Keeping bears away in Yellowstone
Hello, I will be camping for a week with my travel trailer in Yellowstone. It says "bear food locker" required and provided by the campsite. Can I cook inside the camper, or is that asking...
Forum Discussion
Ask the rangers when you arrive if there are any specific instructions for that campground.
What is safe in one campground may not be safe in another. Often, this is because of the behaviors of the campers that "train" the bears in certain ways. For example, in some areas, bears will identify coolers by sight and will break into a car to get at one - regardless of whether there is any food smell. They have been "conditioned" to connect the cooler to food. In other areas, the bears won't bother anything unless there is a smell connected to it.
My general rules are:
keep a clean camp;
throw garbage into the campground garbage bins daily before bed;
put food, etc. away in cupboards (and/or out of sight) when not being eaten;
don't leave dog bowls, etc. outside (put away after the dog has eaten);
don't leave food wrappers, particles, etc. around the campground (not just your own campsite);
wash dishes and cooking utensils after each meal to reduce lingering odors;
don't leave coolers, containers, bags, etc. that carry food where they can be seen - just in case bears are getting conditioned to the visual cues.
I've been at campgrounds and never seen a bear in a campsite; I've been to others where an empty juice box container was left on a picnic table brought the bear into the campsite. Don't worry needlessly, but don't be careless. And if the campground has a specific rule - FOLLOW IT - that rule is in place there for a reason, whether you have figured out the reason or not.
What is safe in one campground may not be safe in another. Often, this is because of the behaviors of the campers that "train" the bears in certain ways. For example, in some areas, bears will identify coolers by sight and will break into a car to get at one - regardless of whether there is any food smell. They have been "conditioned" to connect the cooler to food. In other areas, the bears won't bother anything unless there is a smell connected to it.
My general rules are:
keep a clean camp;
throw garbage into the campground garbage bins daily before bed;
put food, etc. away in cupboards (and/or out of sight) when not being eaten;
don't leave dog bowls, etc. outside (put away after the dog has eaten);
don't leave food wrappers, particles, etc. around the campground (not just your own campsite);
wash dishes and cooking utensils after each meal to reduce lingering odors;
don't leave coolers, containers, bags, etc. that carry food where they can be seen - just in case bears are getting conditioned to the visual cues.
I've been at campgrounds and never seen a bear in a campsite; I've been to others where an empty juice box container was left on a picnic table brought the bear into the campsite. Don't worry needlessly, but don't be careless. And if the campground has a specific rule - FOLLOW IT - that rule is in place there for a reason, whether you have figured out the reason or not.
