Re: Bear Activity

Compared to last year bear activity has been slow this September. However, bears have been continuing to enter the Pines campgrounds and Housekeeping Camp nightly. A large untagged male bear has been in the Pines Campgrounds almost every night. A sow with a cub has also been around the Pines Campgrounds as well as Housekeeping Camp and Curry Village regularly.

A younger bear has been spotted in Little Yosemite Valley and on the John Muir Trail above the Half Dome Junction. If you are hiking please keep your backpacks with you as bears may be out any time of the day or night.

Not precisely related, but I was watching the Travel Channel the other day (in the background) when they had an hour on Yosemite. There was a lot I already knew, but then they had a piece on the bear management methods. It was insane how fast it took for a bear to rip open the door frame on a car that had apparently only been parked a half hour or so. This was also in broad daylight. Apparently the bear saw food clearly visible from the window.

Then they moved on to the deterrence techniques. Of course it was the usual demonstration of how to properly clip one of the older bear boxes, then tagging and collaring, followed by aversion techniques. I guess the general public are specifically not allowed to have paintball guns, but the bear management folks do have them. Of course real paintballs would probably detract from the experience of Yosemite, so they used clear paintballs; I understand the clear paintballs are designed for military/law enforcement training or just simple target practice, but the crew claimed that they had them specially made. The ranger demonstrated the rapid-fire technique she would use on a bear, as well as yelling to get the bear to associate the pain with human contact. At night I wouldn't be surprised if they also had night-vision.



Post Edited (09-26-08 09:50)

I heard a bear test my bear box locking one night when camping in Porcupine Flat. Also had paw prints on a car window the next morning.

Last October at Upper Pines there was loud banging going on in the middle of the night. I wondered why they'd be doing construction through the night. Asking about it the next day, it turns out the bears learned by crashing into the doors, the ones not completely locked would pop open.

So the new bear boxes are easier on the fingers, but harder on a night's sleep, I guess.

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Gary
Yosemite Photo Galleries: http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/yo

Four years ago, my family was camped in Upper Pines. We tow 5x8 enclosed U-Haul trailer with roll-up rear door, for all the camping supplies. One night my wife and I had gone to bed and the kids stayed up playing cards. They went into the trailer to get soft drinks out of the ice chests, rolled the door down but forgot to latch it. About 12:30am, after everyone else had gone to bed, I heard the roll-up door on the trailer going up! I ran out of the tent just in time to see a bear drag one of the ice chests out of the trailer and then proceeded to stare me down as I approached with pan and spoon(noisemaker).
Needless to say, everyone in our loop did not get back to sleep until about an hour later. The ranger took a report from me. The bear's ear was tagged but I don't recall the number.

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Bob Nicholas

A younger bear has been in the area between Little Yosemite Valley and the John Muir Trail above the Half Dome Junction. This bear has been getting food from people, mostly leaving food unattended in backpacks. If you are hiking please keep your backpacks with you as bears may be out any time of the day or night.