本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛While travelling in the backcountry, remember that this wonderful place you holiday in is home to all kinds of native plants and animals - including, perhaps, the mighty bear. Bears are wonderfully powerful, and fascinating, creatures. Did you know that they can run as fast as racehorses, both up and down hill?

All bears have good eyesight and hearing as well as an exceptionally keen sense of smell. Black bears and young grizzlies are also agile climbers, even mature grizzlies have been known to occasionally make it up to the lowest branches of a tree. All bears are strong swimmers. They also have a reputation for being rather fierce - every bear defends a "personal space", which varies in size considerably from bear to bear. They will also aggressively defend their food, and everyone knows not to get between a mama bear and her cubs!

Most people are interested in learning how to defend themselves in the event of a bear attack, but the truth of the matter is that bears are unpredictable and your defence would depend on your ability to quickly and accurately identify the species of bear you are facing. So really an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure - the very best thing to do is to avoid a confontation altogether. There are a few precautions you can take to ensure that you neither startle a bear, nor attract one to your campsite.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Bears are usually out and about from May to October, with most encounters taking place during August and September. When you know you are heading into bear country always try to check with your local park authorities to find out about recent bear activity before you leave. Most parks known to have active bears will also have some additional tips on how they would like you to behave. Be extra cautious if travelling with children or dogs. Always keep children in sight and dogs on a leash. During peak bear season it is recommendable to leave your dog at home.

Bears can be active at any time of day, but they seem to be particularly active at dawn and at dusk so try not to be on the move during these times. Stay on designated trails and comply with any posted warnings. Be alert and aware of your surroundings and make noise as you go. Noise is an effective way of letting a bear know that you are approaching and will give it time to get out of your way. Bears are naturally fearful of humans and, given the chance, will avoid a direct confrontation. If you spot a bear in the distance, make a wide detour or, if possible, leave the area. Do not approach a bear, even if it seems calm and uninterested in your presence.

If a bear approaches you, do not run. If it is standing up or sniffing the air, it is most likely trying to identify you. Help it make the correct identification: non-threatening human. Move away while keeping it in view. Speak in a low and calm voice, and don't make direct eye contact. Remember that you are an uninvited guest, and the bear is most likely feeling defensive.

Occasionally a bear will mock-charge, turning away at the last minute. But if you are in the middle of a mid-day snack the bear is most likely after your food and won't be deterred, so your best bet is to abandon your lunch and leave the area immediately. Always let the park authorities know of such an encounter. Food-conditioned bears lose their natural fear of humans and can become increasingly bold as they begin to associate people with an easy meal. Bears that become conditioned to eating human food almost never lose their taste for it, and park rangers are often forced to destroy them. So don't ever intentionally feed or leave food for a bear - or any other wildlife for that matter!更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net

本文发表在 rolia.net 枫下论坛Following a few simple housekeeping guidelines will minimize the chances of your campsite being ransacked by a bear. The first thing to remember is that any bear rummaging around in your backpack isn't counting how many pairs of underwear you brought with you - it's looking for food!

Bears have a very keen sense of smell, so eliminate as many attractive odours as possible. Nice smells don't only come from your dinner - cosmetics, insect repellents, toothpaste and, of course, your garbage should all be treated the same as food.

When setting up your tent, cooking area, and food cache, make sure they are separated by at least 100 metres or 300 feet. If the area you are camping in provides bear caches, definitely use them - they are most likely there with good reason. Otherwise hanging your food between two trees is your best bet. A food bag should be hung between two sturdy trees about 7 metres or 25 feet apart. About 30 metres or 100 feet of rope will suffice for this task. The food bag will need to be at least 5 metres or 16 feet above the ground once hanged.

Depending on the region you may have problems with other little critters trying to get at your food. Racoons are very adept at undoing knots and zippers if there are corners and spaces for them to grasp and pull at. There are special bags for animal-proofing your food which are designed to be especially difficult to open for those with no opposable thumb.

Never cook in or near your tent, and always clean up your leftovers or spilt food immediately. Dispose of dishwater by straining it and then throwing it into running water or a toilet pit. Fish smells are particularly attractive to bears, so clean any fish you might catch before you head back to camp, disposing of entrails in either deep or fast-flowing water. Double-bag any fishy-smelling garbage.

Always pack all your garbage out with you. Bears will dig up any buried garbage and fires rarely burn absolutely everything. Don't contribute to creating a food-conditioned bear, as it almost always results in the bear being put down.更多精彩文章及讨论，请光临枫下论坛 rolia.net