How To Keep Bears Away While Camping

Bears have always been a concern for campers. One of the best ways to maximize your chances of staying safe while camping is to avoid any contact with bears. With that said, it's also important to make sure you're following the correct safety practices in order for your chances of interacting with a bear to not be prevalent. Here’s how to keep bears away while camping!

Tips On How To Keep Bears Away From Your Campsite

It’s important to know these simple tips when considering how to keep the bears away while camping. Here’s our list below.

1. Never leave food or garbage out in the open. Store all food and garbage in airtight containers and within the trunk of your vehicle if possible. 

2. Avoid cooking or eating near your tent. Bears are attracted to the smell of food, so it's best to keep your distance.

3. Make sure to clean up any spills or crumbs around your campsite. Bears will be attracted to any food remnants, so it's important to keep the area clean. Proper food storage is a must!

4. If you have pet food, make sure you are storing it in tightly sealed containers. Even a few pieces of pet food can attract bears to your campsite. 

5. Never approach a bear, even if it appears to be friendly. Bears are wild animals and can be dangerous, so it's best to admire them from a distance.

How To Avoid A Bear While Hiking

A common activity to do while camping is to go on a hike, so here’s how you can avoid bears while hiking in the woods. 

Make noise as you hike. Bring a partner or several friends to talk amongst yourselves. Don’t be afraid to be loud at times. This will give the bears or other possible wildlife warning that you’re coming. They’ll usually run off before you even know they’re around if they hear you from afar.

You can carry bear spray while hiking in the woods. You can read this helpful guide to know how to use it. A quick tip regarding bear spray is that

​​Most bear sprays have a shelf life of four years, so remember to swap out your old, unused cans. Never store bear sprays in particularly high or low temperatures, like hot cars or freezing tents. If some of the spray does happen to get on you, wash your skin and clothes immediately with water. Try not to inhale too much if you happen to discharge the canister. 

What To Do If You Spot A Bear

If you're lucky enough to spot a bear while camping, don't approach it and remain calm. Take some time to observe the animal from a distance and notice its behavior. If the bear seems curious or aggressive, make yourself as small as possible and make noise by clapping your hands or yelling. Move slowly and deliberately if you need to retreat. Never run from a bear, as this may trigger its predatory instincts. Slowly back away if possible, giving the bear plenty of distance and keep your eye on them at all times. Don’t turn your back. Get your bear spray ready while backing away. Keep a close eye on the bear’s behavior for any signs that they might charge. 

Black Bear Encounter

If you happen to encounter a Black Bear and it’s being aggressive, you can try to scare them off. Make yourself appear very large by telling, raising your arms or throwing objects.

If you are with friends, group together and do the following above to appear larger than you are. 

In the rare case that the black bear continues to approach, get ready to use your bear spray when they are within 30-40 feet of you. 

A last resort if you don’t have bear spray or bear spray doesn’t work, would be to fight them off. Use anything and everything as a weapon such as rocks, sticks, fists, and your teeth. Aim your blows on the bear’s face, particularly the eyes and snout. When a black bear sees that you are willing to fight to the death, they’ll usually just give up. You might not come out unscathed, but you will come out with your life.

Grizzly Bear Encounter

If a grizzly bear is standing looking at you, stay calm, don’t make eye contact, and back away. It’s assessing you as a threat so try to appear unthreatening.

If you notice the bears ears are up and it’s huffing, it’s going to a bluff attack. It will bound toward you but it won’t attack so stay calm, get your bear spray ready, and don’t turn and run. 

If you notice the grizzly’s ears are flat and the bear is silent, it’s in attack mode.When the bear does attack, you must remain calm until it’s within 30 feet of you. Then it’s time to use your bear spray. This next tip will be important to save your life. 

Important Tip: Play dead. Grizzlies will stop attacking when they feel there’s no longer a threat. If they think you’re dead, you are no longer a threat. While the bear is tossing you around, protect your organs. Wearing a backpack will allow the bear to toss you or take its aggression out on the backpack rather than your actual back. In other words, the backpack can save your life. Once the bear is done tossing you around and leaves, continue to play dead. Grizzlies are known for waiting around to see if their victim will get back up.

Additional Tips To Avoid Encountering A Bear

Here are some additional tips you need to remember in order to avoid the sight of bears on your campsite.

1. Don't sleep in clothes that you've worn while cooking or handling food. The smell of food on your clothing will attract bears.

2. Be aware of your surroundings and make noise if you're hiking in bear country. This will help avoid surprising a bear and reduce the risk of an encounter.

3. Keep your campsite free of strong smells that might attract bears.

4. Make sure to properly dispose of any fish guts or other smelly garbage if you’ve fished in local rivers. 

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a variety of ways on how to keep the bears away while camping and how to protect yourself from one. By following the tips and tricks outlined in this article, you'll be able to enjoy your time in the great outdoors without having to worry about ruining your fun.

We hope this article has been helpful in showing you how to keep bears away from your campsite. Remember to follow the tips we have outlined and be prepared with bear spray or other deterrents if you do encounter a bear while camping. Stay safe and enjoy your time in nature!

Book Your Next Stay At Echo Island!

Looking for your next getaway destination? Look no further! An hour’s drive from Salt Lake City, Echo Island is the best camping destination for those who want to be immersed in nature without completely going outside their comfort zone. There are many ways for you to stay in the campgrounds–by an RV, setting up a tent, or even renting a private cabin. Inquire today!