Black bears reside along many of the long trails and they behave more or less the same everywhere. To assert that someone posting an the AT forum about experiences on some other trail is “wrong trail” seems a bit petty to me. <<
No, that’s not true. Black bear behavior varies widely depending upon their level of conditioning to humans and whether or not they’ve become accustomed to stealing human food. This is why the Park Service requires bear cans along the JMT portion of the PCT, but the Plumas National Forest (let’s say) does not. It’s also why Shenandoah NP along the AT requires hikers to use the bear poles within that park, but the George Washington National Forest (or ATC in general) has no such policy. These are examples of policies that have resulted directly from the presence or absence of so-called Park Bears, ruined for human food, which is a completely different animal from the Wild Bears that still have some level of fear for people. Most of the bears along the AT are, contrary to what an outsider may hypothesize, Wild Bears. And while it’s true that all bears are opportunistic and can become Park Bears given time and the right environment, it would be incorrect to assume that the AT is anything like the JMT High Sierra or that it’s moving swiftly in that direction. Those who are advocating bear vaults or bear bagging along the AT have their hearts in the right place, and for some people these approaches might make sense. It’s certainly a noble sacrifice, packing the extra weight or ritualistically bear bagging in order to make sure (or as sure as your methods are good) that a bear doesn’t get your food and maybe get killed as a result. But for the most part, along the AT in the many places where bears are simply not an issue, it’s arguably an unfair burden to recommend that other hikers follow your crusade. There are some serious downsides to consider, and the sacrifice, statistically, doesn’t amount to much in its favor.
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