Food Storage and Camping Tips in Bear Country.

Being bear aware and using bearproof containers are key to minimizing bear encounters.

Whenever you go camping it’s essential to always be bear aware. Bears are waking up now and will be searching for food. Even with the best bear proof camping food storage containers, you should take some precautions in the backcountry. This protects not only you and your food supply, but wildlife as well.

The most important thing to remember when camping in bear country is, never allow bears to obtain your food, garbage, or other attractants. Bears that learn to obtain food in campgrounds often become increasingly bold and aggressive in their efforts to obtain these foods. They may damage vehicles, tents and other property.

In rare instances bears that learn to obtain human foods even enter tents and attack people, resulting in injury and sometimes death. Bears that behave in this way are usually killed by bear managers. Bears are attracted to all of the following items:

• All human food
• Pet food and livestock feed
• Garbage
• Cooking pots and utensils
• Cooking oils
• Fuel for stoves and lanterns
• Unopened canned beverages
• Cosmetics, insect repellents, lotions, toothpaste
• Bird seed and hummingbird feeders

All of these items should be stored where bears cannot obtain them:

• In a bear resistant food storage box provided at the campsite.
• In a hard-sided vehicle (Coolers, tents, and pop-up campers are not bear-resistant).
• In a bear-resistant backpacker food cache.
• Suspended at least 10-15 feet off the ground and at least 4 feet from each vertical support.

Be sure to follow all local regulations and in general, follow these guidelines:

• Do not sleep in the clothes you cooked in.
• Keep a flashlight and your bear spray in the tent at night.
• Keep pets leashed.
• In a backcountry camp, place sleeping areas at least 100 yards away from cooking and food storage areas.
• Avoid aromatic foods such as bacon and fish.
• Never place food inside your tent.
• Sleep in a tent, not out in the open.
• Camp away from trails, berry patches, carcasses or fresh bear sign.
• Pack out all garbage and food scraps, do not bury them.

If a bear enters your camp and behaves in a bold manner and attempts to scare it away are unsuccessful, get to a safe area. The bear is likely human habituated and food conditioned and is potentially quite dangerous. Report any such incident to the local authorities.