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Some Bear Facts
The black bear has become a fairly common sight to folks who like to spend
time in the great outdoors. Black bears star in many a campfire tale:
"Remember the time that bear came right up to our campsite in
broad daylight? We shooed him away, but he was right back there in an hour
or so. He grabbed our food bag and ran off with it. As he ran, the food
fell out leaving a trail like Hansel and Gretel. He had our food for the entire week."
The black bear inhabits the extensive forests that surround us.
He has a very keen sense of smell and surprising dexterity with his paws. He
is primarily a vegetarian, so it's a good idea to set up your camp far away
from stands of nut trees, blueberry bushes, and raspberry patches. About 10% of his diet consists of insects and rodents.
Unfortunately, many campers are turning the black bear into a nuisance. By
giving the bears opportunity to smell, find, and eat human food, these
campers are conditioning the bears to seek it out. The bears smell that "good home cookin" at the campground and drop by to see
what's on the menu. They become frequent visitors to dumpsters and forage
around campsites.
How can a camper minimize the chances of a bear encounter?
- Investigate the campsite you are thinking of using.
Pick a site that shows no signs of recent bear activity. Big teeth marks in
a Hershey Bar wrapper may indicate that someone out there likes s'mores too!
- Thoroughly clean up after yourself! Crumbs, dirty dishes,
and empty bottles beckon a bear to your site.
- Never eat in your tent. Those nacho crumbs will bring a
night visitor.
- Put all your food and cooking utensils in a bear bag. Hang
the bag in a tree far away from your tent. I heard a story about some
campers who hung a bear bag above their tent. That night as they slept, a
bear discovered their hanging bag. Thinking that the tent was a rock to
climb, he ran toward the tent to propel himself upwards towards the food.
Imagine the shock and pain of the sleeping campers as the bear came crashing
into their tent!
- Mmmm...peppermint! Put all toothpaste and cosmetics in the
bear bag.
A new product called a Bear Keg is made of
tough, claw-proof, tooth-proof plastic and built so that a bear can't get
a good hold on it. It can be locked to a tree or hung like a bear bag. If a bear does get it, he ends up swatting it around and eventually gives up in frustration. Bear Kegs are mandatory equipment in many western national forests, and they will become mandatory in the Adirondacks in 2005.
Looking for a unique holiday present for the wilderness camper in your life?
Get him/her a Bear Keg. It will keep his/her tummy full. More importantly, it will protect the bears from unhealthy human contact.
Related products:
Bear Aware (book)
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