bears
So I'm volunteering as a camp host at a Forest Service campground this month, and we're having bear problems. The thing is, you only have bear problems if the bears lose their fear of humans and learn that campgrounds have coolers full of food.
Bears have incredible noses. I've heard it said that bear sense of smell is to dogs, what dogs sense of smell is to humans. And bears are pretty smart, too. Once they discover they can dine in style by ripping open a cooler sitting on a picnic table, look out.
The campground I'm at has a bear that, in spite of everyone getting a "don't feed the bears" sheet at the front gate, and campers getting a personal visit from camp hosts the evening of their first day in the park, still idiots persist in leaving food, and coolers sitting out overnight. A couple days ago some fool tossed his garbage bag into the back of his pickup instead of hiking it all of 50 feet to the dumpster. Last week some moron put his peanut butter and crackers into a hefty wooden box. Of course, when the bear couldn't open the latch, he simply ripped the box apart. And the guy with the pickup spent half the morning picking up litter strewn further than the dumpster. Both of them contributed to the education of that bear, and this coming weekend, Memorial Day weekend, when the park will be crammed full of campers, not a vacant site available, we hosts will be issued paintball guns and big pots with wooden spoons to try to chase said bear off. I'm just thrilled to pieces with the prospects of that. The Campground Superintendent did tell us to make sure our life insurance premiums are paid up.
One thing for sure, I have to use that paintball gun on a bear, I don't know how I can keep from missing the bear with a few rounds, sorry about your truck, buddy. The boss has promised citations for feeding the bears with every incident.
Still, folks, use your heads. DON'T FEED THE FRICKIN' BEARS, ALREADY. If it contains food, used to contain food (thus SMELLING like it still does), if it is a cooler whether full or empty, used or brand new, PUT IT THE BEAR BOX (or, if directed to do so, East Coast bears only) in your car. NOT. ON. THE. PICNIC. TABLE. Or in your tent.
Or the back of your pickup, for crying out loud.
Bears have incredible noses. I've heard it said that bear sense of smell is to dogs, what dogs sense of smell is to humans. And bears are pretty smart, too. Once they discover they can dine in style by ripping open a cooler sitting on a picnic table, look out.
The campground I'm at has a bear that, in spite of everyone getting a "don't feed the bears" sheet at the front gate, and campers getting a personal visit from camp hosts the evening of their first day in the park, still idiots persist in leaving food, and coolers sitting out overnight. A couple days ago some fool tossed his garbage bag into the back of his pickup instead of hiking it all of 50 feet to the dumpster. Last week some moron put his peanut butter and crackers into a hefty wooden box. Of course, when the bear couldn't open the latch, he simply ripped the box apart. And the guy with the pickup spent half the morning picking up litter strewn further than the dumpster. Both of them contributed to the education of that bear, and this coming weekend, Memorial Day weekend, when the park will be crammed full of campers, not a vacant site available, we hosts will be issued paintball guns and big pots with wooden spoons to try to chase said bear off. I'm just thrilled to pieces with the prospects of that. The Campground Superintendent did tell us to make sure our life insurance premiums are paid up.
One thing for sure, I have to use that paintball gun on a bear, I don't know how I can keep from missing the bear with a few rounds, sorry about your truck, buddy. The boss has promised citations for feeding the bears with every incident.
Still, folks, use your heads. DON'T FEED THE FRICKIN' BEARS, ALREADY. If it contains food, used to contain food (thus SMELLING like it still does), if it is a cooler whether full or empty, used or brand new, PUT IT THE BEAR BOX (or, if directed to do so, East Coast bears only) in your car. NOT. ON. THE. PICNIC. TABLE. Or in your tent.
Or the back of your pickup, for crying out loud.
