What to Do If A Bear Enters Your Campsite (Beginner’s Guide)

what to do if a bear enters your campsite
what to do if a bear enters your campsite

Vacations can start to get boring if you have nothing to do. Considering this, many people think about going out on camping trips with their friends and family. These can be a lot of fun but there are also tons of things that you will have to look out for. This includes carrying all the equipment required. Additionally, understanding what problems you can run into and how these can be avoided.

Usually, keeping all the important factors in mind helps people in planning a perfect trip. You might still run into a few issues but these are common for beginners. Considering this, once you have been out on a few trips, you will start understanding how the problems can be fixed and avoided in the future. With that being said, one of the most common issues that people get is with wildlife.

Dangers of Wildlife When Camping

If you are someone who wants to go out on camping trips. Then one of the best options is that you visit a camping site. These have lots of services that can be used to have a fun time. Although, some enthusiasts want to stay out in the wild. This can also be an enjoyable experience but there are also some issues that you should be aware of.

Running into wildlife is the most common problem most people complain about. While cougars have the highest chance of running into you. These animals will mostly avoid running into large groups and you can easily scare them off. However, you can also run into a bear when camping. Keep in mind that running into these animals when camping is quite a rare occurrence. Additionally, there are many myths of people claiming that bears kill humans on sight.

Though, most of these rumors are fake. Bears are mostly apex predators while they are in their habitat. This means that the animal will only attack someone when trying to defend itself or its territory. There are also types of these animals that can make a difference in their behavior. White and grizzly bears have a high chance of attacking humans when they see them. Although, the American black bears are considered to be quite timid in comparison.

What to Do If A Bear Enters Your Campsite

Now that you understand what the dangers of a wild bear or animal entering your campsite can be. You might be wondering what to do if this happens. Before you get into this, you must understand that there are tons of things that will help you in preventing this situation. This includes visiting campsites that are protected from wildlife.

Additionally, you can eliminate the odor from your luggage and food. Mostly, these animals get attracted by the pleasant scent of meals. With that being said, if the animal does enter your campsite. Then the first thing that you should keep in mind is not to run. If you start running after the bear sees you then it will most likely attack.

People cannot outrun a bear which is why you should try remaining calm and evaluate the situation. Make sure that the bear understands you are a human and not its prey. If the bear does not run away from you on its own then raise your hands and slightly move them. Now keep on talking and start walking backward.

Making eye contact with these animals can also alert them, this is why you should keep an eye over the bear but prevent any eye contact. Once you are far enough that the bear is no longer visible, you should easily be able to get away. One important thing is that you do not show your back to the bear as there is a high chance that you might get attacked.

There are mostly two different types of bears that you can run into. If the bear you ran into is still approaching you then it is best that you first understand if it is a defensive or predatory bear. Usually, lying down on your back while wearing a bag can help you in protecting yourself from a defensive bear. On the other hand, your only option to scare off a predatory bear is by trying to fight it using a stick or bear spray.

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