Hi,
One more initial question from a new member: Most of the talk on this list about containers seems to be about plastic. I've camped enough to know that food odors (even a little peanut butter or chocolate bar residue transferred from the fingers) can be enough to interest animals in opening containers (or chewing packstraps, clothing, etc.). Even fingerprints salty from sweat can attract animals. Bears can pop plastic containers open easily enough. Rodents can chew their way in.
I guess the question is: How realistic is this worry? I haven't actually gone out seeking letterboxes, though I have plans to plant some here in Montana -- so I don't know whether it's common to find boxes with animal damage. Anyone want to share observations/experiences?
My inclination here in grizzly country is to use those wonderful, hermetically sealed 7.62mm ammunition cans and paint them in some friendly neo-hippie way so letterboxers don't mistakenly open cans of live M-60 machine gun ammo (which of course the observant hiker regularly finds poking out from under rocks in the Montana outback, along with cases of hand grenades, surface-to-air missle launchers, camouflaged Humvees, and caches of spare parts for black UN assault helicopters), expecting to find homemade rubber stamps.
Thanks for your input.
-Mark
http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~sheehan
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letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse) country
4 messages in this thread |
Started on 1999-05-20
[L-USA] letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse) country
From: Mark Sheehan (sheehan@montana.campuscwix.net) |
Date: 1999-05-20 10:12:35 UTC-06:00
[L-USA] Re: letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse) country
From: Thom Cheney (tcgrafx@imagina.com) |
Date: 1999-05-20 09:39:40 UTC-07:00
Hey Mark.....
I look forward to travelling to look for your boxes... which side of
Montana are letterboxing from? Sounds like somewhere near Glacier Nt.
Park.
I am not speaking officially for letterboxing, the list or any other
entity other than myself... in regards to permission to letterbox. It
concerns me, because I usually incluse my e-mail address with every box
I plant... but I usually hide my boxes in places & ways that they are
not found unless you are REALLY looking for them. I also plant my boxes
so they do not impact the environment... so other than some kind of
littering charge, I don't really see any problem at this point. In
Dartmoor they have thousands of l-boxes in a small area (small in
comparison to the ENTIRE U.S. that we are using) with a much larger
propulation searching for them, so those kind of rules should apply.
As far as critter damage is concerned... I think one of my boxes was
possibly nudged by a possum or raccoon.. but I generally don't worry too
much about animal trouble.. other than the two-legged kind.
--
Thom Cheney
tcgrafx... among other things
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I look forward to travelling to look for your boxes... which side of
Montana are letterboxing from? Sounds like somewhere near Glacier Nt.
Park.
I am not speaking officially for letterboxing, the list or any other
entity other than myself... in regards to permission to letterbox. It
concerns me, because I usually incluse my e-mail address with every box
I plant... but I usually hide my boxes in places & ways that they are
not found unless you are REALLY looking for them. I also plant my boxes
so they do not impact the environment... so other than some kind of
littering charge, I don't really see any problem at this point. In
Dartmoor they have thousands of l-boxes in a small area (small in
comparison to the ENTIRE U.S. that we are using) with a much larger
propulation searching for them, so those kind of rules should apply.
As far as critter damage is concerned... I think one of my boxes was
possibly nudged by a possum or raccoon.. but I generally don't worry too
much about animal trouble.. other than the two-legged kind.
--
Thom Cheney
tcgrafx... among other things
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[L-USA] Re: letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse) country
From: Daniel Servatius (elf@pclink.com) |
Date: 1999-05-21 01:12:44 UTC-05:00
Mark Sheehan wrote:
I've camped enough to know that food odors (even a little peanut butter
or chocolate bar residue transferred from the fingers) can be enough to
interest animals in opening containers (or chewing packstraps, clothing,
etc.). Even fingerprints salty from sweat can attract animals. Bears can
pop plastic containers open easily enough. Rodents can chew their way
in.
>
> I guess the question is: How realistic is this worry? I haven't actually gone out seeking letterboxes, though I have plans to plant some here in Montana -- so I don't know whether it's common to find boxes with animal damage. Anyone want to share observations/experiences?
There are a few people on this list who've observed animals reaction to
old food
containers. Everything you've pointed out is pretty much a valid
concern. Avoid
old food containers. That's what I've been hearing.
>
> My inclination here in grizzly country is to use those wonderful, hermetically sealed 7.62mm ammunition cans and paint them in some friendly neo-hippie way so letterboxers don't mistakenly open cans of live M-60 machine gun ammo (which of course the observant hiker regularly finds poking out from under rocks in the Montana outback, along with cases of hand grenades, surface-to-air missle launchers, camouflaged Humvees, and caches of spare parts for black UN assault helicopters), expecting to find homemade rubber stamps.
I want to thank you for being thoughtful enough to protect people by
camouflaging
your containers. This, BTW, is another thought that was passed across
the list
before, I think by Hoggie of NC. IS that right?
Oh, and welcome to Letterboxing USA MArk. Good to have you aboard.
cool website, complete with photo. One of these days I'll get brave
enough to put mine put there.
> http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~sheehan
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I've camped enough to know that food odors (even a little peanut butter
or chocolate bar residue transferred from the fingers) can be enough to
interest animals in opening containers (or chewing packstraps, clothing,
etc.). Even fingerprints salty from sweat can attract animals. Bears can
pop plastic containers open easily enough. Rodents can chew their way
in.
>
> I guess the question is: How realistic is this worry? I haven't actually gone out seeking letterboxes, though I have plans to plant some here in Montana -- so I don't know whether it's common to find boxes with animal damage. Anyone want to share observations/experiences?
There are a few people on this list who've observed animals reaction to
old food
containers. Everything you've pointed out is pretty much a valid
concern. Avoid
old food containers. That's what I've been hearing.
>
> My inclination here in grizzly country is to use those wonderful, hermetically sealed 7.62mm ammunition cans and paint them in some friendly neo-hippie way so letterboxers don't mistakenly open cans of live M-60 machine gun ammo (which of course the observant hiker regularly finds poking out from under rocks in the Montana outback, along with cases of hand grenades, surface-to-air missle launchers, camouflaged Humvees, and caches of spare parts for black UN assault helicopters), expecting to find homemade rubber stamps.
I want to thank you for being thoughtful enough to protect people by
camouflaging
your containers. This, BTW, is another thought that was passed across
the list
before, I think by Hoggie of NC. IS that right?
Oh, and welcome to Letterboxing USA MArk. Good to have you aboard.
cool website, complete with photo. One of these days I'll get brave
enough to put mine put there.
> http://www.homepage.montana.edu/~sheehan
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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[L-USA] Re: letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse) country
From: Charles Marchant-White (charles@bcasol.co.uk) |
Date: 1999-05-21 08:54:39 UTC+01:00
As I understand it the number of concerns are
1 Digging around all over the place but in several wrong places in search
of a hidey hole with box and leaving the debris or perhaps disturbing
anything in the process
2 Disturbing wild life at delicate times of the year. Ground nesting
birds, rutting and delivery.
3 Wildlife finding and attempting to eat container and contents.
Although there are many areas in this country which are common there is much
that is either private or is the responsibility of say the Forestry
Commission or is a National Park and is subject to rules, regulations,
statute, local byelaws etc regarding access and use. The important issue is
ensuring that the practice of the pursuit does not contravene any of these.
Regards
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: Thom Cheney
To: letterbox-usa@egroups.com
Date: 20 May 1999 17:35
Subject: [L-USA] Re: letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse)
country
>Hey Mark.....
>
>I look forward to travelling to look for your boxes... which side of
>Montana are letterboxing from? Sounds like somewhere near Glacier Nt.
>Park.
>
>I am not speaking officially for letterboxing, the list or any other
>entity other than myself... in regards to permission to letterbox. It
>concerns me, because I usually incluse my e-mail address with every box
>I plant... but I usually hide my boxes in places & ways that they are
>not found unless you are REALLY looking for them. I also plant my boxes
>so they do not impact the environment... so other than some kind of
>littering charge, I don't really see any problem at this point. In
>Dartmoor they have thousands of l-boxes in a small area (small in
>comparison to the ENTIRE U.S. that we are using) with a much larger
>propulation searching for them, so those kind of rules should apply.
>
>As far as critter damage is concerned... I think one of my boxes was
>possibly nudged by a possum or raccoon.. but I generally don't worry too
>much about animal trouble.. other than the two-legged kind.
>--
>Thom Cheney
>tcgrafx... among other things
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>The Weather Underground. We provide weather across the world.
>Visit http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/48
>
>
>
>eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/letterbox-usa
>http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
>
>
>
>
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1 Digging around all over the place but in several wrong places in search
of a hidey hole with box and leaving the debris or perhaps disturbing
anything in the process
2 Disturbing wild life at delicate times of the year. Ground nesting
birds, rutting and delivery.
3 Wildlife finding and attempting to eat container and contents.
Although there are many areas in this country which are common there is much
that is either private or is the responsibility of say the Forestry
Commission or is a National Park and is subject to rules, regulations,
statute, local byelaws etc regarding access and use. The important issue is
ensuring that the practice of the pursuit does not contravene any of these.
Regards
Charles
-----Original Message-----
From: Thom Cheney
To: letterbox-usa@egroups.com
Date: 20 May 1999 17:35
Subject: [L-USA] Re: letterbox containers for grizzly (or even mouse)
country
>Hey Mark.....
>
>I look forward to travelling to look for your boxes... which side of
>Montana are letterboxing from? Sounds like somewhere near Glacier Nt.
>Park.
>
>I am not speaking officially for letterboxing, the list or any other
>entity other than myself... in regards to permission to letterbox. It
>concerns me, because I usually incluse my e-mail address with every box
>I plant... but I usually hide my boxes in places & ways that they are
>not found unless you are REALLY looking for them. I also plant my boxes
>so they do not impact the environment... so other than some kind of
>littering charge, I don't really see any problem at this point. In
>Dartmoor they have thousands of l-boxes in a small area (small in
>comparison to the ENTIRE U.S. that we are using) with a much larger
>propulation searching for them, so those kind of rules should apply.
>
>As far as critter damage is concerned... I think one of my boxes was
>possibly nudged by a possum or raccoon.. but I generally don't worry too
>much about animal trouble.. other than the two-legged kind.
>--
>Thom Cheney
>tcgrafx... among other things
>
>------------------------------------------------------------------------
>The Weather Underground. We provide weather across the world.
>Visit http://clickhere.egroups.com/click/48
>
>
>
>eGroups.com home: http://www.egroups.com/group/letterbox-usa
>http://www.egroups.com - Simplifying group communications
>
>
>
>
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