Bear Food Storage - Hang or Canister?

If backpacking in a place with active bears but no regulations, hang food or pack bear canister?

  • Hang it

    Votes: 22 68.8%

  • Pack the canister

    Votes: 6 18.8%

  • Purple!!!

    Votes: 4 12.5%
  • Total voters
    32
We camped about one mile downstream from where the grizzlies were feeding on moths and we were hiking out through their feeding zone the following day.

Map of Area

The day we made camp, I hiked down to a hunter's camp along the North Fork and they told me they had just returned to camp from hunting bighorn sheep through the saddle between Younts and Thorofare and that there were fourteen grizzly bears turning rocks looking for moths. The day we hiked over the pass, the hunters had left about an hour before we took off and probably scared most of the bears off. As we approached the pass there was only one grizzly left.
 
kcwins said:
Yeah I read about the locations from the post over 2 years ago. Prior to that it was hush hush. Even after I read about the locations (based on the YNet post) I never heard another word either confirming or denying the location. Wasn't SURE a place like that was possible. That's why I asked if anyone "with feet on the ground" had ever had an experience like that before in the GYE or surrounding area.
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I don't think it was that "hush hush" about Younts Peak. I knew about that before I read that post. I've watched it on the Discovery Channel. What I didn't realize was that there are several locations.

Very few people ever get out deep in the Absaroka's, which is why no one confirmed or denied those posts on YNET. Most of those posters are photographers (some very good ones) who don't venture into the backcountry very far. Only a small few of them know stuff like that.

Who do you think would have feet on the ground up there? :) About the only person who might know something is John B.

If you want to go see them, lets plan a trip for 2016. It would have to be in September, that's when the moths show up. Just don't tell your wife that's why your going, she might not let you go :)
 
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scatman said:
We camped about one mile downstream from where the grizzlies were feeding on moths and we were hiking out through their feeding zone the following day.
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One of the most uncomfortable places I've ever camped. It was even more uncomfortable after we realized how close we were to the bears.

But is sure was nice, between the views and the waterfalls. We got to get back out there.

Looking up towards the pass. Younts Peak to the right:
DSCN3998.JPG


DSCN3864.JPG




And since were on the subject, this is how we handled our food with 14 grizzlies close to camp. No problems for 2 nightsDSCN3851.JPG :
 
Joey said:
If you want to go see them, lets plan a trip for 2016. It would have to be in September, that's when the moths show up.
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I'm totally game for 2016. From what I've read the best time to see them up there is late July to early August. On that YNET post, for example, the guy said he just got back from a moth trip and his post was on July 26th. And these outfitters do their bear trips in mid-July and early August. This Steven French study also says that they peak in August. Have you seen something different? I want to be sure we catch them! :)
 
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Aldaron said:
I'm totally game for 2016. From what I've read the best time to see them up there is late July to early August. On that YNET post, for example, the guy said he just got back from a moth trip and his post was on July 26th. And these outfitters do their bear trips in mid-July and early August. This Steven French study also says that they peak in August. Have you seen something different? I want to be sure we catch them! :)
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You're definitely right. For some reason I thought it was late August/early September. But reading those articles says otherwise. Here is another one for Glacier: http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/wwwpb-archives/moths.html . Say's mid July through August.

Definitely count me in. When your ready to start planning something, just let me know. Any ideas on what area you would want to go to?
 
Joey said:
You're definitely right. For some reason I thought it was late August/early September. But reading those articles says otherwise. Here is another one for Glacier: http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/wwwpb-archives/moths.html . Say's mid July through August.

Definitely count me in. When your ready to start planning something, just let me know. Any ideas on what area you would want to go to?
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I thought it was September, too, because that makes sense for the bears fattening up, but the French study said that the moths are out in the summer when the flowers are blooming so that's when the bears have to go find them.

I mapped out the sites yesterday and they are pretty spread out, so I'm cool with whatever the consensus is. I'd love to have a group of at least four people just for safety. And I'll probably have a couple of weeks of vacation time to spend on it.
 
kcwins said:
Not sure I could do 2 weeks on one trip. But definitely keep me in the loop.
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It doesn't have to be two weeks. I wasn't sure how far back we would have to go so I wasn't sure how long it would take. From eyeballing it I figure we would probably have to give it about 5 days or so.
 
In fact, I'd probably rather not stay out there for two weeks, either. I doubt my wife would want to do this, but she would still want to take a backpacking trip next year, so a week without her and a week with her would work out great for me.
 
Although within sight of Younts and Thorofare I can share Cutworm Feeding Sites accessed by dayhikes or shorter backpacks. For some reason I'm getting an empty file message trying to load a pic. I'm guessing it's my computer.

I've seen a dozen bears about a dozen miles from a trailhead at a site, between 4 and 8 much closer.
 
Absarokanaut said:
Although within sight of Younts and Thorofare I can share Cutworm Feeding Sites accessed by dayhikes or shorter backpacks. For some reason I'm getting an empty file message trying to load a pic. I'm guessing it's my computer.

I've seen a dozen bears about a dozen miles from a trailhead at a site, between 4 and 8 much closer.
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Pics or it never happened
 
@Joey - remember, you need to keep July 2016 open if you still want to do the Mirror Plateau and North Absaroka ridge jaunt. :)
 
Aldaron said:
I thought it was September, too, because that makes sense for the bears fattening up, but the French study said that the moths are out in the summer when the flowers are blooming so that's when the bears have to go find them.

I mapped out the sites yesterday and they are pretty spread out, so I'm cool with whatever the consensus is. I'd love to have a group of at least four people just for safety. And I'll probably have a couple of weeks of vacation time to spend on it.
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I realize I'm late coming to the party, but...
If you'ns are looking for another mule to add to the pack string, just know that this ole boy from PA is interested. Younts Peak has been on my itinerary for a long time, just haven't had the opportunity to do it right. Have been trying to talk my son into accompanying me since I'd prefer not to go solo, but haven't had much success up to this point.
All that said, if you've already got the participants locked-in, I totally understand. Either way, please let me know. Thanks.
 
It all depends, and that why I voted purple. IN the Sierra, we always use a bear can, even in those areas where it is not required, because it is so easy and so much a part of what we do in the other areas of the Sierra.

But in Death Valley earlier this year, we didn't use anything. No bears.
 
So apparently a bear in Yosemite is now not only stalking campsites and swiping canisters, but has allegedly figured out how to take them up on a cliff and drop them 400 feet to get them to crack whereby she then rushes back down to dig into all the goodies.

http://www.outsideonline.com/2013656/yosemite-bears-keep-getting-smarter

Maybe putting food in an OP bag, then into the canister, then hanging the canister in some sort of invisible bag would keep bears off backcountry backpacker food for good. Still need to innovate the invisible bear hang bag though.
 
WasatchWill said:
So apparently a bear in Yosemite is now not only stalking campsites and swiping canisters, but has allegedly figured out how to take them up on a cliff and drop them 400 feet to get them to crack whereby she then rushes back down to dig into all the goodies.

http://www.outsideonline.com/2013656/yosemite-bears-keep-getting-smarter

Maybe putting food in an OP bag, then into the canister, then hanging the canister in some sort of invisible bag would keep bears off backcountry backpacker food for good. Still need to innovate the invisible bear hang bag though.
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Wow!
 
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