Posted: Jun 20, 2007 6:35 pm
Tlaloc, I said the ranger told me the scent, among others, attracted bears. Sorry, when it comes to advice for what to do in the park backcountry, I'll go with that of a park ranger who works there over an anonymous person on the Internet calling it B.S. I figure better safe than sorry.
In any case, here's the Web page with documented pros and cons on the argument and that lists actual studies on the subject. It also has a list of precautions menstruating women should take in the backcountry:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/bears_women.htm
The U.S. Forest Service says flatly, "Menstrual odors have been shown to attract bears":
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/bighorn/recreation/bears/
Google has a whole host of links on the subject, if you want more information and would like to form your own opinion:
http://tinyurl.com/yvbmjm
Tlaloc, I couldn't find anything factual one way or the other on your statement about Native American women having no problem with bears for thousands of years. If true, the knowledge would have to be passed on from generation to generation and thousands of years covers a lot of generations. Personally, knowing there were many more bears around before the white man came, I would think bears would have been a big problem for Native Americans. But that's just my hunch. I'm certainly not stating it as fact.
In any case, here's the Web page with documented pros and cons on the argument and that lists actual studies on the subject. It also has a list of precautions menstruating women should take in the backcountry:
http://www.nps.gov/yell/naturescience/bears_women.htm
The U.S. Forest Service says flatly, "Menstrual odors have been shown to attract bears":
http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/bighorn/recreation/bears/
Google has a whole host of links on the subject, if you want more information and would like to form your own opinion:
http://tinyurl.com/yvbmjm
Tlaloc, I couldn't find anything factual one way or the other on your statement about Native American women having no problem with bears for thousands of years. If true, the knowledge would have to be passed on from generation to generation and thousands of years covers a lot of generations. Personally, knowing there were many more bears around before the white man came, I would think bears would have been a big problem for Native Americans. But that's just my hunch. I'm certainly not stating it as fact.