Outside lovers are participating in tenting and hiking trips in Colorado’s many scenic places with the hotter climate and melting snowpack. However, Colorado Parks and Wildlife staff are regularly requested what someone needs to do if they come across a bear at the same time as out camping or trekking. So whether you’re traveling Colorado for a holiday or are an extended-time resident, it’s important to be aware of the way to discourage human-bear encounters and the way to keep away from ability troubles before heading out to stay lifestyles outdoor.
First and predominant, when recreating in endure u. S. A. It would help if you remembered that bears are not clearly aggressive toward human beings; in reality, maximum bears are inherently cautious of humans. Therefore, physical encounters between people and bears continue to be pretty uncommon. “Bears are surprisingly clever animals and are much more likely than no longer to simply depart the location once they pay attention to humans nearby,” says J Wenum, Area Wildlife Manager for CPW in Gunnison. “However, if a bear is accidentally cornered or surprised, or has lost their ordinary fear of humans, it can react in another way.”
Interactions commonly occur whilst bears end up too cozy around human beings, often because of clean or dependable food supply, including improperly stored camping elements. When bears lose their fear of people, it could result in them inflicting damage to belongings such as motors or RVs or creating warfare with people at campsites or on the trails. Bear sows are also very defensive in their young and might react negatively to humans if they trust that their cubs may be at hazard. “People need to recognize a way to endure aware whilst camping and trekking to be able to assist prevent any troubles,” said Wenum. “Bears are part of the wild locations that make Colorado special, so we ask human beings to take a few steps to preserve the wild. That manner retaining a clean campsite and vehicle, the usage of undergo packing containers or canisters, respecting trail signage and thinking about wearing an air horn or undergo spray within the backcountry.”
When tenting in bear country, the very best manner to keep away from bears is to ensure you don’t have any attractants at your campsite. Whether automobile camping or trekking into the backcountry, there are actions you may take to limit your possibilities of a come upon. Safely store meals: If it smells true sufficient to devour, a endure will try to devour it. Store food, liquids, and toiletries in airtight bins, and location in supplied campsite lockers lock in your trunk or use bear-proof boxes saved away from your tent. Second, stash your trash: If a campground gives bear-evidence trash receptacles, use them regularly to hold your campsite clean. If no trash receptacles are to be had, double bag your trash, lock it in your automobile or use a bear-proof field when backpacking.
Keep it smooth: Scrape grill grates after use, ease all dishes and utensils, and make certain you’ve got cleaned up any waste close to your website online. Never convey food or anything that smells like meals, including toiletries, sunscreen, or even garments you wear whilst cooking – into your tent.
Lock it up: Be positive your car or RV home windows are closed, and your vehicles are locked each time you depart your web page or earlier than going to sleep at night time. Follow symptoms (and instincts): Whether published signs of natural signs and symptoms consisting of tracks or scat, when you have proof that a endure has been in the place lately, leave and choose another campsite. If a endure is visible to your camp, attempt your first-rate to haze it away with loud noises, including yelling, banging pots and pans collectively, or using your vehicle horn or an air horn. Be positive to notify the campground host and other campers.
