BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Mar 21, 2017 17:59:47 GMT -8
At a family reunion in Ouray last summer, one of my cousins left the car door open in the driveway while she carried a load of stuff in to the house. When she came back out, there was a bear in the car enjoying the road snacks. Two blocks from the center of downtown. (OK, it's not much of a downtown.)
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herm
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I love the Sierra Nevada, the California coast, and the Mojave Desert
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Post by herm on Mar 21, 2017 18:12:09 GMT -8
If leaving a cooler, or anything that could be associated with food or drink in the car, cover those items with a blanket or tarp to hide them from view. Do your best to keep the interior as clean as possible. Use containers that can be sealed. Let common sense be your guide.
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ChefG
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Post by ChefG on Mar 25, 2017 13:01:39 GMT -8
If you are car camping, try not to eat in the car and keep the car as clean as possible from previous food smells. Make sure coolers and food containers are sealed back up before returning to the car and do not store trash in the car with you while sleeping. If you are not near a refuse can, think about hanging it from a tree like you would a bear bag. Retrieve it in the morning and pack it/drive it out. Dispose of it as soon as you can. I am in the Catskills now and haven't had problems. Several sightings, but they always run away. When I lived in Utah there were a couple of instances where a bear blasted into a camper shell of a pick-up while people were sleeping. A car would probably be more secure than a camper shell, but why take any chances. Have fun and enjoy. Bears usually not a problem if you don't accidentally lure them in.
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kenv
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Post by kenv on Mar 29, 2017 4:27:50 GMT -8
Those areas where bears are known to break into cars (like Yosemite) they have bear boxes to safely store your "smellables". Use the bear boxes and you'll be fine. But in most areas bears do not necessarily associate cars with food and you should be OK if you take common sense precautions like not having a lot of food littering your car and whatever food is in the car is in a tightly sealed container.
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FamilySherpa
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Post by FamilySherpa on Mar 29, 2017 4:51:32 GMT -8
I like firedancer's new username :D
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tigger
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Post by tigger on Mar 29, 2017 8:34:12 GMT -8
I haven't read the other responses...but, seriously. If a bear wants to drive your car, I recommend just letting it do so and just hope it brings it back with a full tank of gas.
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on Mar 29, 2017 9:44:03 GMT -8
Those areas where bears are known to break into cars (like Yosemite) they have bear boxes to safely store your "smellables". Use the bear boxes and you'll be fine. But in most areas bears do not necessarily associate cars with food and you should be OK if you take common sense precautions like not having a lot of food littering your car and whatever food is in the car is in a tightly sealed container. You might have missed the point where I will be living in my car - 30 lbs of dog food and treats at any given time, plus lots of human groceries and toiletries. So I'm asking because I will likely just avoid those areas where it might be a problem vs trying to cram stuff into a bear box.
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Post by Campfires&Concierges on Mar 29, 2017 9:44:49 GMT -8
I like firedancer's new username :D Ha - thanks! I'm "re-branding" lol
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whistlepunk
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Post by whistlepunk on Mar 29, 2017 10:41:43 GMT -8
As for bear boxes -- I remember trip to the Absorkas in the early 80s when I found a backcountry bear box that someone left food in. The box was made of 3/8" steel. That box was peeled open like a banana. I had a picture of it but somehow the photo is long gone.
After seeing that steel box opened I figger a modern car made of thin aluminum skin won't slow a bear too much.
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Post by paula53 on Mar 29, 2017 14:17:36 GMT -8
Be very cautious if camping at Lake Tahoe. Bears are frequently seen in the campgrounds. They know how to open the food lockers at the the state campgrounds. They will be out during the day and night.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on Mar 29, 2017 15:19:02 GMT -8
Bears in Cars - Advice Needed Don't let them drive. Also note that they're generally not knowledgeable about map & compass, their paws and claws are too big to adjust the compass for declination anyway, and they tend to navigate by smell rather than maps or road signs. Thus, assigning them to navigator duties in the shotgun seat may not be your best move. So (and I hate to say this), it might be best to confine them to the back seat with their head out the window, sniffing as the world goes by. Confine - I hate that word. But if their olfactory sense is happy sticking its nose out the window for a few hundred or thousand miles, everyone's a winner. You can just give up on the upholstery in the back seat right now. And you'll always be firedancer in my book.
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Mar 29, 2017 15:37:33 GMT -8
Smokey's are the only other place I have heard about the bears opening up cars, other than the previously mentioned Yosemite and 'dacks
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