Are We Educating Our Bears?

slamdunk · 2024-07-30T20:48:37-0600

This incident got me thinking today, and there's actually another bear causing havoc in the Soapstone area as well.

Are we as hunters causing bears to invite themselves into public campgrounds scavenging for food waste by baiting during hunting season?

Increased tags, more hunters baiting, undeniable increase in humans inhabiting the mountains all summer, many of which are inexperienced and leaving food and garbage out.

Are we unintentionally chumming the bears during the "off season"?

elkassassin · 2024-07-30T20:54:38-0600

If Most YUPPIES Knew What Was Going On In Campgrounds When The Lights Go Out I'll GUARAN-DAMN-TEE You They'd Change Their Ways!

Vanilla · 2024-07-30T21:31:48-0600

I think regular campers are doing this education much more than bear hunters are.

If the bear baiting was causing this the bears would be staying at the bear bait stations and not in the campgrounds.

slamdunk · 2024-07-30T21:43:36-0600

Vanilla said:
I think regular campers are doing this education much more than bear hunters are.

If the bear baiting was causing this the bears would be staying at the bear bait stations and not in the campgrounds.

However.....when baiting season ends, do they continue looking for these free man made handouts?

slamdunk · 2024-07-30T21:44:45-0600

elkassassin said:
If Most YUPPIES Knew What Was Going On In Campgrounds When The Lights Go Out I'll GUARAN-DAMN-TEE You They'd Change Their Ways!

Place a few cams around the campsite and you might find Bigfoot is real!

elkassassin · 2024-07-30T21:45:19-0600

There's One Thing you Don't Ever Wanna Under-Estimate On A Bear!

And That't Be A Bears Smeller!

And If He Finds Himself A SAMICH!

He'll Be Back Tomorrow Night For Another One!

And If You Ain't Got One Set Out For Him He'll Dig A Little Deeper & Find One!

grizzly · 2024-07-30T22:30:52-0600

slamdunk said:
However.....when baiting season ends, do they continue looking for these free man made handouts?

I think it's a fair question. How would the bears not be assimilated to following their noses to the smell of human food and getting a full stomach for weeks at a time and then not go to the next place looking for free food when the previous source runs out or a larger bear pushes them off?

They don't know which human food they're supposed to eat and which they're not.

I don't see much of a difference in raiding a garbage can for doughnuts and raiding a barrel of donuts with a camera over it.

elkassassin · 2024-07-30T22:37:47-0600

The Barrel & Cam Is Gonna Cost You!

grizzly said:
I think it's a fair question. How would the bears not be assimilated to following their noses to the smell of human food and getting a full stomach for weeks at a time and then not go to the next place looking for free food when the previous source runs out or a larger bear pushes them off?

They don't know which human food they're supposed to eat and which they're not.

I don't see much of a difference in raiding a garbage can for doughnuts and raiding a barrel of donuts with a camera over it.