I know your not a bear but

[tflaris]

I heard/read stories about fragrances and flowery scents other than food attracting bears. For example does scented hand sanitizer or Off Wipes or fragrant items attract bears?

Thanks in advance for your assistance

TF

[Lone Wolf]

no....................

[MuddyWaters]

A bear can be attracted to any unusual smell, and want to investigate it.

Scouts have rules about how long before bed you can apply sunscreen, deet, etc. 5 hrsif i recall.
Philmont scout ranch supplies totally unscented toilet paper, your not allowed to bring your own.

One attack at philmont was attributed to a scout playing with can of deodorant before bed.

One of your best defenses, is simply being a repugnant smelly human

[Fredt4]

Your very presence will attract bears. The bear, from previous encounters, knows you have food. They will nose around an attempt to grab anything you leave unattended. Even though your pack is brand new with not even a hint of food smells, it's history if you leave out to be found.

[tflaris]

Does preparing and eating food away from sleeping area and the area you hang your food bag help reduce the potential problem? I saw this:

BearmudaTriangle_0.jpg

[shelb]

It is best to never have food in your tent.

Regarding how much the various scents attract bears - and the danger inherent with this - it depends on what type of bears you are talking about.

Along the A.T. there are areas that the NPS provides bear poles or boxes. Make sure to use these things. However, I have not seen anything posted in these areas about not using scented personal products. From my understanding - and experience hiking only 500 miles from VA-NY, the bears leave you alone. Just don't sleep with your food and don't approach them or get between mama and child.

[Odd Man Out]

A couple of years ago I exchanged some e-mails with a well known bear biologist about this issue. NOTE that our discussions were limited specifically to east coast Black Bears. Based on his research he has concluded that in nearly all cases, a bear's desire to avoid a human is greater than its desire to get your food. He cited a case where a bear swiped at a woman in her tent. The fruity aroma (apricots, I seem to recall) of her shampoo was so strong that even the emergency responders noticed it. If the humans could smell it, imagine what the bear was thinking. It seems that it is the relative degree of aroma (you vs food) that is critical. If you use unscented toiletries, your human odor will overpower and residual scents that may be present. If you wash yourself in apricots, maybe not. You will sometimes hear about people who go to extreme measures to avoid odors, such as changing clothes after cooking supper so that you don't have food aroma on your clothes. The biologist does not see any evidence to suggest that this level of odor paranoia has merit.

So the bottom line is use unscented toiletries, let yourself smell bad, and don't worry.

[MuddyWaters]

Does preparing and eating food away from sleeping area and the area you hang your food bag help reduce the potential problem? I saw this:

BearmudaTriangle_0.jpg

Scouts use the bearmuda triangle. A bear is expected to want to check out the cooking area, the packs, dishwater sump, the bearbags. Sleeping outside this area reduces the chance of an accidental encounter as the bear walks between them.

Its not 100 yds though, more like 50ft outside a triangle formed by the sreas

The bear knows your there. You cant hide from it. All yuo want to do is reduce chance of accidental encounter.

Unless its a grizzly, then you may want it to be attracted to somewhere you arent. Too bad it can trail your footsteps from your cooking area right back to your tent.

[Kenai]

Does preparing and eating food away from sleeping area and the area you hang your food bag help reduce the potential problem? I saw this:

BearmudaTriangle_0.jpg

That is a pretty accurate guideline tflaris.

[Kenai]

My sister left Fig Newtons in the tent when we were in the Yukon. We came back to a shredded tent, and had to sleep in the park cookhouse for a couple nights.
I think the worst place for bears right now on the AT is in New Jersey. We have lots of bears, limited habitat, and limited hunters to keep the population under control.
Joisey is the most populated state, per capita, in the USA. No wood fire ban as well. I think that chart is better suited for the West, or AK though. Not many places in Jersey where you could get that far off the trail, and not be in someone's back yard.

[joncarter]

I would rather have a bear wander into my camp than a cougar. When I did my first trek at Philmont in '99 we had a cougar wander into our camp. It made a sound that I can only describe as a woman screaming for her life.

From what I'm to understand about Black Bears they will only attack you if they are:
1. Displaying a claim on their territory
2. You threaten their young
3. They are starving. And you smell like dinner.

Granted I am no zoologist. Lol.


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[Fredt4]

I would rather have a bear wander into my camp than a cougar. When I did my first trek at Philmont in '99 we had a cougar wander into our camp. It made a sound that I can only describe as a woman screaming for her life.

From what I'm to understand about Black Bears they will only attack you if they are:
1. Displaying a claim on their territory
2. You threaten their young
3. They are starving. And you smell like dinner.

Granted I am no zoologist. Lol.


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Black bears will only attack if:
1. you're intentionally messing with them and ?
2. ?

Truth is the attacks are so rare that no one knows what leads them to attack someone.

Defending their young has been shown to be a myth.
Trying to get your food has also been debunked as a reason.

[Cobble]

Umm...why is there a dead body hanging in the tree in this picture?

[MuddyWaters]

Umm...why is there a dead body hanging in the tree in this picture?

Its two bags, a big one and a little one. Scout crews can be up to 12 people, and the main bearbags weigh a lot with 5 day food and smelable items. They are hard to raise and lower and take several guys. The little bag is an "oops" bag for last minute items that can be lowered and raised easily.

The scout way of bear bagging has the center of the 75' rope with a fig 8 loop over cable. The bear bags (feed bags) are attaced on either side of the loop with clove hitched around twisted neck. The line is tied off on each side to a tree or other anchor. Even if bear works line on one tree loose, the bags still dont fall since tied off on both sides.

The center loop clips a carabiner on it and the little oops bag is hoisted thru it.

[lemon b]

Usually they go where they have had a meal prior. That said in my experience cap your Yukon Jack. Twice I've seen them go right for it. Tipped the jug up and sucked it down like a kid with Kool Aid. Than went on their merry way. Couldn't make it up. Other than the Jack never had em steal a thing. Those two events happened over 25 years ago.

[Five Tango]

So if I should make my Bear Triangle big enough-will the Bear disappear or will it just make my compass useless?

[joncarter]

Black bears will only attack if:
1. you're intentionally messing with them and ?
2. ?

Truth is the attacks are so rare that no one knows what leads them to attack someone.

Defending their young has been shown to be a myth.
Trying to get your food has also been debunked as a reason.

I was just going off what I've been told. As I said, I'm no zoologist.


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[August W.]

I heard/read stories about fragrances and flowery scents other than food attracting bears. For example does scented hand sanitizer or Off Wipes or fragrant items attract bears?

Thanks in advance for your assistance

TF

For some reason many parks require that those scented items be kept in bear proof canisters.

[tflaris]

Just for the record I thought it was a body also the first time I saw the picture.


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