Who wants to get eaten by wolves?

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Just got back from long weekend camping. Had a really nice time, quiet, caught no fish, had 80% good weather, taught the kidlet how to take a fish hook out of his arm with pliers, good times. For the first time in more than a decade we went to a campground (usually I go back country) because there was a work thing going on I needed phone service for the weekend. It made me remember why I don't go to campgrounds, and made me grateful for all the people who will sacrifice themselves come the apocalypse, providing a better chance to the rest of us.

1. Don't call the park workers to come set up your tent because you don't know how
2. Don't feed the bears
3. Don't wander off with a 3' high bonfire going on in your campsite
4. Don't leave your garbage out on the picnic table all night while you are in your tent (don't feed the bears)
5. Don't set up your tent under that tree that's at a 45, with severe splintering on the off side
6. Why do people keep feeding the bears?
7. Don't clean fish in your campsite and leave the guts on the ground (don't feed the bears)
8. Don't call the park workers to come start a fire for you because you don't know how
9. Ditto your outdoor stove
10. Seriously, why do you keep feeding those bears?

These are people who intentionally went camping, yet you get the feeling that a good 60% would just die in 2 weeks if the power ever went off for good. Other than the witnessed stupidity at least most of the people were friendly, and I only saw one quasi-argument that looked like it could have gotten serious. I could never work at a park, I would tell so many people off the first day alone

[Jay 2K Winger]

There's a new #1 threat to America-- PEOPLE WHO FEED BEARS

[NecessaryCatharsis]

Yeah, personal pet peeve I admit. Still, not an overly intelligent thing to do.

[notalwaysright]

I remember being a teenager, maybe 14 camping with a large group. This was some kind of non-attended place. It may have just been some abandoned logging trail, who knows. Anyway, we're camping in trailers and such, and this full grown woman comes out of hers and asks me for help lighting her stove. I go in and she had left in on "light," so the gas had been running for a while! The trailer reeked and I was like, "just leave the door open and get out." I tried to explain the concept of gas and explosions, but she shrugged it off. Oh, and it was a spiffy stove that had the button clicky thing (that's the technical term) so you didn't even need to have a match. (though normally you have to push the dial for the gas to release, this one didn't seem to have that)

Beets, bears, Battlestar Galactica. People who feed bears, intentional or otherwise, are really stupid, and I have trouble feeling bad for them when their actions lead to inevitable consequences.

[Monterey Jack]

"I'm cold, and there are wolves after me." [distant howl]

[dalesys]

There's a new #1 threat to the world-- PEOPLE WHO FEED BEARS ...

Anything other than themselves!

[MoonCat]

Ugh, idiots. We visited a park in another county once (Panama Rocks, look it up, it's cool) and my sister and I were hanging out in the parking lot waiting for our friends to get back from their last hike. Meanwhile some total idiots, who had a huge campfire going, packed up their truck, climbed in and drove away - leaving the fire, and a campsite full of empty beer bottles. As far as we could tell, they left for good, since they took all of their stuff except the empties. So our group had to put the fire out. We couldn't believe how stupid that was.

[raudf]

When I was a kid, we'd put out other people's fires when they packed up and left. Bucket of water, shovel, and patience. We had to make sure every hot spot was doused to prevent forest fires and stupid people from getting hurt. (That was something that happened. Idiot thought the fire was dead, just because they didn't SEE any embers. Stirred it with hand and learned the hard way!)

[Mr Hero]

There's a new #1 threat to America-- PEOPLE WHO FEED BEARS

I read somewhere their periods attract bears. Bears can smell the menstruation.

"I'm cold, and there are wolves after me." [distant howl]

Damnit, I was going to post the same thing!

[WishfulSpirit]

I grew up camping in Rocky Mountain National Park. Granted there was quite a bit of space between camp grounds, but I never saw anything like this. Maybe coloradoans are just more outdoorsy and get taught how to do things? Or maybe the public service announcements about forest fires are paid more attention to here since everyone knows someone who lost their house in a fire?

[wheeitsmee]

The problem with feeding the bears isn't that they want to hurt you, it's that they get too comfortable with humans and if they can't be re-located they get euthanized.

Because when a bear moves you to one side so that they can get that bacon they smell, part of your insides might inadvertently end up outside.

[Jay 2K Winger]

I read somewhere their periods attract bears. Bears can smell the menstruation.

Well that's just great. You hear that, Ed? BEARS. Now you're putting the whole station in jeopardy.

[Gilhelmi]

I went on a Boy Scout trip to Canada once when I was 14.

We had "Bear Bags", to hang from trees. Because if the Bears ate our food, help was 3 days by (boat with paddles, forgot how to spell). Also, bears can be dangourous, if the previous person feeds the bears but you won't let them steal your food. Or if you are wearing tasty smelling deodorant, or toothpaste (these were not allowed by either "High Adventure" camp I went to).

[Minflick]

My mother went backpacking by Hetch Hetchy one time. On a lunch break, a bear ambled up, and it ate her lunch, all of her unprepared food (dry powders, meats, veg of various kind), her toothpaste, and left only her clothing and her brillo pad. Brillo pads, for those who don't recall them, or never heard of them, are small steel wool pads with a cleaning/scouring paste in embedded in them. The bear got everything else, and shredded her backpack getting out the unprepared food. Mom was unhurt, but the trip was OVER. Lucky for her, she was on her first day, and just turned around and hiked back out to her car and came home.

[VComps]

I went on a Boy Scout trip to Canada once when I was 14. We had "Bear Bags", to hang from trees. Because if the Bears ate our food, help was 3 days by (boat with paddles, forgot how to spell). Also, bears can be dangourous, if the previous person feeds the bears but you won't let them steal your food. Or if you are wearing tasty smelling deodorant, or toothpaste (these were not allowed by either "High Adventure" camp I went to).

Canoe, kayak, rowboat. Pick all that apply.