Two reasons why you should keep a tidy campsite

[MountainDon]

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[Homegrown Tomatoes]

Good grief, they're as big as the tent!!  Whew!  Looks like people would know better than to try to attract bears in grizzly territory!  I am probably overly-cautious about it after having a close encounter with a grizzly in Wyoming one time....those guys make the bears here in OK look like little stuffed animals, though.

[Redoverfarm]

Looks like they found another Pickanix basket BooBoo.  No wonder they are so fat.  Well fed in this fashion I would say.

[StinkerBell]

Those Bears are Huge!

[MountainDon]

I've been wondering where this was and how it happened that the campers seemed to have presence of mind to grab the camera. Plastic furniture seemed odd, but I suppose they were truck based campers, not backpackers. In that case why did they leave food out?

Brainless or a hoped for photo op?


Pardon me, but my skeptic bone is sometimes too active.   

[fishing_guy]

MD,

We were staying at a resort on Leech Lake in MN a few (ok, more than a few) years ago.  As we were coming out of the lodge bar at 12:30 at night, I (jokingly) told my wife, "Look honey, a bear."  Sure enough, back by the woods, we saw a bear going into the woods.

The next morning I woke up, and there was a truck camper parked next to us, with a guy wandering around.  I asked him what he was looking for.
He said a big red cooler.

I asked him if he wanted to go for a walk.

Sure enough, where we saw the bear going into the woods, we found a jar of pickles.  As we went further into the woods, we found various other assorted cans and jars of food.  About 50 ft into the woods, there sat the guy's cooler, with a big bear claw mark on one end.

The camper had the nerve to complain to the owner of the resort.  As the owner told him, "I told you not to store ANY food outside.  Not my problem."

Some people just don't get it...

[MountainDon]

Oh yeah, I've had the unfortunate experience to wake up to a bear helping him/herself to a picnic left out by stupid/idiot/brainless/brain damaged/dangerous campers across the campground road from me. Even with signs posted people continue to do it.  No wonder I/we gravitate to camping in the wild. Much safer, IMO.


Years ago in a national forest campground I woke up to a bear ambling up the campground road looking for something to eat I surmised. I fired a couple shots (in the dirt) to scare it off. It took off but I was surprised at the attitude of some of the other campers. They were not gun folks. A lady accused me of being nasty and a gun nut. She was only correct on one point I believe. She reported me to a ranger who p/o'd the lady when he said "good job".

[cordwood]

I've been wondering where this was and how it happened that the campers seemed to have presence of mind to grab the camera. Plastic furniture seemed odd, but I suppose they were truck based campers, not backpackers. In that case why did they leave food out?

Brainless or a hoped for photo op?


Pardon me, but my skeptic bone is sometimes too active.   

My skeptic bone was also active, 4 tiny chairs around the table ? Old sun fadded 6 pack cooler with no beer or ice!? Nonfolding chairs? Anyone ever try to sit in those resin chairs on uneven ground? If it is real they should be easy to spot,.......There traveling with 4 pixies and no shoes

[muldoon]

nothing to do with bears -

but after the first of 3 hurricane scares this past summer, (with one direct hit) I learned quick to leave my place in the country tidied up and bundled down.  I dont ever want to make a 100 mile road trip just to tie down picnic table, trash can and bbq pit and close shutters on windows again when if a major storm is coming and I need to focus on my primary residence. 

I have done it every since.  every trip gets the full cleanup and lockdown when its time to go. 

Thats my reason for leaving a tidy camp. 

[tesa]

od lord, thats crazy!

just watching them go thru that buffet was nuts

i've never camped in bear country before, but i've got a working brain for gosh sake

luckly they didn't get a whiff of the humans

tesa