October is a great month in Colorado. The air is cool, the leaves are changing, the fly fishing can be stellar and bears are on the move. I recently hiked into a little known creek near the Wyoming border to go for some big trout I'd heard stories about. As we left the trailhead, you could immediately tell this place was wild. Really wild. I've spent a lot of time in the woods in my 35+ years and I'd never seen the amount or size of bear scat (almost as big as my fly reel) that I saw on this day.
Needless to say, all senses were on high alert. In addition to the bear sign, there was a disconcerting amount of mountain lion sign as well. Scat, tracks, scratches, you name it. It has been some time since I felt that I was in such a wild place in Colorado. It was wonderful and unnerving all at the same time.
After a recent trip to the Tetons, I started carrying bear spray when fishing the wilds of Colorado, especially when I'm fishing by myself. It gives me a realistic way to defend myself in the event of a negative bear encounter as well as makes me feel a little less like a potential meal for a hungry bruin.
That brings me to a few points about being safe in bear country:
Bears, both black and grizzly, are most dangerous when surprised or threatened. Therefore, the first step to peaceful coexistence is to avoid an unexpected encounter. Make noise when you are traveling in bear country, especially in spots where visibility is limited by vegetation. Travel in groups of three or more and stay close together. Watch for bear sign—tracks, the smell of carrion, clawed trees, etc. If you smell a carcass, go out of your way to avoid it. Be particularly wary of a female with cubs. You don't want to come between mama bear and her babies, or any bear and its dinner.
When you camp in bear country, separate your cooking area from the place you plan to sleep by at least 100 yards. If possible, cook close to rivers where the smell of your pan-fried fish will be carried away by winds that move up and down valleys. Concentrate all odors in the cooking area. Do not bring food back to your tent. In some cases, you may even consider storing the clothes you cook in with food and other odorous items. Anything that smells should either be hung up overnight or stored in a bear-proof container. This includes toothpaste, soap and bug repellant.
Hang food from tree limbs 12 feet off the ground, 6 feet from the tree’s trunk, and 6 feet below the supporting limb, or store it in specially designed bear-resistant canisters or on-site lockers. Canisters are available for rent and sale at sporting goods suppliers and some land management agencies. Used properly, they ensure a good night’s sleep for you and a natural diet for bears. Hanging food can be tricky, so practice hanging techniques before venturing into the backcountry and allow yourself plenty of time before dark to get set up. Check with land managers about specific food storage requirements for the area you are visiting. The various national forests and parks in the Rocky Mountains have different regulations. Methods appropriate for one area may not be allowed in another.
Around camp be extra meticulous with food scraps and wash water—or anything that smells. Avoid creating leftovers because cooked food has a stronger scent than dried pasta, uncooked oatmeal or freeze-dried beef stroganoff in a sealed-foil package. Food scraps should be double-bagged, stored with your food and carried out of the mountains. Leave a clean campsite so that you don't inadvertently endanger others who come behind you.
Disposing of wastewater in bear country is tricky. Once again, your main goal is to keep odors out of camp. If you are camped by a large volume river—at least 10 feet wide with substantial depth—you can pour strained wash water directly into the river to help disperse any odor. If you are not by a river, consider digging a small hole and sumping your wastewater. This practice concentrates odors in one safe location well away from your camp, however, animals may be attracted to the smell and dig up the hole in search of food. For this reason, sumping is not recommended in areas of high use. In these places, you should walk well away from camp and scatter your wastewater.
There's nothing quite like spending time in the woods where large predators live. There's just something almost indescribable abut it. It can quickly make one realize how we, humans, are just one part of the big picture. It's a pretty amazing feeling.
Posts
