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Lots of bear scat, more than I have ever seen in the Sierra


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Home Forums General Forums General Lightweight Backpacking Discussion Lots of bear scat, more than I have ever seen in the Sierra

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  • #1307267
    USA Duane Hall
    BPL Member

    @hikerduane

    Locale: Extreme northern Sierra Nevada

    While out on a bp trip into the local wilderness, Bucks Lake, along the PCT, I started counting piles of scat. Got up to 10, more than I have seen since in Alaska three years ago and more than the accumulative total for years in the Sierra. Most was from about Granite Gap for about a mile northward. My neighbor was bluff charged twice one day last year, about the same time I was there a year ago.
    Duane

    #2021374
    Daniel Pittman
    Spectator

    @pitsy

    Locale: Central Texas
    #2021379
    Nick Gatel
    BPL Member

    @ngatel

    Locale: Southern California

    :)

    #2021387
    Bob Gross
    BPL Member

    @b-g-2-2

    Locale: Silicon Valley

    Was it fresh?

    In many parts of California around the end of August and start of September, it is berry season. Bears just love berries. Sometimes I see the berries first, and sometimes I see the scat first. I feel positive about that, because the more the bears are eating the berries, the less time they will spend trying to steal my food.

    By the way, one week ago I was sampling the ripe Sierra Currants. It did not appear that the bears had been through there yet.

    –B.G.–

    #2021397
    Nico .
    BPL Member

    @nickb

    Locale: Los Padres National Forest

    I too find bears more visibly active this time of year. In our local backcountry it looks like they're looking for and eating cherries from the holly leaf cherry trees. Lots of scat with the large cherry pits in it.

    #2021404
    David Thomas
    BPL Member

    @davidinkenai

    Locale: North Woods. Far North.

    >"Was it fresh?"

    Up here, when someone answers "Yes." to "was it fresh?", the next question is, "Was it still steaming?"

    If I can't see that it has crusted over, I'll hold my hand over the pile to see if I can feel any heat rising from it. I wouldn't bother in CA since it could only be a black bear, but on my trails, there are more hazardous critters around and I'll start making even more noise than usual if it is very fresh.

    Even through there are more black than brown bears in my area, prints on trails are usually brown bear prints. Black bears know where they are in the food chain and keep a low profile.

    #2021413
    James holden
    BPL Member

    @bearbreeder-2

    more at link

    http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/story/2013/08/16/nb-bear-attack-fredericton-mezzetta.html

    6th bear encounter
    “I've had six bear encounters this year, since June,” said Mezzetta. “It's been a very bad year for bears. They're everywhere.”

    The overall black bear population has risen substantially in the province over the past decade, according to the Department of Natural Resources — to about 17,000 from 13,000, around 10 to 15 years ago.

    Workers often carry firearms to deal with animals while in the woods, as was the case with Lunn and the two other men who came to Mezzetta's rescue.

    “Fortunately for us, we did have a firearm with us,” said Lunn. “Somebody had a nuisance permit, and they do have bear spray that they carry, just in case."

    The incident, while scary for Mezzetta, is not deterring him from going back into the woods.

    “I'm still going back to work,” he said.

    ;)

    #2021451
    USA Duane Hall
    BPL Member

    @hikerduane

    Locale: Extreme northern Sierra Nevada

    Sorry Nick, no pics. I did have my camera, did not use it once, not even a stove pic. Pretty sorry.
    I fingered (toed) a few piles, looking for parasites, moisture, they had to be a few days old as there was only a little moist area deep inside.:) It had been warm. Lots of Manzanita berries in the piles, even the little guys. All but about one or two were right in the trail. The illegal mt bikers missed them on their trip out even.

    Funny, I had car camped Saturday night in an area a few miles from my place SE of my Sunday bp trip and as I was fixin pancakes Sunday AM there, the Game Warden drove up. With my roarer burner Radius 17 going away, I finally heard the engine as he stopped, but I had seen him coming a hundred feet or more away. He said there were quite a few bears around. He had just had a talk to a bow hunter regarding a tree stand and bait that was in an area just a few days ago.

    I think the CA record bear got taken a few years ago, beating out a avid local hunter who had the record for 10 years or so, here in Plumas County, not far from my place.
    Duane

    #2023426
    Chris .
    BPL Member

    @cwb

    Locale: Los Angeles

    While hunting in Los Padres NF this weekend I saw more black tracks than I have seen in all of my life combined. At one point I came on tracks right down the middle of the trail fro hundreds of yards that weren't more than a few hours old. Also fairly small bears, though.

    #2023434
    Justin Baker
    BPL Member

    @justin_baker

    Locale: Santa Rosa, CA

    I had a similar experience in Cache Creek of all places. Something like 15 piles of scat within 5 miles.
    Part of this could be dense brush that makes walking on the trail more efficient for the bears.

    #2023463
    Rick Adams
    BPL Member

    @rickadams100

    Wow, you gotta be tough to go there this time of year. Did it ever cool off? I figured it was all star thistle and rattlers. Oh, and the occasional cartel operation.

    #2023499
    Justin Baker
    BPL Member

    @justin_baker

    Locale: Santa Rosa, CA

    Yeah, it's been hot and miserable up there. Probably a good place to pack raft (they let a lot of water out in the summer). Those yellow start thistles have invaded everything. Don't even think about not bringing pants.
    Winter is very nice but cold at night. On one trip it was in the low teens and the creek froze over thick.

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