If camping outside of an established camp, do not camp in an area or near trails that are frequented by bears. Bears will often use established trails, shorelines, ridges or any path of least resistance when travelling.
- Reduce and contain bear attractants. Attractants are anything or any sound that bears may find interesting as food, a mate or a cub in distress. They include human and pet or livestock food, garbage, wastewater, diapers, empty drink containers, cosmetics, feminine hygiene products, animal sounds, cover scents, table scraps, blood and animal carcasses.
- Keep cooking areas as far downwind as possible from tents to avoid attracting bears into the camp.
- Avoid wearing the clothes you cook in. Treat these clothes the same as you would any attractant.
- Be meticulous and keep a clean camp, including storing food and unwashed cooking utensils in clean, airtight containers to minimize odours.
- Avoid cooking or eating in tents.
- If possible, use a cache to hang food out of a bear's reach, and never store any food in tents. Others may use the campsite, so they should make sure it is at least as clean as when they got there.
- Store garbage, food and beverage cans in airtight containers and pack them out.
- Paper and other combustibles other than food wrappers can be burned, but any unburned material should be cleaned up immediately. Bears can easily find buried food or garbage.
- After use, store feminine hygiene products in airtight containers and pack these out for disposal.
- Bear-resistant containers of various sizes are not hard to find. People can conduct an nternet search or visit an outdoor supply company.
- People should avoid buried carcasses or the smell of dead or rotting animals. Bears, especially grizzly bears, will aggressively defend a carcass.
- Scavengers such as crows, ravens or coyotes can often indicate the presence of a dead animal.
- Bears will bury a carcass with dirt, leaves or branches.
- If a buried carcass is discovered, people should use extreme caution and leave immediately.
- Reduce and contain bear attractants. Attractants are anything or any sound that bears may find interesting as food, a mate or a cub in distress. They include human and pet or livestock food, garbage, wastewater, diapers, empty drink containers, cosmetics, feminine hygiene products, animal sounds, cover scents, table scraps, blood and animal carcasses.
a human-food conditioned bear can be a significant threat to human safety
- avoid surprising a bear
- reduce and contain bear attractants