[philmont] Bear Ropes

A little late, but here is a staffer's perspective on bears. Since crews
are constantly on the move, they miss the bears that backcountry staff sees
on a regular basis. I was staff at Philmont for seven summers '97-'03, and
each year we had a local bear in the vicinity of out camp (not always a
“problem” bear, but one we saw often). And each year there were certain
camps that were known as bear problem camps.
I will give the example of Clark’s Fork in 2001. My now husband was CD of
the camp that year. Clark’s averaged three bear sightings a day and trapped
and moved six bears that summer. The bears, through learned behavior,
ripped off the walls of the wrangler’s bunkhouse, tore into backpacks, and
ate waterlines. The total bear reports that summer were over 200. My
husband has a great story about the treed bear that was tranquilized, got
stuck in a tree, and a staffer had to climb up and un-stick the bear. And I
have a story about bear at Fish Camp in 2000. The bear had been a pet, but
was released when it got too big. We trapped and moved this bear, and
learned later that it was put down somewhere else.

Staff doesn’t see the bears as they cutely rummage through smellables.
Instead, the staff sees the bear trapped in a small cage and removed, or
worse. Yes, the inconvience of a bear eating a campers food is huge, but
imagine what happens to the bear. In 2003 I had to identify a bear that had
to be killed on Philmont. (The Ute Gulch bear). The bear was strung up by
it's heels on a hook in a shed. Imagine your dog or cat there. And then
realize that we all have the power to stop this from happening to a
magnificent creature.

As I learned at Philmont, there are no problem bears, there are only problem
campers. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but it is always a good thing
to focus on the bears and their lives as opposed to the hardship to crews.

Thanks for your time,
Nancy Stickelman
BC '97-'03

_________________________________________________________________
>From predictions to trailers, check out the MSN Entertainment Guide to the
Academy Awards®
http://movies.msn.com/movies/oscars2007/?icid=ncoscartagline1

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
To Unsubscribe send text email to:

     To: listserv@troop47.com
     Subject: unsubscribe
     Body: unsubscribe philmont@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------

As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Wed Jan 24 03:52:25 2007