How to Protect Yourself from Bears when Camping?
Planning and venturing on a camping trip can be exhilarating and it makes you forget about all the worries in the world, even including the dangers you may have to face while camping, especially in bear country. Although it isn’t that daunting, it is always ideal to prepare yourself for the worst-case scenario ahead of time. For instance, packing your rifles and choosing the best of .223 Remington rifle scopes that will be perfect for hunting as well as self-defense in an unpleasant situation. Additionally, if you take some simple and basic precautions, you can try to avoid adverse circumstances and have a wonderful time camping.
Hence, you can keep furry bears away from your campsite by following the tips jotted down below. Read them out!
Keep Food Away From Your Campsite
Bears have an exceptional sense of smell and this means they can be easily lured by the smell of food at your campsite. Therefore, to keep bears at bay, you should always clean all the leftovers from your utensils. Keep in mind that simply cleaning the leftovers isn’t enough, you should never leave them on the ground. Instead, washing them away from the ground will help you to stay safe from the bears.
You should also store the food and drinks in bear bags or canisters by hanging them on a tree away from your campsite for additional protection. Or else, keeping them locked in a car is fine as well.
Camp at a Bear-Free Zone
A Bear-free zone doesn’t entirely eliminate the presence of bears, although it helps to keep you safe by lowering the chances of interacting with them. Bear-free zones are usually the ones where the bears don’t come to forage for their source of food and water.
For instance, you shouldn’t camp near a place that is filled with berry bushes or one near a lake. This will not make a hindrance for the bear to reach their source of food and this way you will be able to stay safe too.
Install Spotlights near Your Campsite
By installing spotlights a bit away but near your campsite can help you deter the bears away from reaching your spot. The lights will kind of “alert” the bears that there are humans nearby and it will scare them away. You can find plenty of lights online that are easy to install and automatically turn on by detecting motion or at dusk.
Keep Bear Spray to Protect You
Bear sprays are specifically designed for bears to deter them away in case you encounter one. It’s ideal to use bear spray instead of firearms if you don’t want to hurt yourself and certainly don’t want to kill a bear.
A bear spray is easy to use and carry and as soon as it is sprayed, it causes irritation in the eyes, mouth and nose of the bear. This panics the bear and in order to seek relief, they will flee far away from you. The end result? You and the bear get to live!
If You Encounter a Bear…
There’s always a risk of encountering a bear while camping in the woods, and if you do, it’s better to be well-prepared for it.
You should never turn your back and run away from the bear or play dead, instead moving slowly backward while looking into its eyes and yelling or moving your arms will gradually scare it away. However, we wish you never have to encounter a bear in the woods. Keep it safe!
