Many hikers I know, and those I have seen, hang their bear canisters (I do too). On the other hand it is easy to see all the canisters in the trees, the ones on the ground you don't see, so maybe lots more folks actually do not hang them than those who do, I'm not sure.
Not to sound like I am shouting at you in particular, because I know this is a common misconception --
YOU DO NOT HANG A BEAR CANISTER. That is not what they are for. They should be placed on the GROUND. The bear cannot pick it up that way. If you attach a rope to it that will give a bear a handle to drag away your food, and even if it never gets it open, your canister and food will be GONE.
Place it on the ground, a fair distance (100 - 200 feet) from the tent, in a place where there's no easy way to roll it away down a hill or into water. As mentioned earlier in the thread.
Follow the instructions. Lock the lid, place it on the ground. If you can legally hang food, use bags! Canisters are made so you DON'T have to hang food, and to keep bears that know very well how to get hung food bags away from food. A bear dropping a canister out of a tree is a bear that will learn to drop canisters off other things - we definitely do not need bears to ever learn how to break them on rocks!
Until you understand this - for the love of creation, do not ever backpack in Yosemite! EVER.
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