Re: [Philmont]: Bears

There are plenty of bears at Philmont; the last estimate I saw was about
one per square mile, which would equal over 200 bears. That, however,
was before the extended drought, so I do not know the current estimate.
  Regardless, there are plenty of bears at Philmont.

It is important to realize that Philmont has done a really good job of
minimizing the risk. In the late 60's and 70's, the bear problem was
just out of control. I saw 18 bears in 1972, and 23 in 1973, and heard
(and smelled) plenty more after dark. Many of those sightings,
hearings, and smellings were the same bears paying multiple visits, but
you get the idea.

Anyway, vastly improved bear safety procedures and training bordering on
obsessive have dropped the risk way down. I have been on several treks
now where I didn't see a single bear. I would say the average Crew will
have one or two sightings, and most of them are at some distance or of a
bear running through a camp.

This is of course exactly how it should be. When I was a youth, the
bears all knew that they WOULD get food if they were persistent and
crafty enough, or if the Crews were careless. That is no longer the case.

I believe it was Wally or Cooper who several years ago relayed that
according to the bear experts at Philmont, virtually every bear incident
at Philmont was a direct result of human carelessness (like food fights
or sneaking a candy bar into your tent). Or in a few cases of truly
stupid behavior, bear-baiting (which, BTW, is a criminal offense in New
Mexico).

My standard analogy on bears at Philmont is as follows: I have a stop
sign at the end of my street. I can take that stop sign at 60 miles an
hour every day for three months, and will have not a single problem.
BUT IF I DO, it will be one Hell of a wreck, and people will more than
likely be injured or killed.

So it is with bears. The Rangers put the fear of God into the Scouts,
then they don't see any, and so get complacent and careless, and then
comes the night where it's payback time. Mother Nature is not a
liberal, and she laughs at excuses. Or if you prefer, Darwinian
Selection can be awfully tough on the selectee.

You may find the following treatise to be of some interest:

        http://www.troop111.org/bear.html

- Dr. Bob

Rick Tyler wrote:
> I grew up backpacking in the Sierra Nevada, where bears are numerous
> and talented. I've had backpacking partners had to chase bears
> through Little Yosemite Valley to retrieve a pack (the bear was
> carrying the whole thing), and had bears scratch my car's paint and
> rip the bottom out of a completely empty pack. In 40-ish years of
> travel in the Sierras I've had backcountry bear problems twice.
>
> So, the question is, how many bear sightings does the typical crew
> usually have? If someone accidentally gets a spot of toothpaste on
> their Bibler tent, do they really have to ritually dispose of it? I
> know I'm getting facetious, but how much of this bear advice is good
> advice that is rarely required, and how much is it sober precautions
> for a real risk? I'm mostly interested in stories from folks that
> have been there. I already understand the argument, "It's a good
> practice and it certainly doesn't hurt anything."
>
> We teach bear-awareness here in Washington, but I have to confess that
> the local wildlife are a bunch of wimps compared to the chipmunks,
> raccoons, squirrels, jays, and bears of the Sierra Nevada. I have
> routinely done all sorts of really silly things with food here in
> Washington, and have never had an animal problem. We teach
> food-discipline, but it just doesn't seem to matter here.
>
> So, is Northern New Mexico really like the high Sierra, or are we just
> being properly cautious?
>
> Yours in Scouting,
>
> Rick Tyler
> Assistant Scoutmaster
> Troop 575, Chief Seattle Council
>

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Received on Wed Jun 1 05:49:54 2005