Friends from the outside world (outside of the Big Bend area, that is) often ask me if I've seen any bears near our place. The truth is that not only have I found no evidence of bears near Lunaloca, I haven't even seen any black bears in the national park, where there are infrequent sightings. Not that I want to see a bear, mind you. I'm perfectly happy just knowing they're out there, somewhere.But in the park, particularly in the Chisos, there are plenty of warning signs, and metal bear boxes are located throughout the campground for campers to stash their edibles or whatever bears like to get into. Actually, I think other critters are more of a problem when it comes to campsite 'vandals' of the four- and two-legged variety.
But this morning I happened across a blog entry at Desert USA with some interesting information and good common-sensical advice, especially if you're planning to camp or hike in the national park or anywhere in the adjacent area:
A black bear destroyed 2 unoccupied tents in the Colima Canyon area of the High Chisos (above 7,000 feet) in late December. This occurred in a solitary high mountain backcountry campsite, not in the Chisos Basin campground.
According to the campers, they had not left any food in the tents. Apparently it was the smell of the shoes that attracted the bear. The bear crushed both tents, ripping the fabric to get at the shoes. When the campers returned to their site, they found that one shoe was removed from the tent, chewed on, and dropped 20 feet down the trail.
When leaving a site for a hike, please put scented items in the bear boxes. Shoes and boots might be best left outside of tents so that if a bear is curious about that particular odor, they can smell the shoe and move on. The bear destroyed the tent because it smelled something in the tent and investigated. The fabric was an incidental obstacle between them and what they want to check out. Bears don’t realize that tents cost people money, nor do bears have an understanding of private property, they are just innocently doing what they have done for millenia…act like bears. Remember that bears have a much better sense of smell than humans, so while we can’t smell some things, they can. Do your best to think like a bear as you secure your belongings.
It is advised that campers flatten tents while on a day hike away from a High Chisos site to lessen the chance of property destruction.
Black bears have been feeding in October and November near backpacking campsites in the Chisos Mountains This year much of their natural food sources was concentrated along moist drainages and north facing slopes. Hiking trails pass through these feeding grounds. This caused an increase in the frequency of hikers reporting bear sightings.
Because of our traditionally non-threatening behavior toward them, bears have largely lost their normal caution and fear of humans. The unfortunate consequence is that the bear may develop a taste for items we bring with us and try to intimidate us so they can get at our food, which can cause injury to people.
Campsites Reopened
Due to the decrease in bear sightings starting in late November, the campsites at Colima Canyon, Boot Canyon, Emory Peak and Toll Mountain have been reopened to camping for the time being. If incidents with bears increase, closures may be reinstituted and additional measures taken to discourage bears from entering sites.
No visitor has ever been attacked by a bear at Big Bend National Park. There have been a few instances this year of bears mock-charging visitors, growling, or stomping their feet when people approach or surprise them. Read further for bear discouragement techniques.
What might occur if bears develop a taste for human food is injuries to hikers if a bear wants what a person is carrying, or if a person gets between the bear and food, or property damage to tents. This will only come to pass if visitors are reckless in how they take care of the items they bring that might attract bears. This includes food, soaps, items with odors like lip balm, even trash and dirty dishes not properly secured.
The NPS is asking hikers and campers to please follow the following guidelines if encountering bears.
1) You should not linger near or approach bears if they are feeding naturally or in a tree. Give the bears room and go around them. This is their home and we are guests in this park.
2) If the bear is lingering at your camp, or if the bear intentionally approaches you or anyone in your group, it is recommended that you run the bear off by making noise and throwing rocks/sticks toward it. Do not do things to make the bear mad like hitting it with sticks or rocks, charging the bear, or any aggressive act. Do not run away either. Be assertive. The goal is for bears to remember to be wary of us.
3) Hikers should not leave packs, food, trash, or any other attractants unattended at any time or for any reason. Bears that develop a taste for our food often become dangerous. The park’s bears have not become habituated to human food and we want to keep it that way. They should be eating grubs and pine nuts. This will prevent dangerous bear-visitor encounters. It would be a tragic loss if rangers had to track down and kill a bear that became dependent on our food and began to display aggresively foraging behavior.
4) If left outside of a bear box, make sure your pack is empty and that all attractants the bear can smell are in a bearproof storage container, including things like toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm, water bottles, even canned foods. If you spilled food in your pack or you know it has odors that might attract a bear, store it in a bear-proof box. If it won’t fit, empty it entirely and leave all pockets unzipped and open.
5) Please report sightings, incidents (particularly bears that exhibit aggressive behavior), and any property damage to a ranger at the visitor center, including filling out a wildlife observation report at a visitor center.
It is advised that campers flatten tents while on a day hike away from a High Chisos site to lessen the chance of property destruction.
Black bears have been feeding in October and November near backpacking campsites in the Chisos Mountains This year much of their natural food sources was concentrated along moist drainages and north facing slopes. Hiking trails pass through these feeding grounds. This caused an increase in the frequency of hikers reporting bear sightings.
Because of our traditionally non-threatening behavior toward them, bears have largely lost their normal caution and fear of humans. The unfortunate consequence is that the bear may develop a taste for items we bring with us and try to intimidate us so they can get at our food, which can cause injury to people.
Campsites Reopened
Due to the decrease in bear sightings starting in late November, the campsites at Colima Canyon, Boot Canyon, Emory Peak and Toll Mountain have been reopened to camping for the time being. If incidents with bears increase, closures may be reinstituted and additional measures taken to discourage bears from entering sites.
No visitor has ever been attacked by a bear at Big Bend National Park. There have been a few instances this year of bears mock-charging visitors, growling, or stomping their feet when people approach or surprise them. Read further for bear discouragement techniques.
What might occur if bears develop a taste for human food is injuries to hikers if a bear wants what a person is carrying, or if a person gets between the bear and food, or property damage to tents. This will only come to pass if visitors are reckless in how they take care of the items they bring that might attract bears. This includes food, soaps, items with odors like lip balm, even trash and dirty dishes not properly secured.
The NPS is asking hikers and campers to please follow the following guidelines if encountering bears.
1) You should not linger near or approach bears if they are feeding naturally or in a tree. Give the bears room and go around them. This is their home and we are guests in this park.
2) If the bear is lingering at your camp, or if the bear intentionally approaches you or anyone in your group, it is recommended that you run the bear off by making noise and throwing rocks/sticks toward it. Do not do things to make the bear mad like hitting it with sticks or rocks, charging the bear, or any aggressive act. Do not run away either. Be assertive. The goal is for bears to remember to be wary of us.
3) Hikers should not leave packs, food, trash, or any other attractants unattended at any time or for any reason. Bears that develop a taste for our food often become dangerous. The park’s bears have not become habituated to human food and we want to keep it that way. They should be eating grubs and pine nuts. This will prevent dangerous bear-visitor encounters. It would be a tragic loss if rangers had to track down and kill a bear that became dependent on our food and began to display aggresively foraging behavior.
4) If left outside of a bear box, make sure your pack is empty and that all attractants the bear can smell are in a bearproof storage container, including things like toothpaste, sunscreen, lip balm, water bottles, even canned foods. If you spilled food in your pack or you know it has odors that might attract a bear, store it in a bear-proof box. If it won’t fit, empty it entirely and leave all pockets unzipped and open.
5) Please report sightings, incidents (particularly bears that exhibit aggressive behavior), and any property damage to a ranger at the visitor center, including filling out a wildlife observation report at a visitor center.
1 comment:
Post a Comment