Bear safe food prep and storage in camp

[CJnGA]

I've been reading up on being "bear aware" across multiple websites. One of the key ideas I keep seeing is to keep your food away from where you sleep. However, when I watch @Big Fin videos, I see Beau and others cooking and eating while sitting on or near their cots. Are they taking other precautions that aren't seen on camera or are they just not in bear territory? I don't think I've seen a single backcountry camp/hunt video (other than on 'Alone') where folks are not cooking in or near their main camp area.

What am I missing?

CJ

 

[BillDoe708]

Good question

 

[Dave N]

Cooking and eating is different than storing. Clean up your dishes and that smell goes away. Not to mention, you are awake as you eat.

 

[MTLabrador]

I cook in my wall tent in grizzly country. At night I lock my food in my coolers outside the tent or put food in my truck.

If I’m backpacking in bad grizzly country I try not to cook right by my tent.

 

[CJnGA]

I cook in my wall tent in grizzly country. At night I lock my food in my coolers outside the tent or put food in my truck.

If I’m backpacking in bad grizzly country I try not to cook right by my tent.

That's good to know. That's what I have seen the most - people cooking and eating in the same wall tent that they're sleeping in. By reading the 'be bear aware' literature, that comes across as a no-no, but it sounds like it may be acceptable assuming good camp 'hygiene' of cleaning up scraps and dishes and storing food securely.

We're doing our first wall tent camp AND our first venture into grizz territory this year, so a lot for us to learn and want to make sure we stay ahead of the safety items.

 

[shrapnel]

What am I missing?

CJ

 

[Straight Arrow]

My wife and I just completed a seven day trek through Wyoming's Thorofare, seeing bear tracks and scat each day. We use a bear bag and a bear proof canister lashed to a tree for food storage away from our tent. When raining, we do cook and eat in tent front small area, but are careful not to spill or leave food odors.

Often asked why I don't fish when outback, I reply, "Last thing I want is to smell like a trout when I crawl into my sleeping bag!"

 

[Gary]

All the guides (and hunters) I know (here in AK) cook and eat inside the tent (depending on weather). Most store food under the tent fly. (Lots of places there are no trees to hang food from and other "safe storage" methods are too bulky or heavy to be practical.)
The rules on food storage and preparation seem to be reasonable, given the bears sense of smell and general unpredictable behavior, but don't have a lot of value in real world experience.

 

[Straight Arrow]

but don't have a lot of value in real world experience.

If you are limiting your "real world experience" to guided and outfitted camps horse / mule packed-in with large tents, much gear & equipment, and numerous people, then your perspective may be pretty accurate. However, for the preponderance of solo or small group on-your-own hunters, backpackers, photographers and other bear country outdoor recreationists, the bear-aware food storage / preparation rules are critical to avoiding unnecessary bear issues. 'Don't have the statistical data to confirm, but I would guess the number of backpackers alone exceeds the number of folks occupying outfitter camps.

 

[Gary]

If you are limiting your "real world experience" to guided and outfitted camps horse / mule packed-in with large tents, much gear & equipment, and numerous people, then your perspective may be pretty accurate. However, for the preponderance of solo or small group on-your-own hunters, backpackers, photographers and other bear country outdoor recreationists, the bear-aware food storage / preparation rules are critical to avoiding unnecessary bear issues. 'Don't have the statistical data to confirm, but I would guess the number of backpackers alone exceeds the number of folks occupying outfitter camps.

"Guides and HUNTERS". In AK real world experience doesn't include a lot of "outfitted camps horses/mule packed -in with large tents, much gear & equipment". Most guided hunts revolve around small plane travel. As such, flights are minimized to increase profits. A lot of personal hunts can also utilize small planes for access, fewer flights = cheaper hunts.
In areas, like AK, where bears are on the big game list, bears are less apt to sniff around camps to find food. Bears that do sniff around camps usually end up as rugs. In places where bears are not on the big game list, they are more apt to evolve into "national park bears" that equate humans with food. There is a lesson here, but preservationists aren't likely to learn anything from it.

 

[Straight Arrow]

"Guides and HUNTERS". In AK real world experience doesn't include a lot of "outfitted camps horses/mule packed -in with large tents, much gear & equipment". Most guided hunts revolve around small plane travel. As such, flights are minimized to increase profits. A lot of personal hunts can also utilize small planes for access, fewer flights = cheaper hunts.
In areas, like AK, where bears are on the big game list, bears are less apt to sniff around camps to find food. Bears that do sniff around camps usually end up as rugs. In places where bears are not on the big game list, they are more apt to evolve into "national park bears" that equate humans with food. There is a lesson here, but preservationists aren't likely to learn anything from it.

I agree with you. However, that information and description of AK real world does not refute the solid efficacy of bear-aware practices.

Rhetoric that smacks of "either you are a hunter or you are a preservationist" tends to exacerbate the contentious divide between hunters and others, when both are really interested in proper and effective wildlife management. As you illustrate, it's also a matter of location, habitat and wildlife numbers as well as behavior.

 

[Akcabin]

In the 40 years I've hunted in AK. I have not met a hunter that hangs their food in a tree away from camp. For me I keep it near the tent. I would be concerned about bears being enticed by food away from camp thinking they have a chance at food. Instead of being inclined to take a chance at food that is near humans.
I've also had a camp torn up while out hunting. They seem to tend to try everything. Especially gasoline or oil.
There is probably other natural food around in the fall. Such as salmon so that probably plays a part. Although bears are bears.
I do understand the concept of keeping food away from your camp but also believe that I would have more problems particularly at night if I did. The bears tend to avoid camp , at least when I'm there. But then maybe I just have a bad habit

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

If I’m backpacking in bad grizzly country I try not to cook right by my tent.

Maybe I’m playing with fire but I’ve always slept with food, in black bear country.

Saw 9 bears on Saturday, 1 we made a play on and disappeared 800 yards above where we slept right before the end of shooting light. No issues.

In AK I’ve slept with bars and de-hys but will put trash and other food in a bear bag and hang it if possible. If not possible I will put it in a bear bag and keep it close-ish to the tent. I figure if the bear is going to poke around camp it’s probably not being lured in by a couple wrappers, but if it is going to come it close I’d rather have it take the food and leave. Definitely a toss up between the danger of having your food destroyed or having a bad bear encounter.

In the last 10 years I’ve never had a dinner in the backcountry that wasn’t a dehy and I’ve never used my stove for anything other than boiling water so YMMV if your cooking bacon and crap.

 

[MTLabrador]

Maybe I’m playing with fire but I’ve always slept with food, in black bear country.

Saw 9 bears on Saturday, 1 we made a play on and disappeared 800 yards above where we slept right before the end of shooting light. No issues.

In AK I’ve slept with bars and de-hys but will put trash and other food in a bear bag and hang it if possible. If not possible I will put it in a bear bag and keep it close-ish to the tent. I figure if the bear is going to poke around camp it’s probably not being lured in by a couple wrappers, but if it is going to come it close I’d rather have it take the food and leave. Definitely a toss up between the danger of having your food destroyed or having a bad bear encounter.

In the last 10 years I’ve never had a dinner in the backcountry that wasn’t a dehy and I’ve never used my stove for anything other than boiling water so YMMV if your cooking bacon and crap.

With black bears I don’t worry about it at all. In Alaska I probably wouldn’t worry as much. But with GYE bears… I take extra precautions. I always hang my food at a minimum, and I usually try to cook at least a little ways a way, even with freeze dry.

Two previous coworkers of mine told me a story of spending a long night in the Beartooths. They got lazy, kept food in camp, and had a grizzly going back and forth between their tents popping its jaws and pressing its nose into their tents. The bear left and came back several times that night. That and a few other encounters I and friends have had stuck with me.

 

[Akcabin]

With black bears I don’t worry about it at all. In Alaska I probably wouldn’t worry as much. But with GYE bears… I take extra precautions. I always hang my food at a minimum, and I usually try to cook at least a little ways a way, even with freeze dry.

Two previous coworkers of mine told me a story of spending a long night in the Beartooths. They got lazy, kept food in camp, and had a grizzly going back and forth between their tents popping its jaws and pressing its nose into their tents. The bear left and came back several times that night. That and a few other encounters I and friends have had stuck with me.

I wonder why they didn't try to scare the bear away ?
I've had grizzlies do this but it seems more of a bluff type of challenge. Just circle around me keeping their distance trying to scare me off. Popping jaws and huffing

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

With black bears I don’t worry about it at all. In Alaska I probably wouldn’t worry as much. But with GYE bears… I take extra precautions. I always hang my food at a minimum, and I usually try to cook at least a little ways a way, even with freeze dry.

Two previous coworkers of mine told me a story of spending a long night in the Beartooths. They got lazy, kept food in camp, and had a grizzly going back and forth between their tents popping its jaws and pressing its nose into their tents. The bear left and came back several times that night. That and a few other encounters I and friends have had stuck with me.

Yeah if I was camping in some of the high traffic black bear areas I wouldn't be sleeping with food either. A friend in CO had a bear break into their camper with them in it.

Context is definitely a key factor.

 

[MTLabrador]

I wonder why they didn't try to scare the bear away ?
I've had grizzlies do this but it seems more of a bluff type of challenge. Just circle around me keeping their distance trying to scare me off. Popping jaws and huffing

They were just scared shitless. I’ve never had a grizzly come into camp and been aware of it, although I did have one leave tracks outside the tent my dad and I were in as a kid. I’ve run off black bears from camp several times.