Results of the more stringent 2024 bear-proofing food storage rules in the BWCA

Glenn MacGrady · Oct 18, 2024

"Last spring, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) managers toughened the rules for how visitors store food, hoping to reduce the odds of encounters with bears.

"So far, they say, the moves appear to have worked."

https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2024/10/15/news/boundary-waters-campers-faced-new-food-storage-rules-this-year-to-keep-bears-away-heres-how-it-worked/126182.html

BWCA66 · Oct 18, 2024

As a frequent visitor to the BWCA I think it's too bad this was needed but it was, too many sloppy careless campers resulted in many habituated bears which is as bad for the bears as for the humans. There was a lot of complaining but compliance was pretty simple - either get or rent certified bear proof storage or hang. I'm glad to see that it seems like it worked.

Chip · Oct 19, 2024

During my one and only trip to BWCA, we hung, and sometimes it was tough to find a way to hang 12’ up and 6’ from a trunk. You need a large limb in an area where there are no lower limbs and no other trees nearby. There were sites where we couldn’t find such a limb and resorted to rigging lines between trees and did not achieve 12’/6’. Luckily, we were not visited by any bears and got away with it.

I’ve been in parks where the sites were equipped with either wire pulley systems (Olympic and Shenandoah NPs), an elevated log chained between trees (Yellowstone) or steel storage boxes (Grand Teton and Yosemite NPs). It’s a lot easier hanging if the site is equipped for it. But, BWCA is so huge with so many sites it doesn’t seem feasible to equip sites there with storage systems.

Which I guess leaves carrying a bear-proof container as the best solution. In the BWCA, where we averaged 8 carries a day, that’s a lot of carrying. I think I’d invest in one of the bear-proof sacks if I went there again. Hopefully, they are approved for use in the BWCA.

Modified Ottertail · Oct 25, 2024

Chip said:
Which I guess leaves carrying a bear-proof container as the best solution. In the BWCA, where we averaged 8 carries a day, that’s a lot of carrying. I think I’d invest in one of the bear-proof sacks if I went there again. Hopefully, they are approved for use in the BWCA.

If you go the Ursack route, the "Allmitey" line protects against all animals. The non-Allmitey bags are susceptible to the chewing of rodents and other small mammals.

yknpdlr · Oct 25, 2024

In some areas, specifically the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness of the Adirondacks, to be legal you must use a commercially made certified bear resistant hard side canister. Ursack bags and other flexible soft bags of the like are not legally acceptable, although those are useful protection in adjacent less restrictive areas against mini-bear type scurrying critters.

Glenn MacGrady · Oct 25, 2024

Modified Ottertail said:
non-Allmitey bags

Even these will resist black bears, who can't do much more than crush the contents and put some tooth punctures into the Kevlar.

Blukanu · Nov 3, 2024

Why hasn’t someone made a bear canister the size of a small blue barrel? That way you can repurpose a barrel harness you probably already have.

Would also be nice if someone bothered to make these with a seal to contain odors and keep water out.

They also should have a way to attached a line to them. I know this would give a way a bear could carry it off…would have to design it so this connection is the weakest link.

A weather proof bear canister that could be hung (secured) would be the most secure.

Not a fan of the bags. The bear might not get an easy meal but it’ll destroy your food and thus end your trip.

ppine · Nov 3, 2024

In 1985 there were some habituated bears around. I remember running into one on a portage trail, but I had a canoe on my head so he took off at a run. A few days later we had one in camp after dark that was pesky and not afraid of humans. My 35 pound cow dog ran her off easily. She was used to working with large cattle.

Just like taking selfies in Ystone, the public seems to be losing some of their common sense.

Blukanu · Nov 4, 2024

If ever bear hunting in the BWCA I guess you could just set up a tree stand over a blue barrel.

The problem bears will get thinned out, plus meat from a bear fattened up on granola bars, GORP and Mountain House meals is probably delicious.

Alan Gage · Nov 4, 2024

Blukanu said:
Why hasn’t someone made a bear canister the size of a small blue barrel? That way you can repurpose a barrel harness you probably already have.

I would guess cost and lack of demand.

The bigger it is the thicker and heavier duty it will have to be. It would probably be cheaper to buy another bag to carry bear canisters than to buy a big bear canister that would fit your blue barrel harness.

I imagine the vast majority of bear canisters are for people doing hiking trips. They don't need the capacity and don't want to carry the weight.

There aren't a lot of canoe trippers in the grand scheme of things.

Alan

Blukanu · Nov 4, 2024

Alan Gage said:
I would guess cost and lack of demand.

Yeah, you’re likely correct. Blue barrels started as repurposed olive barrels if I recall.

Company I work for does some contract molding and we molded some of the BearVault brand canisters….just the polycarb blowmolded bodies. Pretty tight margins I imagine after tying up $60k just in one mold.

Steve in Idaho · Thursday at 9:30 PM

Glenn MacGrady said:
"Last spring, Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) managers toughened the rules for how visitors store food, hoping to reduce the odds of encounters with bears.

"So far, they say, the moves appear to have worked."

https://www.redlakenationnews.com/story/2024/10/15/news/boundary-waters-campers-faced-new-food-storage-rules-this-year-to-keep-bears-away-heres-how-it-worked/126182.html

Revisiting this thread, and I note that the link in the story to the new regulation goes to a dead page. Has there been an update?

Gamma1214 · Thursday at 10:18 PM

Weird. The link worked for me (both from Glenn's original post and from your quote of it). Phone / browser specific glitch?... Anyone else having issues viewing?

Glenn MacGrady · Thursday at 11:09 PM

Steve in Idaho said:
Revisiting this thread, and I note that the link in the story to the new regulation goes to a dead page. Has there been an update?

I'm not seeing a dead link anywhere, Steve. An official summary of the new April 2024 bear-proofing order along with links to the actual order itself, a map of the affected geography, and a FAQ are HERE.

I just noticed that the order is only in force for two years and expires on April 19, 2026. Of course, the Forest Service can probably extend the order with another one if they want to.

Steve in Idaho · Thursday at 11:10 PM

The link I'm talking about is what they claim leads to the list of accepted containers.

Many of the common polyethylene blue barrels aren't on the list. (Find the list at bit.ly/bearprooflists.)

Glenn MacGrady · Thursday at 11:23 PM

Steve in Idaho said:
The link I'm talking about is what they claim leads to the list of accepted containers.

Ah, yes, that link seems to be dead. I believe the U.S. Department of Agriculture, of which the U.S. Forest Service is a part, approves the list of bear containers that are certified by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC), and that list is HERE.

Steve in Idaho · Thursday at 11:38 PM

Okay, I found a link to the list in pdf by going to the source here...

Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) - ID, MT, WY, WA

The Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee supports recovery and delisting, conservation of grizzly bears through policy, management, research and communication.

igbconline.org

My bear resistant container is in the group of "previously accepted but no longer available". I guess that means it's still good, but maybe no? Wording in the pdf is a bit ambiguous.

Gamma1214 · Friday at 7:35 AM

I'd think you're ok. Just go for it (maybe don't tell the Ranger where to find the list)

Results of the more stringent 2024 bear-proofing food storage rules in the BWCA

Glenn MacGrady

Administrator

BWCA66

Chip

Modified Ottertail

yknpdlr

Glenn MacGrady

Administrator

Blukanu

ppine

Blukanu

Alan Gage

Super Moderator

Blukanu

Steve in Idaho

Gamma1214

Glenn MacGrady

Administrator

Steve in Idaho

Glenn MacGrady

Administrator

Steve in Idaho

Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) - ID, MT, WY, WA

Gamma1214

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