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hollyclimber
Big Wall climber
Seattle, Wa
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Topic Author's Original Post - Jun 27, 2005 - 06:31pm PT
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Yes, this is a Jedi mindtrick.
As many of us know, Bear 46 loves to harass. I have video of Bear 46 from last fall when we found him in a tree and decided to torment him back (he doesn't like me in the tree with him, he hisses). As far as we know, we have been seeing him (I think its a her) at the base this year.
But, one day as we were hiking out from a day of work on the Captain, we saw the junior bear rangers. I started saying (loudly, I admit I have no other way) stuff about how Bear 46 should die (much to the protests of Dave Swillingbear).
The male junior bear ranger turns around and looks at me and says...There is NO Bear 46.
Strange. They must have seen Star Wars recently. Goes along with the funny posters at the base. "Recently there has been new bear activity, bears are STARTING to be agressive, don't leave smelly stuff at the base". HA -that was the appropriate wording about 18 months ago. Now, it should be - two agressive bears troll the base daily, they will charge, they WILL grab haul bags WHILE THEY ARE BEING HAULED, they no longer care if there is smelly stuff, they now break into any haulbag and even drink your water. But, hey, we won't bother to relocate them or take any other action like we do to the other bears under the supposed 3 strikes your out rule, because a bear at the base of El Cap isn't the same as a bear who bothers paying tourists.
But, after all, none of this is needed I guess, because THERE IS NO BEAR 46???
Slight out of touch rangers...what's new.
Holly
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up2top
Big Wall climber
Phoenix, AZ
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Jun 29, 2005 - 11:54am PT
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This is funny. I hung my ledge a couple of nights last week from the second bolt to the "variation" on the Zodiac. The pigs were rigged and ready to get hauled the next morning and were stationed literally three feet from me. I heard the bags rustle in the night and turned on my head lamp to see ol' #46 nosing my bags. She looked right at me a little surprised like "ah, heck...there's somebody here..." and slowly strolled off toward the Trip.
That was the last I saw of her, no more than a meter from my face, and her right ear definitely had a #46 tag on it. We've met before, too, a couple of years ago when she raided my empty Camelback at the base of Zodiac while I was fixing the first pitch. I think she has the same fixation with Zodiac that I do, but of course, for different reasons.
Ed
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 29, 2005 - 12:08pm PT
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With all due respect to NPS, you have to wonder if a bear would be allowed to regularly raid humans for several years, raise young and teach them to raid, if the campgrounds were the target and not climbers.
I hate to say it, but #46 is never going to stop raiding humans, and is teaching others to do the same. It's time for a time out for #46. How hard could she be to catch?
Peace
karl
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casey
climber
oakland
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Jun 29, 2005 - 01:03pm PT
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we were hanging out at the base of el cap on sunday, when a bear came walking up the trail. (not through the woods, on the trail.) he stopped right in the middle of the trail, yawned, and sort of plopped down to take a nap like a big dog. when we decided to leave, my friend kind of yelled at him and told him to get out, and threw a rock about 8 feet away from him. the bear could not have cared less. friend tried again. the bear finally got up, slowly, kind of pissed that we were waking him; and ambled west up the trail. i'm sure had we both been on route our packs would have been scavenged, the bear was curious but seemed too lazy in the hot weather to bother to check us out.
kind of reminded me of an overgrown, fat and lazy shepherd dog. that is, until you try to pet him i guess.
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 29, 2005 - 01:15pm PT
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I saw a bear trap at El Cap meadow when I was leaving the park around June 9th or 10.
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Nor Cal
Trad climber
San Mateo
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Jun 29, 2005 - 01:58pm PT
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Bear 46 does exist
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StyMingersfink
climber
the 51st state.... denial
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Jun 29, 2005 - 02:27pm PT
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An associate was relating the proper way to deal with less than friendly grizzlies in alaska.
The friend was relating that the officially recommended way was to administer "anti-bear spray" on the charging bear, then as a last resort pump the angry animal full of .45 rounds till it stops advancing upon yourself, if you could.
The best way to remain alive, however, was to pump the thing full of .45 rounds, then spray it with "anti-bear spray". This way you could claim to have given it the officially recommended treatment with supporting evidence at the scene, while lessening the chance of the damn thing killing you before you could determine the effectiveness of the bear spray. If anyone called you on it, you could claim confusion in all the excitement... at least i THINK that's the way it happened.
Of course, since the park service will not allow firearms in the park, we are not able to use this course of action.
On another subject, ranchers in Utah, Idaho, Montana etc. are a little pissed because the increasing wolf population has been feeding on their sheep herds.
I have heard that trappers of the last century had one brutal but effective means to eradicate these animals, involving razor blades frozen within chunks of meat. When left for the animal to find, it would chew or lick the tasty morsel, receiving cuts to their tongue or digestive system which would prove fatal in the very near term.
Why do I mention this?
I think #46 needs a little negative reinforcement that haul bags are not ok to mess with. Perhaps something a little less fatal than razor blades?
Exploding bear spray, like the dye-packs used by banks to mark stolen money could prove useful, though its effectiveness would need to be monitored.
The program would need to be administered by the park service, as I will be too busy climbing to worry about the bears once my haul bags are off the ground.
Till then, my strategy will have to change. I will now have to fix the first pitch, carry loads to the base and haul them up the wall as the supplies arrive. ...And carry a little bear spray.
WHY PEOPLE DON'T ACTUALLY HIT THE BEARS WITH THROWN ROCKS WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER THEM IS BEYOND ME.
Geez.
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Minerals
Social climber
The Deli
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Jun 29, 2005 - 02:38pm PT
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Yeah, or like the wild horses that sometimes get shot by cattle ranchers out here in Nevada because the horses compete with their cattle for water sources. F*#k the ranchers and their stupid fences.
That bear is a beautiful animal and it’s not the one at fault here. It’s just stuck in a stupid f*#ked up situation that was created by man. Leave ‘em alone and deal with your stuff properly.
Hey Nor Cal - why did you shrink your bear picture?
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Forest
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jun 29, 2005 - 03:13pm PT
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And I will defend my Dog too, no matter what the Govt. says... Wolves will kill her on sight
Then do the right thing for both your dog's safety and the wolves and don't bring your dog into wolf territory.
But I carry in the woods here, anymore. If it becomes necessary, Shoot, Shovel, Shut-up. And haul any collars a few miles away.
It's good to know that you're willing to respect nature. Except when it's inconvenient for you...
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Forest
Trad climber
Tucson, AZ
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Jun 29, 2005 - 05:24pm PT
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I had assumed from your profile that you were, in fact, talking about yosemite and the sierras, where carrying a gun is highly unnecessary (and that you were therefore traveling *to* wolf territory.) If you're dealing with grizzlies, my sympathies are with you.
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'Pass the Pitons' Pete
Big Wall climber
like Oakville, Ontario, Canada, eh?
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Jun 29, 2005 - 09:57pm PT
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" I started saying (loudly, I admit I have no other way) stuff about how Bear 46 should die (much to the protests of Dave Swillingbear)."
{sigh} I love it when a girl gets it.
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Karl Baba
Trad climber
Yosemite, Ca
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Jun 29, 2005 - 10:55pm PT
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I don't exist and I want to eat your haul bag!!!
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PC LoadLetter What the...
Trad climber
Raleigh, NC
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Jun 30, 2005 - 09:01am PT
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RokJox, That quote is from the movie "Jeremiah Johnson" starring Robert Redford.
Astupid thing for a first post to be about, but maybe it doesn't exist either...
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Nor Cal
Trad climber
San Mateo
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Jun 30, 2005 - 10:02am PT
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Karl,
when I saw bear #46 (in above picture) Brett was the first to find him. Looks like this is his second encounter with the bear. It was quite funny, we were stuck in traffic in the valley and Brett had to pee, so out of the car he goes. With in seconds he is running back yelling BEAR BEAR BEAR!
We got our cameras and hunted him down.
You should call or email Brett, he had a little accident and can use a few calls.
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crotch
climber
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Jun 30, 2005 - 09:05pm PT
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From http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/6652474p-6539228c.html
Grizzly bear kills couple at ANWR campsite
NEAR KAKTOVIK: The Anchorage rafters' food was properly stored, officials say.
By JEANNETTE J. LEE
The Associated Press
Published: June 27th, 2005
Last Modified: June 28th, 2005 at 03:52 AM
Two people camping along the Hulahula River in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge were killed by a grizzly bear, officials said Sunday.
Officials discovered the bodies and an unused firearm in a tent at a campsite near the river.
The couple, whose names were not released, were believed to be in their late 50s or early 60s, North Slope Borough police said. They were from Anchorage and had been on a recreational rafting trip down the river, Alaska State Troopers said.
The victims were in their tent when the attack occurred, according to troopers spokesman Tim DeSpain.
The campsite was clean, with food stored in bear-proof containers.
"The initial scene indicates that it was a predatory act by the bear," DeSpain said.
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Ouch!
climber
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Jun 30, 2005 - 10:36pm PT
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Bear #46 would never eat a climber. Eat a skinny climber and it's bear food for a day. Keep the climbers hauling pigs and you feed him forever. Bear # 46 is smart that way.
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Ouch!
climber
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Jun 30, 2005 - 10:51pm PT
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Weird, It's just the reverse of Repugnicant economics. You losers try to grab up and make off with everything and stash it in your pigs, leaving nothing for seed. It's like you buy a Repugnicant a textbook...and he eats the book.
It's obvious that bear #46 is smarter than the average repugnicant.
As an old bear hunter, I don't think I would have shot bear #46.
He's definitely a progressive ursus americanus americanus. You can tell that from the size of his ears.
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 30, 2005 - 11:05pm PT
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I want to think Bear #46 respected my stuff for the most part because I pissed around all my stuff marking it. Kind of Gross i know, but it worked. He use to chomp water bottles and suck them dry, If it's the same bear? Now, He unscrews the cap drinks a little bit of your water, Not to much, sets it down, so it does not spill, and walks away. Kind in a civilized way. He did that to 3 of my 2-liter bottles leaving everything else including the food alone???? Weird?
He got half of my food a few days later while i was on the wall, But that's a different story.
I heard ammonia works to keep them away....Don't be surprise if you use this technique and walk up to a male deer Humping your Haulbag.
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ChrisW
Trad climber
boulder, co
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Jun 30, 2005 - 11:24pm PT
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I want to think Bear #46 respected my stuff for the most part because I pissed around all my stuff marking it. Kind of Gross i know, but it worked. He use to chomp water bottles and suck them dry, If it's the same bear? Now, He unscrews the cap drinks a little bit of your water, Not to much, sets it down, so it does not spill, and walks away. Kind in a civilized way. He did that to 3 of my 2-liter bottles leaving everything else including the food alone???? Weird?
He got half of my food a few days later while i was on the wall, But that's a different story.
I heard ammonia works to keep them away....Don't be surprise if you use this technique and walk up to a male deer Humping your Haulbag.
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