very curious. They will investigate anything that smells like food including deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash and other 'nice' smelling things, even stinky trash.
Black Bears are quite intelligent, can learn and can see in color so once they learn, after finding and eating something, that a particular color and design of say a candy wrapper or box of food contains something they like they will remember and actively try to get to it when they see it or something like it after following food odors to a car, a tent, a car, a boat, a cabin, a picnic table, etc.
If they are able to look in a window and see something they associate with food they may try to break in to get it. Bears are very strong and can easily pop open car doors and cabin doors.
These are reasons why it is so important to store all food and food like items out of sight and in secure containers like bear boxes.
https://www.popsci.com/environment/are-bears-smart/?fbclid=IwAR2XQRwLFnqyVnb6HSm692ohWxSg87YE0aSQzszOFPGFmRqVIURWJuzA0P8
It is important to note that Bear canisters and food bags do not prevent Bears from smelling the food odors because food odors are almost always present on the outside surfaces of the containers and as was discussed above Bears have an incredibly sensitive ability to smell. Even a clean sealed container can emit tiny amounts of food odor molecules as the air in the container expands and contracts during heating and cooling during the day and night,. So while Bear resistant containers often use tight seals on the lids, that is mainly to keep water, dirt and tiny bugs out.
In places that have had or are near (within miles since Bears wander over miles) where lots of campers have hung food or trash, it generally no longer works to keep Black Bears from getting at the food (or trash). This is because the Bears have actually learned over time how to defeat the food hanging technique and get to the food or trash. They have learned they can climb out on the limbs or send Cubs out to bend the branch down or break off the limb to get the food. They have even learned to defeat commercial Bear poles by Cubs climbing up and standing on the shoulders of a standing Mama Bear.
Many places that once had Bear poles for hanging food have removed them and installed metal food storage lockers.
That intelligence and love of food is why once they break into a vehicle and successfully get a food reward often times the very next vehicle, they will try will be a car that looks identical in style and color.
That intelligence is also is why there is documented evidence of Bears working together to defeat latches on large trash bins; One Bear trips the latch while another opens the lid. Incredible and true.
Grizzlies are more brutish than nimble and smart but they are also drawn to food and they are less fearful of humans so they may may simply try to attack or smash and grab.
The Park Service, Forest Service, BLM as well as California Forest and Park rangers say “a fed Bear is a dead Bear”. Once a Bear is successful at getting human food they will very quickly become repeat offenders and thereby become dangerous to humans. That in turn too often leads to them ultimately being euthanized.
Please seek input from Rangers wherever you camp and dutifully employ their advice on how you can avoid inadvertently feeding Bears and thereby helping create a problem Bear. It is important to do this every time because the situation is constantly evolving. Places where Bears were not historically a problem are now having Bear problems due to the massive increase in visitation and sloppy camper food and waste storage habits.
Factually, this is a people problem not a Bear problem. The Bears are just doing what they have evolved to do The problem is people feeding them intentionally or unintentionally though ignorance or carelessness.
Here are National Park Service, Dept of Agriculture and Calif Parks & Recreation links to proper food storage when camping:
https://www.nps.gov/...storingfood.htm
https://www.fs.usda....prdb5191168.pdf
https://www.parks.ca...NewsRelease/806
I hope this information is helpful,
P.S. I have been in the Bear resistant food storage business, working with Park and Forest Service Bear experts, for over 20 years as well as an avid camper and backpacker for nearly 60 years (since before i was a teenager). I have personally tested containers many times with both Grizzly and Black Bears and I have encountered Black Bears while both camping and backpacking several times. No Bear has ever gotten any of my food or trash (except during supervised testing).
Craig
