Funny Camping Story - Bear Involved

[kimrb266]

During our Yosemite camping trip this past week, we had an adventure that we don't want to repeat.
 
On Thursday evening, we were waken up at 2:30 am with someone breaking into our bearbox.  I unzipped my bunkend and low and behold there was a big fat, brown colored bear eatting all of our bread and other goodies.  We didn't know what to do until we remembered what we were told during our Sequoia trip last year.  DH and I grabbed some pots/pans and went outside to scare (attempt to scare) the bear away.  Picture this, I am in my flannel pjs' banging my symbols with my pans and trying to be big and make scary noises; mind you, I am 5'4 with a high pitched voice.   This may surprise you, I didn't scare him at all; in fact, if he was a person, he'd be laughing at me.   While dh was throwing sandals towards the bear, I went back into the trailer to find the camera, of course couldn't locate it.  DH who was also in his pj's and yelling at him too.  Scared that he was going to clean us out, I told DH to call the Ranger and he said, "what good will that do"?  DUH!  I then told him that I would do it.  I got into DH's truck and after starting it up, and DH now in the trailer yelling at him, the bear decided to leave but not without an additional snack, he took a loaf of bread for the road.  
 
With all the noise going on, we woke up our 5 yr old.  After telling him there was a bear outside, he took a quick look at the him, got afraid and went back into his own bed to be safer.  He tells us he was brave.  
 
Our neighbor had a 5th wheel and a tent where their daughter's slept. When the girl's heard the bearbox open, they took a look out their tent window to find the bear.  They were scared and called for their mom to help them.  Their mom came to the trailer's door telling them that she couldn't go to them and for them to stay in the tent and that they would be fine.  The girl's were still scared and watched us acting like fools.   They were relieved to see the bear leave.
 
There was talk the next day about someone making lots of noise and banging pots during the night.  We told them that it was us that made the noise.  We were also told that the same bear had cleaned out their friend's bear box and only left a few prezels.  
 
The following night, the bear was breaking into someone's bearbox and he got out of his tent and began screaming at and chasing the bear.  Shortly after this, the Ranger's came back to our area to look for the bear that had attacked the night before.  They were shining lights around tents and finally located  the bear  and shot a paint ball at it to scare it away.  
 
Of the 4 night's we stayed there, 2 were full of adventure.  
 
We are looking forward to going back to Yosemite.

[jawilson]

Funny, I always thought the bear boxes were to deter them, not for them to use as a pantry...  

[AustinBoston]

I can say with about 85% certanty that this bear will be destroyed.  Once they start to see people as sources of food, they will expect it, whether the person has it or not.  This situation was more dangerous than it might have looked.  The bear thinks of the food as his, and will defend it.

A bear that can break into the bear boxes I've seen is one heck of a bear.

Austin

[OC Campers]

Gosh Kim, you and Richard are going to be professionals with camping and bears.  Especially in Yosemite.   .  

I am glad everyone is safe and the only thing lost was some food.

Jacqui

[jasbus]

We were once camping in Amicolola north Georgia, woke early in the AM to a bear munching on an aluminum can three feet away from our heads on the outside of our tent.  Funny thing is, we had a 125lbs Rottweiler in the tent with us, and we couldn't even get him out from under his blanket.  Brave doggie.

[tlhdoc]

What were the bear boxes made out of that the bear could brake in to them?  They may have shot the bear with the paint ball to mark it, so they know what bear to destroy.

[kimrb266]

Actually, the break in was my fault. When I closed the bearbox before bed, I didn't latch it all the way. It clicked once but not the 2nd time and that's the one that secures it. I don't know how they check the boxes and how they choose which ones to check.
 
The next night after the break in I didn't sleep very well. I did hear giggling of bearboxes around us and I peaked out my window to see if I could see anything. Later in the night is when the Ranger's came by to scare the bear away.
 
As for the bear being killed in the future, the Ranger's philosophy is that we are intruding on their territory and they don't want to hurt the bears unless it is warranted. They did have a bear who is trouble on a tracker and they know where it is at all times. We found this bear in a tree in Curry Village and the Ranger was there with a paintball gun.
 
When we got back in bed after cleaning up after the bear, I could do nothing but laugh and DH wasn't laughing at all. He didn't think it was funny. I was thinking of some of the things he was saying like, "this is embarrassing", "we're going to have to leave tomorrow because we'll be laughed at". After the laughing stopped, I realized that we could have been killed. I was thinking that if I unzipped my window that the bear would be there on his hind legs looking at me. That's when reality set in.
 
I was told that the paintball gun is there to scare the bear not to harm it.  What I understand is that the bear can wash it off in a river and isn't a permanent marker.
 
After all this, I'd go back to Yosemite again in a heartbeat and even stay in they same campground. The next time I'll be more savy and know what to do and not to do. Hopefully, next year we can return.