Travel

Camping

HOW TO KEEP THE ANIMALS AWAY WHEN YOU ARE CAMPING

Feeding wild animals while you are on vacation can be a life threatening- if not dangerous thing to do.  Sometimes it happens by accident- campers forget to put their goods away. But if you are careful, you can protect yourself and your other campers from a potentially dangerous situation.

HELPFUL HINTS:

• PUT YOUR FOOD PACKS WELL AWAY FROM YOUR CAMPING AREA -
  Put your food items away from hiking paths, game paths and human traffic.  Keep your food
  in plastic zip lock type baggies. By doing this the scent of your food does not attract
  the animals.
  
• TRY HANGING YOUR FOOD PACKS IN TREES - When you do this you make it difficult for the
  critters to reach your food supply.  Hang the food packs at least 12 feet above the
  ground, 5 feet below a branch and 10 feet from the nearest trunk.
  
• ALTERNATE YOUR HIDING PLACE- Don't hide food in the same place. Animals are creatures
  of habit and once they learn where you hide your food, they will be back to look for more!
  Try to alternate the tree you hang your food in and don't use the same tree other campers
  have already used.
  
• IS UNDER A CANOE A GOOD PLACE? -  Hungry bears will break or bite  a hole into a canoe to
  get at your food supply.  Also, piling pots on the top of your canoe will not help.  Animals
  accustomed to people won't be intimidated by the sound of falling pots.  But you will
  find out later that they have been there!
  
• FOOD IN YOUR TENT? - Not a good idea.  This includes snacks as well as meals.  A bear will
  tear your tent apart to get at your food, even if it only a few leftover crumbs.  Even the
  scent of toothpaste or gum can attract wild animals.
  
• KEEPING YOUR CAMP CLEAN - This is the best way to prevent an unwelcome visitor.  Pack
  up or burn all leftover food.  If this is not practical, bury your food waste 150 feet
  or more from any camp or water.  Most wild critters won't enter a camp that doesn't
  offer them sonething to eat.
  
• IN THE END REMEMBER -  If an animal cannot smell or see your food, they probably won't get it.  Keeping your camp free of uninvited visitors is as simple as that!
   

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