Yesterday I wrote about 10 tips for surviving a bear encounter. That got me thinking though. Maybe the best way to deal with a bear encounter is to try to prevent one altogether.
So I’ve put together a list of tips that will help keep the bears from showing up at your camp site. Prevention is much easier to handle than an actual encounter.
Most of the tactics for keeping bears from showing up at your camp site have something to do with scents. Bears have a great sense of smell and they are very curious creatures. Keeping the smells at bay will help keep the bears away.
- Keep food stored in sealed containers. This will lock in the scent and keep it out of the noses of nearby bears.
- Never store food in your tent, unless it is in a sealed container.
- Store garbage in waste containers with tight fitting lids. This will lock the smell in and keep the bears oblivious to your presence.
- If you must keep garbage in bags, consider hanging the bags in a tree to keep the scent high. Check out Bear Bagging Instructions for more info.
- Don’t hang up bird feeders (generally for the seasonal campers). Black bears are attracted to foods like seed, suet and nectar used in bird feeders.
- Clean outdoor grills after each use – especially the grease trap underneath.
- Never leave pet food outdoors. Keep the food in a sealed container and only take out enough to feed your pet at meal times.
- Encourage other campers around you to take precautions and help keep the bears out of the campgrounds.
I can’t stress enough – bears may look cute but they are very dangerous animals. The best way to avoid an encounter with a bear is to eliminate those things that would attract a bear to your location.
Be safe, and happy camping!
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