Question answered: they're awake

[roadie gal]

The dogs woke me up at 6am by barking this morning. They were both standing under the curtains in the bedroom, looking out, barking their fool heads off. Considering that I got off work at 11pm I was none too pleased. But when I looked out the door I couldn't yell at them. There was a big black bear grazing on the manzanita about 50 feet from the house.

We'd been wondering when they were going to wake up. I guess that question's been answered. I also guess I won't be taking the dogs on the trails behind the house this morning. Or for a few mornings...

[Starfish]

Wow! What is it like to live with bears so close to your house? I used to live where I could see evidence of them around the neighboring woods, but I never saw one near the house.

And, is it true that there is some sort of distinction about California black bears and aggression for campers? Am I all wet...is this a myth? I am going to be in Northern CA a couple times this year, and was thinking of camping (inside my Element). (And, I know about not leaving food around the site, etc, but...)

[bmccasland]

I've camped in bear country for a number of years. Pretty much in the spring bears wake up hungry and cranky. Biggest problem are the sub-adults, these are last year's cubs - they denned up with mamma last fall, she gives birth to a new cub during the winter, and in the spring the teenager is kicked out of her territory and is on it's own. So a bit confused, no mamma to depend on for helping with meals, etc.

There are more problems during drought years, not enough food to go around.

Some bears have learned that coolers are lunch boxes, and will break into your vehicle if they see one - sight dependant, they didn't smell anything. I believe an Allstate commercial shows what a bear can do to a vehicle.

Some campgrounds will have bear proof food cache boxes. Or if you're backpacking, put your food in a mesh bag, attach a rope, throw over a high branch, and raise the mesh bag about 10 ft in the air. Caches should contain all things food smelly, including your toothpaste.

Then again, where I camped, I never did any of this, and never had a problem. We did have problems at the fish hatchery where I lived in the mountains of Arizona, with the sub-adults - tossing garbage cans, trying to break into houses, raiding the fish feeders. Generally didn't last more than a month. Except the one that tried to break into houses (more than one house, on more than one occasion), that one was shot. There are more problems with wildlife when humans move into their territory.

California Game & Fish may still have a brochure about camping in bear country.

[roadie gal]

This is a bad time to run into bears. Like bmccasland said, the adolescents are out on their own for the first time and they're ALL hungry. So they're a bit twitchier than usual. In general, though, the black bears aren't a problem. I've done a solo backpacking trip in King's Canyon Nat'l Park, where I've ended up with bears in my camping area. After I yelled and threw a few rocks at them, they moved off (slowly, but they did leave).

They will peel open a car if they smell food. Yosemite is notorious for that. Put everything in a bear box if you can.

The bear this morning was much bigger than an adolescent. It's probably the same bear I've seen over the past couple of years around here. This was the closest I've ever seen it to my house.

[Starfish]

They will peel open a car if they smell food. Yosemite is notorious for that. Put everything in a bear box if you can.

Thanks...I think this is mainly what I was asking about. I've read this about California in particular...just the sheer numbers of people in bear country, I guess. Camping around here, we just use the normal precautions...hang food away from camp, no food in tents, no cooking right near tents, etc. Honestly, when we use bear cans around here, it is usually for the raccoons more than anything. (although my nephew was foolish enough to sleep with food in his tent and was awakened in the night with a bear's head inside the tent doorway!)