Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Bare update !

Hi If you made it over the weekend without the bear getting your pack or food or greeting you early morning Thank you .

The others please put a note on the packs left out "no food inside" another note: I will be back after awhile and put all the stuff in the bear box , More food will be coming just come back later.

Bring a camera no need for a flash the bears are now as active in the daytime.

And as two hikers told me the bear is gone he went down the hill , he did but they forgot he was only working his way around the cover to come in for a free lunch from the van with all the doors open and food spread all over the parking lot a trait used by some to show a social status I guess. The bear smells the food and can see the food and knows if he just heads towards you and grunts odds are that City set of values will tell you to RUN. The bear will then walk up take what it wants and go back down the hill , (about 50') then come back for more.


The bears will not leave the area until the food source is secured.


Thanks Doug

Our version (from a month ago): Bear (the crazy snorting one - solid black with a brown nose) sneaks up on Carole and Ava about 3am as were having breakfast and putting food in our packs. Carole turns around and sees bear standing about 3 feet away. See Carole shriek. See bear pee, jump about 10 feet away (not nearly far enough) and snort/grunt at us. See the rest of us yell at bear. See me charge bear. See bear trot off. See me pick up a good sized rock and beam bear in the arse. See bear run.

-Brandon

Also a big fan if bouncing a few well-chosen granite's off any seen bear's backside...call them persuaders.
BTW, Getting a bit tired of listening to the crowds, standing around, banging their pots, and yelling "Bear"...like that is going to do anything to deter an acclimated bear.
Got to be consequences...no free lunches.

Amen. Not advocating being stupid (momma bear w/cubs, obviously aggressive behavior (as opposed to simply trying to take your food), foaming at the mouth, etc.). I just find it ridiculous that when a bear approaches, people leave their pack on the ground, bear lockers open, food on the table and run. I'm pretty sure the American Indians didn't do that. I'm pretty sure Davy Crockett didn't do that (even when he was 3...).

When we first yelled, the bear just stood there looking at us. It wasn't until aggressive behavior was targeted at the bear that he ran away. It was kinda like he was thinkin', "Holy crap! That's not supposed to happen!" The bear wants the free lunch and will take it every time. The bear also knows that there is plenty of other food around and generally won't risk injury when there are plenty of other pickin's.

A couple months ago, a youtube video was reposted on this board showing two people that had been getting their packs ready (packs on the ground). A bear came up and they both got in the car, closed the door and filmed the bear going through there packs for 5 minutes. Finally, the horn was honked and the bear ran away. Shoulda done that 5 minutes earlier.

And here's the culprit, as of Wednesday evening. He apparently is regular as clockwork, coming down from behind the store between 7:00 and 7:30 each evening, and making his way to the campgrounds and parking lots. Doug spotted him while on his nightly "bear patrol" and called me over so I could get a photo. He may go 250 pounds, but I heard from a camper yesterday that there's another bigger one making the rounds as well.

How about re-training: Bhut Jalokia Chile Pepper? 400times hotter than Tabasco. Sorry, the cruelty to the poor bears! I meant to the
humans who are ignorant! Maybe the problem is altitude increasing
ignorance and stupidity and laziness with humans.
........and that's what I have to say about that.

Stupid humans have sprayed pepper spray onto doors to repel bears, as spraying it into a bears face is very effective.

Unfortunately, they find the EXTREMELY HOT pepper sray very tasty!

They chew off the wood so treated!

Bear Burgers, problem solved. http://www.dfg.ca.gov/wildlife/hunting/bear/bearregulations.html

Every bear I have seen runs from me when I chase it. Why are the people running away from the bears? It just really bugs me that people are training bears to be pests. I chase skunks that try to get a free meal too, haven’t been skunked yet. I guess city people can’t throw rocks. The bears need to eat bear food not human food.
Please keep the bears wild and protect your food …. Chase the bears away…. Secure your food …..

Maybe because bears can kill you!

Hey A.J.
Does the Fish and Game of California have some fine printed code about taking out ignorant humans? Does the portal campground offer
an informative handout upon arrival at the Portals? I say there needs to be a "must read" hand out, signed, and stick Ranger Rick up yonder sighting / fining people for $$$$$$ when stupidity is is sighted.

(Personally and sadly, the bears are easier to train and educate than people). Any suggestions for "behavior modification" for humans? Where's Pavlov when ya need him?

When you pick up your permit at the VC you get a bear spiel. If it's a group permit, the other group members may not necessarily hear that info.

It only takes one or two campers to "train" a bear that humans=food, and for the balance of the season - perhaps longer - the rest of us have to deal with the consequences.

Nice idea, but Ranger Rick works for Sequoia/Kings Canyon, not Inyo.

(Sorry, OT)

With the evolution of Bear intelligence, in a few years I won't be surprised if they (bears) will figure out how to open the doors with the "code buttons" (forget busting out windows) and will methodically be able to unwrap food, refold the packaging, and toss it into the appropriate trash containers. I say we have a reality TV show: "Seagulls vs Bears: Who is the smarter species ?"

On a beary different note, how is the snow melt at the top of Whitney? Have friends going down this weekend.

I knew that would get people talking. I have a greater chance of being killed by lightning than a black bear in California.

Is the real issue that people are so afraid of bears that they will not chase one away? I bet the bears are sitting behind the rocks laughing at the people they get food from.

If you are not willing to keep your food secure from bears and other creatures, DO NOT BRING FOOD. I strongly believe in protecting the animals and keeping them safe from stupid humans.

Before I venture into the mountains I thoroughly vacuum and clean the interior of any vehicle that will be traveling into Bear County. I carry a canister for food to keep mice, skunks, bears and whatever other creature wants to get a free meal from getting one.

If you are against eating bear burgers then protect them from your food, and your neighbor’s food.

There is no record of a black bear killing a human in California in history.

"Can" and "Do" and very different things.

Bear Joke :-)

A Priest, a Pentecostal Preacher, and a Rabbi all served as chaplains to the students of University of Minnesota Duluth .

They would get together two or three times a week for coffee and to talk shop. One day, someone made the comment that preaching to people isn't really all that hard. A real challenge would be to preach to a bear. One thing led to another and they decided to do an experiment. They would all go out into the woods, find a bear, preach to it, and attempt to convert

it.

Seven days later, they're all together to discuss their experience.

Father Flannery, who has his arm in a sling, is on crutches, and has various bandages on his body and limbs, goes first. "Well," he says, "I went into the woods to find a bear. And when I found him I began to read to him from the catechism. Well, that bear wanted nothing to do with me and began to slap me around. So I quickly grabbed my holy water, sprinkled him and, Holy Mary Mother of God, he became as gentle as a lamb. The bishop is coming out next week to give him first communion and confirmation."

Reverend Billy Bob spoke next. He was in a wheelchair, with an IV drip in his arm, and both legs in casts. In his best fire and brimstone oratory he exclaimed, "WELL, brothers, you KNOW that we don't sprinkle! I went out and I FOUND a bear. And then I began to read to my bear from God's HOLY WORD! But that bear wanted nothing to do with me. So I took HOLD of him

and we began to wrestle. We wrestled down one hill, UP another and DOWN another until we came to a creek. So I quickly DUNKED him and BAPTIZED his hairy soul. And just like you said, he became as gentle as a lamb. We spent the rest of the day praising Jesus."

The Priest and the Reverend both looked down at the Rabbi, who was lying in a hospital bed. He was in a body cast and traction with monitors and IV's running in and out of him. He was in real bad shape.

The Rabbi looks up and says, "Looking back on it, circumcision may not have been the best way to start..."

At the risk of being crude...
There are simple ways to deal with bears and here in the east we generally employ those means, but of course in parks that is a problem.
Bear, properly prepared by the way, is quite tasty. Not like Chicken at all, but pretty good. Living as many of us do back here in "woodsie" areas, we have to deal with wild animals and sometimes the best way is the old way unless you want to be over-run. Many of us who engage in agriculture beyond the kitchen garden level, have depredation permits allowing us to harvest deer year round, and many of have to do it because there are so many deer.
While I think gratuitous killing is a shameful thing, I don't consider Bears cute; they are more or less pigs with fur and they can be terrific nuisances once they identify a free lunch and I do think those hanging around the portal should be dealt with as such. Many of you will hate me for what I say, but the alternative of acting like a cowed trespasser while going for a hike isn't very attractive..

Adrian

We were at the Portal early last week, and the big guy (now around 300 and gaining) came poking around at about 3 AM. My son Aaron was sleeping out, and awoke face to face with him, a distance of a foot or two. "Scared him away by looking at him", says Aaron, "and went back to sleep".

Have there been any reports of bears while out on the trail during the early morning hours (past midnight)? Thanks