Bear Bagging Questions

[Big Dawg]

My good friend RAZOR, the AT Ridgerunner down here on the soutern end of the trail said I was a bad influence... he also mentioned others like Lone Wolf, Baltimore Jack, that keep food in the tent with them. So the other night I was being a "good influence" and all five of us at a campsite at Slaughter Creek hung our food. We used the PCT method and really followed all the rules... Bear got 3 out of 5 bags that night. Whew, I was glad my food was still in my tent with me and the dog! You know how mad that bear was to only see trash from food bags he had already raided in my bag!!
For two years now the bears in that area are getting really smart about getting food bags. I am not sure what the answer is and I invite any of you down to test your advice and expert bear bagging technique!
Last night the Leave No Trase Rep went up to hang some bags different ways and try to video the bear... I am looking forward to what he found!

sleep w/ your food,,,,,

[Tipi Walter]

In Ray Jardine's book 'Beyond Backpacking' he suggests eating dinner before you reach your actual campsite so that when you get there you can just set up your tent and be done with it. The process of cooking actually attracts animals so by cooking away from camp you are leaving some of that smell behind. Not sure how practical this is but I was planning on trying it out and hanging my bag as soon as I got to camp. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

Totally impractical. Why pull out all my stuff a mile before camp, set up the stove, cook, "relax" in repose, then wait for the stove to cool, pack up everything and head out again? After a long day of hiking? Or with frozen hands in the middle of winter? Dinky dau.

I toss the rope as soon as i get into camp so I can see what I'm doing.

This is a good rule to follow. On a winter trip with deep snow I couldn't find a rock to put in my throw bag, so instead had to use spare batteries for weight. Also, do not use Triptease 200lb guyline! I am currently using it, 50 feet of it, for my bear line and, well, with 40-45 lbs of food (for 18 day trips), I can't get the bags higher than about 5 feet. I sure can't pull it up as the triptease binds. I use a full sized carabiner and after dinner I keep a few ziploc food items out for dessert. The carabiner clasps the ziplock for final hanging, so there's no need to get into the food bags.

[LoneRidgeRunner]

I hang mine first thing on arrival at camp... Have read reports of animals (not always bears) grabbing food bags within 30 feet of someone who was busy doing something else at the time ..like pitching a a tent.. I have never kept my food in my tent ...always hung it and the only animal to ever get a bite of my food was Moi (I think that's French for "me."... Even though a mouse can't take my food away from me while it's in my tent (if it was) I really don't want holes chewed in my tent by a mouse, rat, coon or whetever it's true that bears are very unlikely to break into an occupied tent but rats are just that stupid..

[vamelungeon]

OK I watched the PCT method but don't get the stick part. What kind of a knot are they using to tie off on the tree itself? Can't a bear just scratch at the rope on the tree and the bag fall? Would it be better to sleep w/my food bag and let the hanging bags be a nice bear decoy for me? I'm on the fence on this one.

It's not tied to the tree. The stick is in the middle of the rope and stops when it gets to the carabiner. The food bag is above that.
I'm in the "sleep with your food" camp but I thought this was a good skill to know.

[BradMT]

I've bagged bears before. 30-06 is just right.

[LoneRidgeRunner]

I've bagged bears before. 30-06 is just right.

I have an 06 I used for Deer hunting and I'm sure it would be fine for Black Bears but I wouldn't take it to Kodiak Island or to fight a Polar Bear..

[10-K]

In Ray Jardine's book 'Beyond Backpacking' he suggests eating dinner before you reach your actual campsite so that when you get there you can just set up your tent and be done with it. The process of cooking actually attracts animals so by cooking away from camp you are leaving some of that smell behind. Not sure how practical this is but I was planning on trying it out and hanging my bag as soon as I got to camp. Does anyone else have any experience with this?

I keep meaning to try this but dinner is such a ritual for me I almost can't bring myself to do it.

Typically I hike until just before dark. By the time I get my tent up it's usually past twilight and I get in my bag and cook dinner in the vestibule.

I don't know what I'd do with myself if I didn't have dinner to eat....

[blitz1]

I keep meaning to try this but dinner is such a ritual for me I almost can't bring myself to do it.

Typically I hike until just before dark. By the time I get my tent up it's usually past twilight and I get in my bag and cook dinner in the vestibule.

I don't know what I'd do with myself if I didn't have dinner to eat....

I tried this once (meaning cooking dinner and then continuing my hike), and decided it's a mostly a waste of time. while dinner is cooking I like to get my tent set up etc. But people who write a lot in journals may be able to make good use of the time. The other exception might be if you're going to have a dry camp and sparse water the following day, may be more convenient to cook dinner by a water source, then go on as far as you can. but to each his/her own....

[Tinker]

I have no intention of bagging any bears on the AT. Leave No Trace and all...

And hanging a bear bag could pretty much throw your back out.
(plus, how do you attach the line )

[BradMT]

I have an 06 I used for Deer hunting and I'm sure it would be fine for Black Bears but I wouldn't take it to Kodiak Island or to fight a Polar Bear..

The 30-06 is perfectly adequate for Kodiak Island Brown Bears (fish-fed grizzlies). Personally I consider the round to be absolute overkill on whitetails, but I suppose dead is dead. But I agree in general, a bigger round is not a bad idea for Brown Bears. For our Montana Grizzlies, the 30-06 is ideal, as it is for elk.