New England Bears?

[rondak46]

You must have bears in NE. Why are they never an issue on the boards? Dont they ransack campsites In NE too? Does anyone there use bear canisters?


Mike

 

[peakbagger]

You must be relatively new to the board!. There have been endless discussions on the bear problems in the ADK's mostly at heavilly used areas. The whites used to have a problem in the Pemi area around a couple of particular campsites but it hasnt been as much of an issue. Baxter State park had problems years ago, but they trained the campers and the problems went away.

 

[rondak46]

not new peakbagger...

.. I was referring the New England, not the North East. the boards are usually quiet about bears in NE>

Thanks,

Mike

 

[stopher]

The bears in the Whites have never bothered me or my food, even though I've had a couple of close encounters with them and often see their tracks in the late spring snow and mud. They occasionally cause problems with sloppy homeowners in my neighborhood and we had one a few years ago who didn't mind breaking down doors if he smelled food. But in the mountains, New Hampshire seems to have far less problems than what I read about in the Adirondacks and I don't know why. But on the other hand, woe be to anyone who camps near a family of red squirells.

 

[KZKlimber]

I remember about 20 years ago in the Whites the caretaker at Willey Pond(?) had an electric fence rigged to a car battery around the food cache. The bears were quite a nuisance then.

 

[Mark]

I think this theory has been proposed on this board before, but part of the problem in the High Peaks is due to the lack of good camp sites. Campers are drawn to a few concentrated areas (Marcy Dam, Lake Colden, etc.) where there are suitable sites. The bears figured this out and go where the food is more abundant.

I avoid the problem areas, but pay the price when hunting for a good camp site. I've spent hours looking for a suitable, legal site in the High Peaks.

Outside the High Peaks, finding a good site is often easier, so the bears have to work harder to find where the campers are.

 

[mavs00]

Interesting theory.....

I think this theory has been proposed on this board before, but part of the problem in the High Peaks is due to the lack of good camp sites. Campers are drawn to a few concentrated areas (Marcy Dam, Lake Colden, etc.) where there are suitable sites. The bears figured this out and go where the food is more abundant.

I'd not heard that theory, but it sure sounds plausable. I try to find out of the way legal campsites myself and have managed just fine. Never been molested in one of them, or even at one of the lesser traveled lean-to (out towards the Dix's, Sewards or Sant's). In fact, the only time I've ever been bothered has been at the more popular sites you listed (add JLB to your list).

 

[Jim lombard]

Bears

There were two problem bears (a mother and her 120lb yearling cub) along the Ammonusuc river in the town of Twin Mountain NH last summer. We were camping at a public campground near the boundry of the White Mountains and had some very up close and personal experiences with the cub. This bear had become very used to stealing food from campers. He would bluff a charge and most folks would scramble for their car while he calmly ate their supper. He visited us twice (including a sniff in our tent) before a ranger caught him in a large cannister trap.

 

[el-bagr]

There was a "problem" bear over in Franconia Notch several years ago, I believe. It was relocated several times, hazed, and ultimately shot -- but not before it took handouts from tourists at a parking lot. I think one guy even smeared ice cream on his daughter's face so the bruin would lick it off.

I have heard the theory put forth that the Whites receive less -- or more dispersed -- backcountry camping use than the ADKs. Don't know if that's true, but there certainly are huge portions of Maine where that is true. It does seem that many of the "problem bear" reports in the ADKs come from a few hotspots. By and large, I believe bears over here haven't learned that humans' pic-a-nic baskets make for easy pickings.

 

[woodstrider]

Bears in the NorthEast

I have been backpacking for a number of years and I have had a few "interesting" experiences with the black bears that we have here in the NE. From my experiences, if you camp in a highly popular campsite, say Marcy Dam or Lake Colden Leantos in the 'Daks, you can expect to have bears nosing around. Good news is that black bears are territorial. If you remove yourself from the vicinity of an area known for bear problems to an ajoining area, where the resident bear is not used to human contact, then you can camp peacefully. On one trip to the Adirondacks, I returned from a day of hiking to find fresh bear marks on the tree in which I had hung my food. I immediately packed up and moved about a 1/4 of a mile away and camped at large, my food was unmolested. Another time at the Livingston Pond leanto, a bear was nosing around our tent, but luckily ran off when I woke up to find its head in the tents door and screamed. However, it did eat all the food of the unfortunate group camped in the leanto. I guess they weren't good screamers.
While these anedotes might make a good story for the kiddies, there have been black bear attacks. Most have not been fatal.
Example: Last fall, a hiker in NJ was stalked and attacked by a black bear. It was driven off when the hiker hit it on the nose (I believe that was the way it went, but don't hang me if I'am wrong) and the hiker got away with minor injuries. But in the Smokies some years ago (like 7) a hiker was attacked and killed. Two bears found near the body were destroyed. Human remains were found in there stomaches.
But , just my opinion, bears are the least of your worries. It's the mice that you have to be afraid of. Be very afraid!