Camping With Bears – What You Need To Know

Clearly, you are not the average camper. You seek a different kind of thrill. You aren’t setting up a popup tent in the undeveloped part of your subdivision. No. You’re camping in bear country and no murderous wilderness beast is going to stop you from having a good time. In this article, we are going to be discussing what you need to know when camping in the proximity of bears and what you’ll need to do to survive the night.

Where are bears located?

If you’re asking this question before embarking on your camping trip then for the sake of good survival practices lets just say that you should always treat your campsite as though there are bears nearby. The tips outlined in this article are simply good camping practices, generally speaking, and camping with this mindset will aid your overall survival even in the absence of bears. However, for the sake of being specific, you can find bears all over North America, Europe and Asia.

Primarily for the North American continent, you’ll find higher populations of bears in the northwestern region of the United States, all throughout Canada and up through Alaska. However, you can find reports of bears appearing as far south as Mexico. So, to reiterate our previous point, you should always be on the lookout for predators while camping, bears included.

What types of bears can I expect to see while camping?

When you’re staring into the eyes of the beast that intends to kill you, does it really matter what type of killer it is? Granted, it might make for useful information when they carve your headstone, but general identification of a bear shouldn’t be your primary concern when a bear invades your campsite. However, knowing the behavioral patterns of your furry enemy will help you to be better prepared if you are ever unfortunate enough to come face to face with a bear.

Black Bears –

These bears typically inhabit forest regions of North America and have been reported to be seen from Alaska down as far south as Mexico and everywhere in between from California to Virginia. This is the type of bear you can potentially see regardless of where you are camping. They are omnivorous which means that they eat both plants and animal meat.

With the exception of mothers with cubs, black bears are generally solitary creatures and forage for food alone. What makes black bears so problematic for people is that their overexposure to humans will often dull their tendency to avoid them and, frequently, black bears can associate people with a source of food (camping supplies, not necessarily the people themselves) (1).

Grizzly (Brown) Bears –

Though these bears can also be found all over North America and parts of Europe, these bears are frequently found in Alaska down to Montana. Their population has been greatly reduced in the lower United States. Grizzlies are not very territorial and can be seen foraging in groups when food is abundant (ie your campsite).

Grizzly bears are also omnivorous. However, unlike black bears which can sometimes be seen feeding late into the winter months, grizzlies tend to feast a lot in the summer months and into the fall so that they can survive the entire winter without leaving their den. For this reason, it’s not uncommon to find some bold grizzly bears pilfering through your trash or your unattended backpack or even in your tent. There are no rules when it comes to a grizzly’s need to bulk up for the winter and you’ll need to be cognizant of this when camping in the warmer months (2).

How to avoid bears while camping

This should go without saying but the best way to deal with bears while camping is to avoid them entirely. A live bear shouldn’t be on your list of things to see while on your camping trip. Although, you’d be surprised how many people think encountering a bear in its natural habitat would be the stuff that dreams are made of. You need to realize that most bears go out of their way to avoid people and you, as a camper, need to show the same consideration.

Most of the time, when you hear about bears coming within the proximity of people, the common motivator is food. The warmer months of the year when human camping trips are frequent are also the same months when bears are foraging and packing on body weight for the winter. It is during this time when they are seeking out as much food as possible to sustain them in the months to come. If you want to successfully avoid bears on your camping expedition (and you do) you will need to do everything in your power to not be a source of food for the local bear population.

The best thing you can do to avoid bears while camping is to never allow bears to obtain access to your own food, garbage or anything that a bear could mistake for a tasty meal. This includes all food, used utensils, cooking oils, opened and unopened cans of food, all packed beverages, etc. Even certain lotions, insect repellants and even toothpaste can have aromas that can attract bears to potential meals.

So how do you avoid having your campsite mistaken for a convenient store for bears? The key is preparation and intelligence. For one thing, you should not sleep in the close you cooked in. The last thing you want to do is go to sleep smelling like fresh cooked fish or beef. This could make you out to be a sleeping gourmet meal. You should also make sure that you don’t leave food in your tent. In fact, it is a good idea to cook your food at least 100 yards from where you intend to sleep. Additionally, you should invest in bear-resistant food storage containers.

It is also important to be intelligent about your selected campsite. Try to avoid camping next to plentiful food sources that could be desirable to bears. This means not camping near bushes with berries or bodies of water with high concentration of fish. Be sure to put a safe distance between you and these woodland buffets.

What to do if confronted by a bear while camping

Rule# 1: do not pick a fight with the bear. You might think we are joking but there are people out there waiting for a reason to succumb to natural selection. When confronted by a 250lb killing machine, it’s not uncommon to have an adrenaline rush but it’s vital that you not allow that adrenaline surge to inhibit your decision-making ability. We can’t stress this enough. You will not when a contest of combat against a bear. Don’t even try it.

If you manage to spot the bear before it is aware of your presence, calmly back away from the bear’s vicinity while being mindful of your surroundings so as not to injure your self or worse, potentially run into another bear. Try not to turn your back on the bear until you can no longer see it yourself. If the bear has made its way onto your campsite, let the animal get its fill of whatever food it’s eating (sorry, it belongs to the bear now) and collect your camp supplies once the bear has gone.

If the bear notices you, don’t panic. Remain calm and do not take your eyes off the bear. Now this next part is going to sound crazy but it’s important; you’re going to have to talk to the bear. We know what you’re thinking. Just hear us out. We’re not asking you to make friends with the bear but you need to distinguish yourself as a human on a camping trip rather than another bear competing for a meal or potentially a meal itself. Calmly speak to the bear and tell it that you’re leaving. Remember, what you’re saying to the bear isn’t as important as actually displaying the ability to speak. Some bears are so familiar with humans that speaking to them will be an indicator that you are not prey and need to be avoided.

If the bear approaches you, don’t panic. Many times the bear is assessing you as another animal in its proximity. Note the bear’s behavior. Showing its teeth and growling or making grunting sounds are often a defensive gesture. It’s actually important to stand your ground in this scenario. Keep speaking to the bear so that it thoroughly realizes that you are not woodland prey. Once the bear loses interest and turns away you can begin backing up slowly until you are out of harm’s way.

If the bear refuses to leave you alone or begins advancing toward you then it might be time to step up your game. Grab a grounded tree branch or anything that can be used as a weapon and begin making as much loud, authoritative noise as possible. Hold your weapon out and wave it around to cover as much area as possible. This will create a sense that you are larger and more threatening to the bear than you really are.

What to do if a bear attacks you while camping

If this happens then all other strategies have failed and you are likely about to die. It happens. But that doesn’t mean you should go down without a fight. Mike Tyson famously stated that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. The same can be said for bears. If you are out camping and a bear decides that it wants to make trouble, be prepared to get a few strikes in before the bear leaves you incapacitated. Focus on the eyes. Gouge if you must. A blinding injury might just be the opportunity you need to escape. Use a heavy rock or a tree branch to deliver a heavy blow to the cranium. A discombobulated bear is easiest to evade. We should probably note that these strategies are purely speculative and are not derived from expert experiences. We are merely giving you some sort of idea on how to conduct yourself so you can go out swinging. In all reality, if you are attacked by a bear while camping then your chances of survival are slim and you should probably make your peace with your maker and accept your fate.

What about bear spray?

If you plan to camp in the wilderness, you’d be a fool to do so without a fresh can of bear spray. Even if you don’t anticipate encountering actual bears, the active chemicals in the bear spray can serve as a form of protection against any number of threats that you may encounter while camping away from society.

Another helpful device to ward of angry bears is a bear horn. These loud horns can be heard up to ¼ mile away. These are also helpful if you ever get lost while camping since they are easily heard by rescue crews.

So there you have it. Bears are a real threat while camping but an informed camper with proper preparation should have no problem surviving their camping trip. Be sure to take the proper precautions and you will have a fun outing that you can return safely from.