Re: New bear trick?

Camping in Yosemite this week I suddenly woke up and looked out my tent at my car. One of the doors was open and the dome light on so I scrambled out thinking it might have been done by a bear. No bear was in sight so I closed the car door and went back to bed. The next night while chasing a bear from my campsite I actually observed the bear pulling the door handle on a van and opening the door people style.

So, you are saying, to avoid the bears hurting your car by breaking into it, in addition to leaving no food or such in it, leave the doors unlocked? hehehe

Actually the ranger said something like that was up to you.

Yes as a matter of fact they do know how to open car doors! We camped at Upper Pines last week and the first night there a bear opened the tailgate of our truck and pulled out a tote. No food what so ever was in the truck but he wanted in. The people across from our site were sleeping in their van to be awakened to the bear opening their door. Several cars and trucks were opened that night in our loop. We talked to the rangers who informed us that they could open car doors but they really were not suppposed to tell us that.

Was this bear wearing a radio collar?

Yes he/she was. Yellow tag on the ear and a green collar. The rangers told us it was Yellow 53. The last night we were there the bear walked up the the man camping next to us while he was sitting at his picnic table. Scared him and he got up slowly and started walking to his car while the bear followed him! Took the poor guy a while to calm down and get the nerve to get in his tent. This all took place at 8:40 pm. I know this because dummy me was videoing the whole event only to discover after it was done I had forgot to take the lens cap off!!!!!

We also had a bear come right up to our table and sit down next to it while we were eating. I don't know how long it was there before we noticed, but when we did notice it snatch a paper grocery bag and ran off with it. I suspect the bear was wanted us to run away scared and leave all the food behind.

FWIW, there was no food in the bag and the bear only got a box of tampons. I'm sure the bear didn't not enjoy chewing on them