Bear Safety When Running a Seasonal Wilderness Camp

Why Think About Bears?

Your property could be damaged by a bear - One bear did $10,000 worth of damage to a trailer camp.

You, your family or your staff could be injured by a bear. Although bear attacks are rare, injuries are very traumatic for victims and result in the death of many bears.

You could be sued - Poorly designed and equipped camps, inadequate garbage disposal, lack of training or inadequate firearms could be cited as negligence on your part by a bear-injured employee.

You could be charged with a wildlife offence - You may only kill a bear out of season if it is damaging property or threatening human safety. You must report such kills. Grizzly kills by miners are deducted from quotas allocated to hunters.

Bears are valuable - To an outfitter, the value of a bear hunt is $7,000-10,000. To those who hope to view wildlife, the value of a bear is priceless.

Bears are susceptible - Populations are susceptible to declines if more than four percent (4%) are killed each year.

Most bear problems are preventable - Just as your operation is designed for safety, so can your camp be designed to prevent bear problems.

Design Your Camp with Bears in Mind

Pick good sites. Avoid:

Sites with a history of bear problems. Check with your local Conservation Officer.

Sites where roaring streams drown out sounds so that it's difficult for you and the bears to hear each other.

Bear feeding sites that seasonally draw bears- aluvial floodplains, berry patches, burn areas, and patches of horsetail or eskimo potato.

Places well-travelled by animals.

Salmon spawning areas. Check with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Fats and oils need special care:

Rancid fats attract bears. Incinerate old cooking grease and oils.

Cover frying foods and ventilate well. This helps to keep cook tents from acquiring strong, attractive odours.

Food in dishwater - not!

Strain food particles from dishwater first and dispose of these with other garbage.

Pour dishwater into a pit and cover with disinfectant, lye or ashes to stop odours and decomposition.

Electric fences are strongly recommended:

Solar powered, high voltage, low amperage fences can be effective and inexpensive.

Make sure the fence is properly grounded and well maintained.

Warning signs must be posted to ensure personnel safety.

Other attractants:

Strong smelling plastics and lubricants - store so bears cannot access them

Clothes with cooking smells - keep in the kitchen

Perfumes and soaps - leave at home

Tampons and sanitary napkins - incinerate

Food leftovers in daypack - pack back to camp and incinerate

Plan your camp:

Keep sleeping tents together. Separate them from the kitchen, food storage, and garbage incineration areas.

Locate sleeping quarters upwind of cooking and burning areas if possible. Evening winds are usually down valley.

Incinerate garbage downwind from camp in an open gravel area.

Clear all underbrush and branches from the camp to a height of 3 metres for better visibility.

Put windows in all four walls of the cook tent for ventilation and view.

Well-trained dogs are an asset:

Noisy, aggressive, well-trained dogs make good deterrents and warning systems.

Keep dogs confined to camp on a chain. A wandering dog can hassle wildlife and doesn't do any good if it's not around when a bear comes by.

Camp dogs can reduce food leftovers, but be careful not to overfeed. A dog that buries leftovers can create problems Only one person should be responsible for feeding the dog. Make sure all uneaten dog food is picked up and properly stored each evening.

Food handling and storage systems:

Store all food so bears cannot access it.

One option for your frequently used foods is metal storage drums with removable lids (10, 15, 30 and 45 gallon sizes are available).

Bear-wise food storage involves minimizing odours whenever and wherever possible. Store all strong smelling foods (e.g. garlic sausage) in sealed plastic bags.

Keep food preparation and storage areas as clean as possible.

Use canned or dried foods as much as possible.

Try to make use of your leftovers.

Garbage incineration:

Only a small fraction of your garbage is of interest to bears. That portion, however, is extremely attractive.

A nocturnal visit to your garbage disposal site may be your first bear encounter. If the bear finds something to eat, he will return.

Burying attractants is futile.

Food wastes should be incinerated within hours of meal preparation, or stored in odour-proof, raven-proof, squirrel-proof containers for transportation to a maintained dump.

It is less trouble in the long run to wash food remains and odours from cans and bottles.

Incineration requires a slow-burning fuel, such as diesel fuel, and plenty of air. Other quick burning fuels only scorch garbage rather than totally burning it. Such fuels can be hazardous as well. Environment Yukon has information on how to design a homebuilt incinerator.

A Bear in Camp

Killing bears in the vicinity of your camp is a poor strategy for avoiding bear problems. There are better long-term alternatives because:

A dominant bear will help keep other bears away. The old grizzly in your valley may be keeping black bear numbers in check.

Dead bears are soon replaced by others. Since many bears share an area, you should remove attractants rather than go on killing bears.

Bears and people can generally share the same valley if camps are clean.

Bears can be taught to avoid clean camps.

Hazing
Use a vehicle (helicopter, truck) to chase a bear out of camp. It should not be used to chase the bear over great distances (2 km) because the bear may overheat and die.

Noisemakers
Warning shot, pencil flares, or cracker shells may be used to scare off a bear, but usually effectiveness decreases over time. Someone with a firearm should back you up.

Bruising
A rubber bullet or bean bag round fired from a twelve gauge shotgun can deliver a painful message. Contact Environment Yukon for training in their use. Someone with a firearm should back you up.

The Last Resort
Killing a bear may be the only alternative if a bear is damaging property or threatening human safety.

A short-barreled, pump-action, twelve gauge shotgun is extremely effective at close range. Use slugs.

Your first shot must be your best. Shoot in the chest.

For your second shot, aim for the shoulder. Keep shooting until the bear stops moving. Chest shots guarantee death and a good blood trail to the carcass.

Immediately report the kill to a Conservation Officer.

Plan a Safe Traverse

Think ahead

Delegate one person to watch ahead for bears.

Select a route that is open and away from loud creeks.

Leave a map of your intended route in camp.

Wind is critical!

Always be aware of the wind direction. Your chance of surprising a bear increases when you are hiking into the wind. Walking with the wind helps bears ahead, detect you as you travel.

Don't investigate bad smells Bears are attracted to these smells and may already be there.

Firearm - Asset or Liability?

Use of firearms for self-defence at short range requires considerable training.

Don't carry a gun if you lack the training to use it. The false confidence a gun provides may get you into a bad situation with a wounded bear.

Be prepared - Essential items

Binoculars will help you spot bears from a safe distance.

A small first aid kit will help you stop bleeding if cut or wounded.

Matches, a pencil flare, an orange poncho, bright clothes and a radio will help an aircraft locate you.

Make noise

Yell and clap every few minutes to alert bears, especially when travelling upwind in noisy areas or when stationary in thick brush.

Bells aren't always loud enough to be effective.

Avoid bear feeding areas

Know and be alert when you see bear foods, fresh tracks, scats and droppings.

Emerald green habitats are rich in bear foods.

If you have to work in a site and bears are numerous, consider postponing activity there until after the bears leave.

Be alert!

Rest often when you are tired.

Carry binoculars and scan ahead frequently.

Fleeing wildlife may be an indication of bears.

Ravens in trees may be a sign of bears on carcasses nearby.

Contact us for:

Advice on camp location and design - We can help you contact outfitters and trappers in the areas, and might be able to point out previous problem areas.

Bear safety courses - On request, we offer free courses tailored to fit your needs and can come into your camp if required.

Problem bear handling - Contact us if you are concerned about particular bears or if any property has been damaged. Early notice can prevent serious problems.

Reporting bear kills - Contact the nearest Conservation Officer for instructions if you've had to kill a bear. Expect reasonable responses.