Date: Wed, 22 Sep 1999 09:21:09 -0700
Reply-To: Debi Webi <mtngal@SIERRATEL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Debi Webi <mtngal@SIERRATEL.COM>
Subject: Re: Bears, Food, and Westies ( TRUE BEAR STORY)
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Hello William,
In response to this message I have a quote for you...
One of the Rangers up in YOSEMITE told me when I inquired to the rumored
"Bear in the area"...He said the reason we have bear problems is because
"They can READ"...and he goes on to say these bears are so smart that they
can read simple words like IGLOO, and COLEMAN then goes on to say: "We seem
to have one Black bear that fancies OREO's, that's how he keeps his color
and hence we named him code name OREO", to alert other Rangers that he's in
the area....I don't know how much of this is true because he was laughing
while he told his story.
[For what it's worth: He did tell us when those metal boxes are not
available in a camping site the safest place to keep your food is (out of
your vehicle) and suspended from a tree limb...]
Before our two week camping trip in tents was over:
My then 2 1/2 years old twins were (when I exited the tent) wandering around
the picnic table screaming PUPPY, PUPPY and reaching out to PET the BEAR!!!!
I personally chased that bear out of my camp, tossing pine cones and
anything else I could find!!!
The touring Orientals thought I lost my mind, hell maybe I did... that
mother instinct is a viscous monster, too.... ;0)
A short time after our trip there was a front page
article where a bear in that same area had opened
the passenger window of a tourists car like a pop-
top can (easily folded the window frame down).
Later a story was told that a bear mauled a woman
while she slept in a hammock, with cookies....
Rumor was:
He didn't attack her, he just mauled her a bit
while he tried to get the cookies away from
her, but when she awoke screaming hysterically
the bear freaked out and ran with the box.
I'm here to say, "All Is Well" but we haven't camped in that area for
the past 4 years.
Mtngal
----- Original Message -----
From: William Dummitt <williamd@COMPUSERVE.COM>
To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 1999 1:07 PM
Subject: Re: Bears, Food, and Westies
This subject comes up on the list from time to time, and I can only offer
my personal experience.
I have never experienced, nor heard of, a bear searching for food entering
a Westy occupied by people. I've spent several weeks a year for the past
several years camping in a VW in bear country in the US and Canada and
haven't seen it yet. So I don't think you have to worry too much about
sleeping in your Westy with your food in the cabinets and fridge.
Bears entering an unoccupied vehicle for food is a different story- this
happens all the time, with Westys or any other vehicle. Years ago in
Yosemite I had a bear tear the interior of my unoccupied car to shreds to
get at food in the trunk. ( For some reason Yosemite is and always has been
one of the worst places for bears breaking into cars, much worse than
Yellowstone, Alaska, Canada, or other well-known bear habitat.) And I've
dashed out of a tent more than once to chase away a bear trying to get into
an unoccupied car nearby. But I think for the most part bears will choose
targets other than occupied vehicles.
Your best bet in places where bears are numerous is to keep food out of
sight- don't leave food containers or coolers where they can be seen by a
bear looking in. Keep the vehicle and your camp as clean as possible and
avoid really odiferous food such as bacon. I think if the inside of your
vehicle is uncluttered looking without piles of bags and boxes(hard to do
on long trips) they are less likely to try to break in.
And make sure your comprehensive insurance is paid up.
Bill
www.geocities.com/yosemite/gorge/1706
