Keep Bears Away From Your Campsite When You're Not There With This Simple Trick

80 percent of the United States is home to some type of dangerous bears – black, grizzly, or both. Additionally, bears live in every province and territory in Canada (except Prince Edward Island) and much of Mexico. This means the odds are good that wherever you pitch a tent in North America, bears are likely nearby. This, of course, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Bear viewing has become much more popular in recent years. Many outdoor enthusiasts even look to camp in areas where they are likely to get the best views of bears.

However, just because these campers want to see bears doesn't mean they want to see them in their campsites. To that end, most take pains to avoid mistakes that attract bears to campsites, such as being too quiet or setting up camp near a potential bear food source. They also try to avoid using scents that attract bears and follow proper methods for cooking safely while camping in bear country. While those measures certainly help while you are in camp, what about while you're gone? After all, no one wants to return from a hike or fishing excursion to find their campsite occupied by bears. However, you can keep bears away from your campsite while you're not there with this simple trick.

One key to safe hiking in bear territory is to make noise to avoid bears. The same holds true for campsites. In fact, many experts suggest noise is the top deterrent to keep bears from entering a campsite. It is often suggested to hold loud conversations with fellow campers or, if alone, sing aloud while puttering around camp. This lets nearby bears know there are humans in the area. On the flipside of that, when you leave and the campsite falls silent, it may be a cue to bears and other animals that your camp is ripe for an invasion.

With that in mind, it's important to keep the sound streaming while you're away. A simple way to do this is to leave a radio playing while you are gone. Incidentally, this can help deter bears while you are in camp as well. However, while the campsite is empty, it is recommended to leave the radio tuned to a talk show or podcast for a couple of reasons. For starters, the idea is to have clearly distinguishable human voices. Secondly, bears may find the rhythm of music to be a curiosity and, even worse, any screams, squeals, or high-pitched singing common in many musical genres may appear to a bear to a prey animal, rather than a human. So, it is much safer to stick with the monotonous sounds of talk radio when it comes to bear deterrents.

In addition to keeping some sound going, there are other bear deterrents that will work while you're in camp, as well as while you're away. For starters, the shape of your camp alone can be a deterrent. Make sure you keep your campsite tidy. Pick up any loose odds and ends, zip up tents, stow cooking utensils, and, most importantly, be sure your food and trash is stored in airtight containers and any stove tops or grills are clean.

You can also deploy bear deterring scents before heading out for an excursion and leaving your campsite unattended. Several common cleaning products keep bears away, including Pine-Sol and a variety of ammonia-based cleaners. Wiping down hard surfaces such as tables and coolers will help. Additionally, setting out sponges soaked with cleaner or containers full of liquid cleaner with holes poked in the lid will disperse these bear-deterring scents throughout the campsite. You can also utilize solar-powered motion-control lights and noise makers. Magnetic versions can be placed on vehicles or metal surfaces such as cook stoves. You can also mount them to large camp items such as storage boxes, coolers, or strap them to trees with removable ties.