If you are in a developed area (e.g., campground, parking lot, lodging area) or if a bear approaches you, act immediately to scare it away: make as much noise as possible by yelling very loudly (don't worry about waking people up if it's nighttime). The guy or gal uses a motion-activated clown doll typically used to frighten small children at Halloween. When my kids were young we’d go there and camp occasionally. If the bear approaches and you have bear spray, spray the bear as he approaches. *sigh* So it seemed like a good time to go over all my bear proofing just in case others are dealing with bears near their chickens too. In this case, it's not to let the bear sneak away, because it's already seen you, but to show it you're a human and not to be bothered with. Never bury or burn food garbage, as bears will find it. Bears are attracted to food smells, so they will want to dig through your garbage. How to get rid of a bear may be as simply as employing noisy deterrents in the landscape. However, the smell quickly fades, and for that reason, it's not an effective deterrent. With a motion detected blast of cold water this device is a humane and effective method of deterring animals from your yard. Making eye contact could therefore make it more likely to attack you, not less. For it to work, the tree would have to be right next you, and you'd need to get at least 30 feet (9.1 m) up the tree quickly to escape the bear. So I was wondering if anyone knows that if you come cross an aggressive bear in the wilderness, would firing off a round in the air scare a bear away or not? ). You may not see a bear during your visit because bears naturally avoid people. There are 34 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Plus, running may make it want to chase you, which is exactly what you don't want. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Bears don't really want anything to do with people. Don't try to climb a tree. It may growl at you in an attempt to scare you away. We live in "bear country". As scary as it might sound, face the bear and slowly back away. Making noise does not incite bears to approach you, so don't be afraid of talking or singing as you hike. Coyote and fox urine products are available commercially. The first way to keep bears away from your house is to make sure the food you throw out doesn’t produce a scent that they will love to investigate. My neighbor has chickens. There's definitely a single right answer here. W orldwide Sales. A large black bear has torn the side off the coop. Take hummingbird feeders inside the house once it gets dark. However, some of them won't increase your chances of avoiding an attack, and some might even increase it! Electronic personal alarms can also help scare bears away. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Keep in mind, though, that your garbage isn't the only thing at your campsite that may attract a bear. However, it's never safe to enter an area where you see a bear. If you want to avoid attracting bears, which of the following should be stored away from your tent? The first way to keep bears away from your house is to make sure the food you throw out doesn’t produce a scent that they will love to investigate. Why might a firewood pile attract a bear to your home? Coyote Repellent Tip #1: It’s All About the Smell. Right! Will spreading fireplace ashes around my trash cans help to keep bears away? Yes. The residue left behind can attract bears, particularly any meat drippings at the bottom. Definitely not! Small dogs you may have to worry about but bigger dogs will likely frighten the bear away. Anything that's been in contact with food should be stored away from your tent, as should strong-smelling non-foods like soap. This keeps them from running away and makes you appear bigger. In any case, always let a ranger know or leave a message at 209/372-0322. It is trying to tell you that you are too close. Our favorite night would be the weekend of the Perseid Meteor shower in mid August with no Moon . Besides, the bear might well be a better climber than you anyway. Limit Your Scent: Bears have a powerful sense of smell so limit how many scented products you carry and use around camp. You need to stand your ground when confronted by a bear, scary as that may seem. How to Scare the Hell Out of a Bear [VIDEO] By. A bear bag is made of very strong polyethylene. All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published. However,you should make sure that there's no way for a bear to get under your deck or porch, because those are places a bear might like to hide. an open container with a little ammonia (or bleach) in the car helps prevent bears from getting in the car and trashing it! Not even 1/4 mile away from the house. However, even with all the precautions, you may have a bear encounter and it is best to be prepared with pepper spray. Just like when you're hiking, you should make noise when confronted by a bear. Sweep up any fruit that falls to the ground and spoils. A bear spritzed with pepper spray gets a good spanking—“Hey! Click on another answer to find the right one... Not necessarily! In Yellowstone, you are required to keep your toothpaste in bear proof containers. Do you know how to scare a bear? Although they are thrilling to see in the wild, they are far less charming when they are rummaging through your garbage or in your backyard raiding for food. Build a bracket that will allow you to insert a 2 x 4 across the door. When you leave your home for long intervals, you should be extra clean, cleaning out shelves, freezers, pantries, and fridges. Aim at the bear’s rump; never throw stones directly in the bear’s face. I'm looking to move to bear country and I was curious on, "How to not stare at a bear, make lots of noise, back away slowly, play dead, make yourself as big and loud as you, "Simple and straight-forward with lots of helpful ideas to help with our neighborhood nuisance bear. Grizzlies are less likely to climb after you, but they may attempt it. Store food in campers, trailers, or vehicles, which bears will have more trouble getting into. Hide your garbage with bear-proof trash cans. If a bear does approach, use your bear spray. ! For instance, loud noises such as boat horns, gunshots, and barking dogs can oftentimes be enough to frighten off bears. It’s not just food that can attract bears. ", https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/home-maintenance-tips/how-bear-proof-your-property/, https://www.farmersalmanac.com/pest-of-the-month-black-bears-12208, https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5423652.pdf, https://defenders.org/publications/living_in_bear_country.pdf, http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/bears/tips/solving_problems_black_bear.html, http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/safety/bears.htm, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bears/camping.html, http://www.bearsmart.com/about-bears/behaviour/, https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/bearspray.htm, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. These work particularly well in areas where bears may already … Man emerges unscathed from encounter with a BEAR by screaming at the top of his lungs to scare it away. If you need to store food outside, use airtight, odorless containers. Approved. The bear may blow and snort. You should also keep all of your food, as well as other fragrant items like deodorant and insect repellent, in a bear-proof or airtight container to mask the smell and keep bears out. ", "Bleach has kept the bears away, thank you.". We use cookies to make wikiHow great. You won't be able to get it out of your pack in time. It's safest to store food in bearproof containers, cars or campers, or tree branches hanging at least 10 feet off the ground. Our prices are in US Dollars but our card processor takes care of the conversions. Nope! You can even spray it in the bear's face if it gets close. inward design a way to keep it from being pushed in. Wash your trash cans often to decrease lingering scents. Outdoor Federation is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. There are many accounts of sundials being in used throughout... © COPYRIGHT 2021 Outdoor Federation All Rights Reserved, Bouldering Vs Rock Climbing: Any Differences, Why It Is Important To Be Careful When Hunting Big Game. Bird feeders should be cleaned regularly or you will definitely have bears trying to check it out. Clean up around the eating area by wiping down your table and sweeping up any scraps left behind. How to Scare a Bear. Stones should not be larger than a golf ball. They also are attracted to other sweet smells like insect repellent, suntan lotion or scented items like candles and soap. If you are with other people, stand together to pres… Close! If anything, your singing voice might scare the bear away! How to scare away a bear from my garage? The man was hiking with a friend when the bear approached them Bears can be attracted to a campsite by any powerful smell. If you have beehives, consider bear deterrents like electric fences to keep bears away. Outdoor Federation is supported by its readers. Place your food-scented clothes in a bear-proof container. This bear scare device has two sound levels, one is loud and the other is very loud. Take your garbage out as close to pickup time as you can. That encounter reminded me that I needed to do a few things differently. Choose another answer! Screw it, I’m outta here!”—and you’re positively conditioning it to associate that lesson with future hikers. In general, bears don't want anything to do with humans, so if one hears that you're coming, it will head away from you. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 192,551 times. And they had the decency to record it on their Moultrie game cam for the benefit of all. ", ways to keep bears far away. The spray head can be adjusted from 10- 360 to cover a small or large area and has a 35 ft range for flexibili… Make as much noise as possible by yelling, banging pots and pans or using other noisemaking devices. You should make noise, but not for this reason. What should we do? If you're at a campground, take your trash to the campground's main trash spot before going to bed; if you're camping in the backwoods, hang it from a tree high enough that bears can't get at it. Put your trust in bear spray. We’ve got five effective tips for you to keep the coyotes away. Yes! When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Avoid putting strongly scented fruits in your compost area, as they will attract bears if you do. Read on for another quiz question. In addition, pick fruit as soon as it ripens or even when it's slightly green. Leave the smelly hand soap or detergent at home, especially … You can shout, scream, clap your hands or bang pots together. A bear-proof trash can uses a locking lid to keep bears out of it. Learn to Create a Bear Proof House. Even if you have a truly massive amount of firewood, a woodpile won't have enough space for a bear to make itself at home. Bears in the wild are scary . Sing, talk, and play music from your phone. Swing it out at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from other branches and the trunk. Put an eye bolt through the door and chain the door to the outer wall. Use motion detectors that trigger loud music or flashing lights to scare bears off. If cleaning bins or trash cans, use one or the other, not both together. Pick another answer! Double bag your garbage to contain smells. Keep enticing smells hidden or masked. Get excessively close, […] What you don't want to do is sneak up on or startle a bear, which would make it more likely to attack you. For those that have been searching on how to keep bears away from your house, here are some tips that you can integrate into your life to keep some distance between the bears and yourselves. Camp in Open Areas: Keeping open sight lines around your camp is a good idea.You can see what’s coming and the bears can see you. Share this post on social media: Leave a Reply. Block a 2 nd door from the inside with 2x4 brackets lag screwed into … If you do see a bear while you're hiking, back away slowly and take a different path than the one that goes toward the bear. You're on the right track, because standing your ground is a good idea, but this isn't quite the way to go about it. Predator urine powders or granules can make small animals run scared from your property. When I got there, a bear had tipped over my sealed, full garbage bin (it was too heavy for a racoon! No. When camping in the backwoods or back country, hang your trash from a tree along with your food. ... Those problems go away with bear spray. Try again! Another device that keeps some predators and other animal intruders away is the "Scarecrow." However, if you do meet a bear, don't panic; keep yourself safe by vacating the area if you see a bear. A well-aimed stone can help drive your message home. Additionally, you should remove any trash that is outside, use heavy shutters on your windows, and remove any pet food in your garage. Leaving, "Cleaning out the grill, locking garbage, and playing a radio talk station were all are helpful ideas for my, "The most helpful part was keeping bears away from homes. Bears can be blinded by ammonia, so balloons filled with ammonia near their food sources are extremely inhumane. In this case, your best coyote deterrent is not to tempt them in the first place! Before you actually see a bear at the cottage, there are tell tale signs to look for around the property that will tip you off that the bear has been visiting while you were away. Spray when the bear is about 30 to 60 feet (9.1 to 18.3 m) away. It is hooked up to a normal garden hose and mounted in the ground. This very loud sonic bear repellent device can be heard up to a mile away. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Knowing that a bear is in the area close to the cottage will help you prepare for a bear encounter. RULE #2: Make yourself as large as possible and make noise. Will keeping your camp area lighted with a lantern or fire at night keep bears away? You want a bear to realize that you're coming, because a startled bear is a dangerous bear. I would prefer to never find out. If you love grilling, be good about never leaving food outside unattended. The problem with running away from a bear is that it can run faster than you can. Try another answer... You're not wrong, but there's a better answer! % of people told us that this article helped them. I honestly do not know if the shots would scare a bear away. Don’t use ammonia balloons to deter bears. As long as you don't spray it in your face, it's not dangerous. Then, before you go to bed, move the trash away from your campsite and hang it at least 10 feet in the air. Click on another answer to find the right one... Not necessarily! Black bears will climb after you. It is very unlikely that a bear will go anywhere near a horse. If your door opens . Bears won't make a home there, but small mammals like squirrels or rabbits might. Put small kids on your shoulders. Pick an open area to set up camp, where you can spot bears and they can see you. Never run away from or approach him. Also, when you finish grilling, clean and de-grease the deck and also clear out the shed or garage when not in use. Dark, dark sky, higher altitude, no lights anywhere. And even if you're in a more well-traveled area, you shouldn't rely on having other people come to your rescue. The chickens are now inside the owner's house yet but the bear is looking in home windows and is on the deck. It doesn't usually work in small amounts, and I'm pretty sure you don't want to carry around an extra backpack full of 100 mothballs to repel bears. They're also sturdier than other trash cans. Nope! Put the whole thing in a waterproof, airtight plastic bag to minimize scents. Motion-activated water spraying systems, made for all kinds of animals, may also deter bears. So while a bear poking around your woodpile might be looking for food, it's not going to eat the wood. Camping trash includes things like food wrappers or food scraps, which can be enough to attract bears to your campsite. However, singing or talking as you hike won't increase your chances of noticing a bear. Practice in headwinds and crosswinds, as well as with the wind at your back. If you want to get away from your day-to-day routine and do something different that won’t break the bank, then... Sundials are some of the oldest devices mankind has used to tell the time. By using our site, you agree to our. Thank you. Avoid advancing on a bear, while making loud noises; ensure he has a way to retreat. Not exactly! There are hunting ethics, regulations, and proper handling every hunter must be aware... Buying a fishing reel comes along with buying your own fishing rod. They may charge if they feel threatened or if you have food that has attracted them. Slowly back away. It's always better to be overly cautious when it comes to avoiding bears, rather than to be insufficiently cautious. They may trap the bear and relocate it. Another option is a locked shed to hold your garbage cans. If you make noise, the bear is more likely to leave than if you're quiet. You should take the same precautions when storing these items that you would when storing food. Never fight a bear unless it is a life or death situation. Black bears are big, beautiful creatures that are naturally curious, and for people that live in bear country, bear encounters are common. Keep bear spray within easy reach, such as in a holster. Read on for another quiz question. Do this before it gets too close. Keep your barbecue in a locked area if possible so bears can't get to it. Click on another answer to find the right one... To keep bears away while you're camping, try to eat canned or dried food since fresh food is more fragrant and likely to attract a hungry bear. But food containers aren't the only things that could attract bears. Read on for another quiz question. Nevertheless, what you've read isn't totally false; as usual, it depends on the type of bear. Add lime to reduce the smells and add bleach when in doubt to squelch the smell. 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