BEARS AND
CAMPSITES
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 When
participating in outdoor activities in occupied bear
habitat, thinking ahead can help prevent bear encounters.
Outdoorsmen should be as noisy as possible when walking in
bear habitat, especially when fresh bear sign is
encountered. If possible, avoid walking at dawn, dusk and
during the night, as these times are when bears are most
active. Remember, however, bear encounters can occur at any
time.
It is much easier to keep bears from being
attracted to hunting camps, campsites or picnic areas before
a problem starts. Camps are sometimes visited and damaged by
bears searching for discarded food and garbage. A bear that
finds food at one camp may decide to visit others and cause
problems there. As bear numbers increase, it will become
more important for camp owners to maintain clean,
garbage-free grounds. Bears are like very big raccoons,
except bears are much stronger and are capable of causing
considerable damage in search for food.
When camping, the easiest way to prevent
attracting a bear is to eliminate or hide appealing items
such as food, but also toothpaste, deodorant, and other
items with strong scents. Bag your food in airtight, odor
containing bags, store the food in a sack or other
container, and hang this at least 10 feet above the ground
and 4 feet from the tree or pole away from your campsite.
Campsites, including buildings, should be kept as clean as
possible. Specific areas should be designated for cleaning
fish and game, and these areas should be cleaned thoroughly
after each use. Refuse from cleaning should be buried deeply
or stored in a bear-resistant container and removed from the
site. Keep garbage in a locked container and remove it when
you leave the camp.
Bears will search a container for any
cracks or openings they can get their teeth or claws into to
rip open the container. Bears will claw or chew on the
material until it gives way or knock or jump on the
container until it breaks open. Sealed containers that
reduce odor or leaking of food material are recommended.
Suitable containers include a locker or a steel drum with
locking snap rings, PVC plastic tubes may be used as long as
the diameter is large enough to prevent the bear from
crushing the tube with its mouth.
Absolutely no food or garbage should be
left in an unoccupied campsite. Corn or other foods used for
baiting should be kept in a locked food container inside a
storage shed or in the camp. Do not leave any food in deer
stands or in a parked vehicle, including a four-wheeler or
boat. Discarded food wrappers, including candy bars, soft
drink cans and pastry wrappings, are attractants and should
not be thrown on the ground. The best thing to do is what
not to do: DON'T LITTER!
Black bears have damaged wooden structures
constructed of pressure-treated lumber in parts of its
range. Some deer hunters have found the wooden supports of
tower stands gnawed so extensively that they were rendered
unsafe for use. Gnawing bears have also caused extensive
damage to wooden signs and outbuildings in some areas.
Presumably, chemical salts used to preserve the wood were
the main attractant.
Use of alternative construction materials
should be considered where bears regularly damage wooden
structures. Steel, aluminum, fiberglass, and other durable
materials can be used instead of treated wood to build
and/or shield deer stands, signs, and other structures.
Foodstuffs that may attract foraging bears should be removed
from unoccupied buildings and stored in bear-resistant
containers. Contact the wildlife department regarding what
is considered bear resistant. This includes human and pet
food and food items commonly used to attract wildlife (e.g.,
molasses, salt blocks, corn, wheat). Bear-resistant doors,
window shutters, and fences can also be used to protect
unoccupied buildings. |
