This September will be my first time in the BWCA. Having never camped in bear country I am worried we may not know enough. Do you suggest hanging your food pack (we will be using a barrel I believe)? I'd assume you place all of your garbage back in the barrel.?.
My biggest question is about cleaning and cooking fish though. I've read you are not suppose to through the fish remains back in the water. What do you guys suggest? What do you do with leftover fry oil after cooking?

42

If you are using a barrel then you don't need to hang. No method, except true bear canisters can be thought of as bear proof (and even some bear canisters have failed at times). In the BW, every method will likely work if you keep a clean camp. So yes, garbage is stored with food and keep odors contained.

Fish remains far from portages far from campsites.

quote DontPanic: "This September will be my first time in the BWCA. Having never camped in bear country I am worried we may not know enough. Do you suggest hanging your food pack (we will be using a barrel I believe)? I'd assume you place all of your garbage back in the barrel.?.
My biggest question is about cleaning and cooking fish though. I've read you are not suppose to through the fish remains back in the water. What do you guys suggest? What do you do with leftover fry oil after cooking? "

Watch Cliff's take on bears. Couldn't be more spot on.
https://youtu.be/hWau4fLdKL4

Personally I would never fry fish in the wilderness where there is waste. A saute with minimal but equal amounts of butter and olive oil, to which you can add a bit of lemon juice when done and spoon over the fish you are eating is great, without any waste. Also the bulk of the oil, not the weight, can be an issue in carrying. Don't throw used oil on the fire.

BWCA.com says bury fish remains far from camp: "Fish remains are to be buried away from shore and away from camps, trails, and portages. Previously, it was recommended that fish remains be put on rocks on the shorelines for consumption by birds and other wildlife, however, this is not longer the case."
Other BWCA Rules

quote andym: "42"

this

quote andym: "42"

Nice. Some of my favorite books

quote Ausable: "BWCA.com says bury fish remains far from camp: "Fish remains are to be buried away from shore and away from camps, trails, and portages. Previously, it was recommended that fish remains be put on rocks on the shorelines for consumption by birds and other wildlife, however, this is not longer the case."
Other BWCA Rules "

Check with the USFS or outfitter when you pick up your permit. The last info we got was to place the fish remains on the surface but underneath overhanging branches where the seagulls wouldn't see them. Supposedly the remains disappear quicker if not buried.

One of the reasons not to put the remains on the rocks was that it attracted seagulls which then became pests around the campsites plus they would attack the nests of loons and baby loons. That seems plausible as we saw a pair of loons with a baby on the lake and an hour or so later there was only the pair of loons and there had been seagulls harassing the loons earlier.

On a positive note, the eagles seem to now be targeting baby seagulls.

Due to many careless campers leaving food and garbage at BW camp sites, the Bears know the sites may provide an easy meal. They will visit them often and your food is at risk. The best defense is bear resistant or bear proof containers, firmly secured to a tree or other immovable object. Hanging is NOT a good option since the bears can climb and will do whatever it takes to get the container down, with good success. Experienced campers will also pile pots and pans or tie bear bells to their canisters. That way one can know when the canisters is being raided and chase the bears off. Good luck and have fun.

Years ago, when the practice was to put the remains on the rocks near the shore but not in camp, my brother-in-law paddled across a pretty wide creek mouth next to our campsite and put the remains there. We got a really good view of an eagle eating fish guts. And a view of very nervous seagulls that wanted the guts but did not want to die for them. After a while, the eagle flew down the lake with a bunch of the guts and the seagulls were still too nervous to eat. My wife went in for a swim and then the eagle came back for more. Not being aware that my wife is a vegetarian (and generally uninterested in uncooked fish guts even when she ate meat), the eagle made some very menacing dive passes over her with talons displayed while braking. She went underwater to remove herself as a threat to its wondrous food source and the eagle went back to eating.

So yeah, that practice led to all sorts of interesting wildlife interactions.

I stopped hanging my food packs years ago. I follow Cliff's advice.... in large part because I've tripped with him and I believe his rationale. We button up the packs tightly, separate our garbage bag (the bear can have it) and put it on the edge of the camp. I usually rig a small cooking pot with some small pebbles as an early warning system, I attach the pot to a pack strap: bear messes with pack, I hear it.

Fact is this: chipmunks are far more likely to wreak havoc with the food pack than a bear. We had a weasel steal a Nalgene bottle once, too.

I've had bears in camp on two occasions: once going after my food pack. Banging some pans and tossing some rocks got rid of him. The other saw me as I saw him and he ran away, very quickly.

Mike

quote mapsguy1955: "Personally I would never fry fish in the wilderness where there is waste. A saute with minimal but equal amounts of butter and olive oil, to which you can add a bit of lemon juice when done and spoon over the fish you are eating is great, without any waste. Also the bulk of the oil, not the weight, can be an issue in carrying. Don't throw used oil on the fire. "

Any other suggestions for used fry oil or is this the common method?

You can use shortening, like Crisco, instead of oil. Since it's a solid, it won't leak in your pack if the bottle breaks. After cooking, it will cool and solidify again, and you can scrape it out of the pan an pack it out with your trash.

I tried Crisco once, but what a pain to cleanup... Easy to carry for sure. That was my goal. Won't do it again.