Winter Question

[1ADAM12]

I know in the winter bears are not a problem so this brings me to another potential problem I know the Pine Martins and other little critters are known for getting into your packs to get food. Do you take your chances or do you carry your bear canister to protect your food? ( I am talking about over nights not day hiking )

Thanks!

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

I know in the winter bears are not a problem...

...providing there is adequate snow cover. Bears don't use calenders. They retire to their dens when the snow gets too deep and food becomes scarce.

I don't know much about pine martens, but foxes coyotes, and flying squirrels might be a problem.

 

[Chip]

Of Mice and Pine Martins

My experience in winter is as follows; (if anyone else's experience is different - please read my disclaimer)

I have never had an animal in winter get into my tent or pack for food if I was careful about cleanliness (clean your stuff) and storage (zip locks and pre-packaged food). This includes leaving food in my pack in the tent or lean-to during the day while we hiked on multi-day outings. I have had mice and a pine martin raid lean-to items that were 1) dirty 2) left out or 3) not well packaged.
So I don't bring my bear canister in winter.

 

[DougPaul]

I have heard reports of squirrels chewing holes in packs containing food in winter.

Doug

 

[sleeping bear]

I usually keep my food in a stuff sack in a snow 'pantry', or just burried, or in my tent or snow shelter. I've never had a problem, but I don't camp in areas where animals are used to people and food.

About a month ago I carefully picked up scraps and hung my food out of reach of a very bold kangaroo mouse. All that and he ate my shoe laces instead. I think he used them for his nest. Very inconvenient.

 

[DrewKnight]

Bears still active

...Bears don't use calenders. They retire to their dens when the snow gets too deep and food becomes scarce.

Yeah -- knowing when might be the trick. My commuting partner and I were speculating last week when the bears would actually go inactive, as we hadn't seen any sign of activity in a few weeks. The very next morning we saw a dead juvenile bear on in the median on 93 South in Meredith (poor guy).

 

[carole]

I saw bear tracks in the snow this past weekend. This is not uncommon. I love seeing who's out sharing the woods with me.

 

[jime]

Ratsack

I have never had a problem with a bear but for those occasions that I am worried about them I use a bear cannister.

When staying at shelters (notorious for mice etc.) I use this:

http://armoredoutdoorgear.com/ratsack.htm

I have a medium one which takes care of my food and smellables as well as those of whoever I am with. And they weigh a lot less than a cannister. They are not proven against bears however but since I've gotten this I haven't lost a meal to smaller critters.

 

[IndianChris]

I'm thinking you can usually yell and scream and a bear might go away but mice are staying. I was on Wittenberg and a mouse chewed a hole in my buddies pack (he got his in the form of a snowball). Mice will eat ANYTHING!!! You expect to run into them at places that get a lot of traffic. I was fortunate enough not to have any problems this passed weekend in the leanto where the Cold meet the Raquette but I did see some at another leanto on Long Lake that it more accessible and likely gets a lot more traffic from campers/boaters.

 

[DougPaul]

Mice will eat ANYTHING!!! You expect to run into them at places that get a lot of traffic.

Way back when, I was told to leave my pack (and its pockets) open so the small toothy investigators could check it out without having to chew any holes. (The food, of course, is elsewhere.) So far, so good.

Doug

 

[SkierSteve]

Critter notes.

Two Points: 1st, I hiked Skookumchuck to N. Lafayette this weekend and crossed a very fresh bear track in the snow. They are still out and moving around. By the way, just below the summit cone, there was at least 16" of fresh snow in the woods. I was crying for snow shoes.
2nd: The critters really snookered me this fall while staying in a leanto at Katahdin Stream. Just before turning in, I placed the trash bag in the back of my car. The next morning I open up and out dashes a well fed red squirrel. The little bugger was in the trash when it went in the car. I hate getting out smarted by rodents. Live and learn.

 

[Rick]

I was in Flowed Lands one fine winter weekend a few years back and I had hung my food properly (or so I thought) - At least 20' off the ground and 5-8 feet away from Branches, but I awoke to a rustling noise and got out of my tent to find a pine marten's rear end sticking out of my foodbag (I had an old zipper style, where the zippers come together in the middle - He (or she) had worked it open and as I grabbed snow to throw at him (or her), he (or she) pulled their head up and clenched between those tiny teeth was a white foil package of pop tarts.
That little acrobat ran down across the line for about 2' and then jumped at least 5' to a branch above the line and was gone.

this was the same weekend I awoke later night to hear a noise and see my backpack (leaning against a tree) start to convulse. I shined my light on it and as I did it fell over and out popped a raccoon. I watch him (or her) slowly waddle off and turn back to my backpack to see it again convulsing on the ground. Another raccoon comes waddling off and away he (or she) goes....

Everything was crunching on the hard snow that night and I did not get much sleep.
I think I posted this event way back BC and it was lost (if anyone remembers BC now).

 

[KayakDan]

10 years of winter camping and we've never had a problem with bears or any other critters at our food supply.
We did have a snowshoe hare eat the handgrips on a pair of trekking poles once,but I don't think that counts!
That said,I usually bury our food stash in the snow,or hang it in a tree if it's warmer than usual,and of course no food in the tent overnight.