Things which might attract bears

Obviously we all know to keep scented items bear-bagged with our food. Deodorant, toothpase, soap, and cookware all get bear-bagged.

But, in a moment of entertaining paranoia, I started thinking about other scented things which aren't as obvious. Here are a few:

Talcum powder
I've seen many books suggest applying this to sealed seams to keep them from sticking to the fabric. But, I've never seen any which didn't smell nice.

Insect Repellent
DEET products have some odor, but what really worries me is the lemon eucalyptus stuff. If my nose were sensitive enough, I know it would attract me into someone else's camp. I'd think they had packed in a lemon pie or something!

To a human habituated animal, not just bears, ANY scent could mean food, including camp gas or insect repellent. It tells the critter that food carrying humans are in the area.
I think the raccoons and possums in my park know when trash day is, based on truck noise and diesel fumes.

If you have salmon-flavored/scented underwear like Phat, you'd have to hang that in the bearbag as well.

phat attracts bears even without his favorite undies. He's just Sooo Cuddly.

I, on the other hand, seem to repulse bears. I've even had them make rude gestures at me while trying to get away from me.

I wish I had the same effect on ticks.

Bill

I also toss lip balm in my hanging bag/canister. I hear that bear spray is really odorous, too, after you've used it.

I think it would be really tough to eliminate every perfumy odor. It's not just the items you take that smell, it's also the stuff you use before you leave home: detergent, dryer sheets, shaving cream, etc. I have to use Selsun Blue once a week, and that stuff stinks to high heaven.

Not much point in worrying about all of that really. Chances are there are smells on the stuff you've brought along that you don't even realize are there. Bears are going to smell everything, what's inside your bag and what you've touched before you put the stuff in that bag before you even left home. If you washed your hands with a nice smelling hand soap or something and then go and put your items into the bag and head out, that smell will have rubbed off to some degree on that stuff. Same if you've eaten food, smells in your car, etc.

Best thing to do is obviously avoid bringing any applie pie scented candles and know how to react and protect yourself from a bear, as well as how to handle that kind of stuff on their turf.

Like others have stated: everything smells like humans or something associated with humans. I put non-food items in my bear cannister as room is available, based on the importance of the item. For example, I can do without toothpaste, but do not want to loose my sunscreen to a bear.

On the other hand, I DO NOT put any clothing or any item I plan on having in the tent with me in my bear cannister, even if this means my cannister is half empty in my pack. The cannister has food smells and the last thing I want is for my clothing to smell like a tastey morsel to a bear! The exception is smelly socks on my last day out.

Also, I believe the cleaner camp you keep the better with respect to bears. I wash pots well away from camp. I am pretty fanatical about washing my clothes and myself every day.

In areas where bears assoicate humans with a free meal, any smell will attract them to your camp. In areas where bears associate humans with getting killed (hunting allowed)I would think bears would avoid human smells.

A long time ago, my family was camping in Glacier National Park, Montana, and were harrassed by bears. Keeping a fire going all night kept them away. I think most animals fear fire. Has anyone also experienced this?

Lucky me! I attract bears, ticks and mosquitoes!

Off the subject, but you may be able to help me with a problem. I live in town, in California, and to my surprise, an 8" long (but quite skinny) lizard is now slithering around in my house. Fast little critter - I cannot seem to catch him! How do you get a lizzard out of your house?

If you can get close while the lizard is out in the open...within 3-4 feet... make a simple slip knot noose from a length of light mono-filament fishing line. The knot doesn't have to be tight. Sewing thread works too. You can gently lower the noose around the lizards neck and snare it. Once you have it, gently hold the critter (it won't hurt you) and remove the noose. You'll have a new friend.
If you can't get close, tie the fishing line on the end of a stick (fishing rod works) and try again. I've caught hundreds of lizards using this technique...sometimes with a long blade of johnson grass with a knot on the end.

Don't mean to sound cruel, but with three frisky house cats that wouldn't be a problem for me.

Unless he's drinking your favorite wine or eating all your M&Ms, I'd just wait until he was near a door and "encourage" him with a broom.

I tried to find some talcum powder a while back so I didn't have to use regular baby powder.
Couldn't do it because none of the grocers/pharmacies carried it. All the baby powder was the corn starch stuff.
Talcum has been linked to some lung damage, or something, which is why I suspect it is off the shelves.

Sprinkling a 'mmmmm good' food product, such as corn starch, all over your tent might be a problem.

I quit doing it.

WD

If your lizard asks you if you want to buy insurance, let me know!



MNS

I wouldn't think corn starch would have an odor.

You could look for talc at a health food store.

MNS

Attract bears, they might eat it.

Exploit your mammalian advantage over the reptilian. You could try turning the air conditioning down really cold (65 F or so?) on a sunny day. Leave one blind open, and the chances are pretty good you'll find him sunning himself there, or maybe in another window sill facing the sun. Get a butterfly net to catch him. Do not grab him by the tail, unless you only want his tail.

Why? When I lived in Texas, we had geckos all over the place, and many times saw them in the house. They eat lots of insects, so I just leave them there. Free bug control.

>_>
<_<

picanic baskets

As others pointed out EVERY THING about you smells of human scented something. We humans have a fixation on food, but because we live a world of colored vision vs a world of smell, we miss the animals take on us. We think they only smell our food, highly scented items, but your boot or the smell of salmon on your face or hands will be far more enticing than dry oatmeal. Unless YOU sleep in an ursack with all of your gear, you're just fooling yourself that you can hide these scents from a bear.

I have slept with my food and had a huge bear sniff my tent and walk away. It was a cold windy night, but still... at least he was a true wild black bear.

I've had a bear bite my bag of coffee in Yosemite and spit it out.
Jim

Jim, next time try and take a picture.

I hear ya Jim. I had a honest-to-goodness black bear sniff at me in my hammock in the Adirondacks. I woke up when i felt him/her nudging against my shoulder.

-- And stayed awake for awhile, no doubt . . .