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Excerpts from
Living in Bear Country ©
Linda Masterson, 2006
Camping & Vacationing
Be a welcome visitor in
bear country:
“Take only pictures,
leave only footprints…”
Most campers and
vacationers who visit an area don’t know much about the place
they have come to enjoy and explore. But all the innocent
mistakes: “I didn’t know”, “I forgot” and “What bear?” responses
by a million visitors a year, add up to big trouble for the
permanent residents- human and bear alike. The problems
uninformed visitors create remain behind for local residents and
managers to resolve and there’s a good chance that the bear you
photograph pawing through your trash or “chowing down” on your
camping snacks will ultimately pay for his free meal with his
life.
Bears are not cuddly
teddies or ferocious killers; they are wild animals that deserve
respect. Do not assume that a bear is friendly just because he
is hanging around by the road or doesn’t run away when he sees
you - there are NO “tame” wild bears.
Read and pay attention to literature on living with the local
wildlife as well as trail and area signage, it is there for good
reason. Your safety and the wild animal’s safety.
Safely stash food & trash. Keep all your coolers, beverage
containers, pet foods, supplies and trash inside and hidden from
view. Scented lotions, air fresheners, sun tan lotion, bug spray
and other scented items smell yummy to bears. Remember, bears
are attracted to anything that smells - but it doesn’t have to
smell good…even your trash smells like food to bears!
Don’t let your car, camper, RV or cabin become a food source for
bears. Close and lock all accessible windows and doors at night
and close any curtains that might provide a bear’s eye view of
your food stores. Many campground bears have learned to
associate coolers with food, so hide them out of sight in your
trunk, in a wildlife resistant food locker, or under a blanket
in the cabin. Before you lock up, clean out your car every night
and remember to check under the seat for leftovers and food
packaging. Burn off food residue on your outdoor grills, and use
a heavy duty ammonia-based cleaner to clean your RV or camper’s
exhaust vent.
Declare your tent a food-free zone. There are few things more
startling than being woken up in the middle of the night by a
bear licking the remnants of chocolate bar off your face. A vast
majority of cases where black bears have entered tents involved
food and scented toiletries. Keep them as far from your tent as
possible, and store your dirty clothes or clothes you have
cooked in with the food or trash- not in your tent.
Keep your campsite so clean your mom would be proud! The single
most important thing you can do to be smart in bear country is
keep a clean campsite- no crumbs, no wrappings, no unsecured
trash, no food or scented toiletries, no dirty dishwater, no
smelly clothes, etc. Pack a can of Lysol and spray down your
picnic area, your table, or even your backpack to reduce
attracting bears with odors.
Speak up (to people or bears)! If you see a person doing the
wrong thing, tell him why they shouldn’t. If you see a bear
rummaging through the trash, yell, throw something, make lots of
noise and try to scare it away. Neither one can afford to think
what they are doing is ok.
Remember these tips:
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Keep your camp site clean
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Store food and trash properly
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Clean and/or wipe down cooking and eating areas
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Do not leave grease and food particles on grills, stoves, etc.
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Do not use scented toiletries
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Don’t leave anything in your tent including food and toiletries
that might attract bears
Hunting & Fishing in Bear Country
Be alert. Since you can’t
make noise, try to stop frequently, look around, and be on the
lookout for fresh bear sign.
Be aware. Deer feeders and tree stands combine bears two
favorite things- a good lookout point and an easy snack. So
don’t be surprised if a bear snacks on your deer corn or claims
your tree stand as his own- and more importantly, don’t try to
take it back.
Leave your dogs at home. If must hunt with dogs where you know
bears are present, be prepared for your dogs to lead you to- or
bring back- a grumpy bear rather than the trophy deer you were
hoping for.
Secure a fresh catch. If you have to leave your fish or deer
carcass for more than a few minutes, stash it at least 25 to 50
feet from your gut pile, cover it with tree limbs or brush and
make sure you can see it from a distance. When you come back,
make plenty of noise, and if a bear has beaten you to your kill,
don’t try to reclaim it.
Avoid gut piles or other common dumpsites if you can, and never
leave yours on a trail or road.
Be ready to spray. Guns can certainly kills bears, but often not
fast enough to save the shooter if under attack. Instead, pack
and keep bear spray handy- and practice with it before you are
in a situation to use it. Although an ounce of prevention is
worth a pound of bear spray, it is still more effective than
bullets in deterring a bear. There are several manufacturers of
bear deterrent spray- just make sure whatever you buy specifies
that it is for use on bears and isn’t a general pepper spray.
www.counterassault.com
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