Dealing With Wildlife in Tents
The great outdoors is home to an abundance of
creatures, both large and small, all of which do not take too kindly to the
presence of human beings in the untamed wilderness that is their home.
If you’ve decided to go camping and have selected a spot in the
middle of the wilderness as your campsite, you should be aware that there
are quite a number of wild animals out there that will really put a damper
on your camping trip. Take the
necessary precautions, and observe the following guidelines that will
minimize your chances of an adverse animal encounter.
- Control and
Protect Your Food. This is
the number one rule, as the primary reason practically every animal
would wander into your campsite is if they smell a potential meal,
regardless of whether it is a marinated roast chicken or a can of potato
chips. Do not eat in your tent if
you can help it, as any crumbs or lingering scents from the food may
draw the creatures into the tent even if there is little or nothing for
them to actually munch on. When
you’re done eating, pack your food and seal it securely in as airtight a
container as you can muster. If
you’ve brought a vehicle along that is parked near the campsite, the
food goes into the vehicle, plain and simple.
Otherwise, tie and secure all bags containing food, and if you
can, place something that won’t emanate a tasty smell, like a drinks
cooler or some clothing, on top of the food.
- Make Use of
Fire. Animals have a natural
fear of fire, one of nature’s deadliest and most immediately punishing
phenomena. To avoid being on the
receiving end of an animal invasion, you can light a campfire, close by
but still a safe distance from your tent, and keep it burning until it
is time to go to bed. It would
better still if someone could keep watch on the fire all night, but this
is only feasible for large camping groups.
Even extinguished, the smoke and the scent of the fire is enough
of a deterrent for most woodland creatures.
Likewise, in the worst-case scenario, few animals will dare
approach a human wielding a burning tree branch or piece of firewood.
- Watch Your
Scent. Bears in particular
are attracted to the smell of sweet objects in general, not just honey.
As such, if you are bringing any food that gives off that sort of
aroma, you should make sure that it is packed or sealed properly.
It isn’t just food that emanates a sweet smell.
Some perfumes and colognes also give off this sort of fragrance.
As a general rule, campers are discouraged from wearing them.
- Know How to
Drive Them Away. Animals in
the wild possess a general fear of human beings and will not attack
unless hungry or provoked. Even
in these situations, they can be scared off most of the time with loud
noises and standing your ground, looking big and opening your jacket out
to make you look wider. As much
as possible, do not turn and run.
In the case of predators like bears and mountain lions, your chances of
surviving increase sharply if you do not make yourself an easy meal,
fending them off with whatever you’ve got available.
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