Understanding Animal Behavior: A Guide to Safe Camping with Wildlife

When you pitch your canvas tents in the great outdoors, you voluntarily set up camp next to hundreds of different species. From the birds and squirrels of the trees to the snakes and skunks of the grass, various animals call your campsite home. Realistically, experiencing some sort of animal encounter is inevitable when camping out in nature. While watching local wildlife is a draw to the outdoors for many campers, it’s important to understand their behavior to keep both you and the animals safe.

Why It’s Important to Understand Animal Behavior

Understanding the behavior of the animals you’ll encounter while camping is key to preventing and controlling potentially dangerous situations in the wild. For example, knowing whether an animal is just trying to protect itself, or is out to hunt, is key information when evaluating how to protect yourself during an encounter.

Even if an animal poses little physical threat, it’s also good to know which animals are at risk for carrying disease. While a grizzly bear may maul you for stepping between her and her cubs, a seemingly harmless raccoon could bite you and transmit a fatal infection like rabies. By understanding the behavior of animals, you’ll be better equipped to navigate wildlife encounters, keeping you and the animals out of harm’s way. 

How to Stay Safe While Camping with Wildlife

Understanding the normal behavior of local critters is the first step to maintaining safety during a camping trip. But what else can you do to stay safe while camping near wildlife?

Research the local animals

Know the wildlife you’re most likely to encounter! Since the behavior of every species is different, it’ll be hard to prepare correctly without knowing the animals you’re most likely to run into. Wildlife populations vary vastly across the United States, so it’s important to do your research. Some of the most common wildlife you’ll come across when camping in the U.S. include:

• Snakes
• Skunks
• Raccoons
• Foxes
• Coyotes
• Wolves
• Deer
• Elk
• Moose
• Bears
• Bison
• Mountain goats
• Alligators

Not only does wildlife vary based on your location, but the defense you’ll take when encountering each one varies too. For example, when face-to-face with a black bear, your best bet is to make yourself appear larger and try to scare it away with loud noises and big movements. On the contrary, if you encounter a bison, it’s advised to simply move away as quickly and quietly as possible. 

Keep a safe distance

No matter the animal in question, keeping a safe distance is always advised. No matter how cute, cuddly, or cool a critter seems, wildlife behavior is unpredictable at best. Following the advice of the National Park Service, it’s recommended to give most wild animals 25 yards, and predators, like bears and wolves, 100 yards. While being within viewing distance of certain wildlife is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for many, jeopardizing your safety is never worth the close-up camera shot.

Practice food safety

Many times, wildlife will be drawn to your campsite thanks to the delicious food you’ve brought along. To avoid encounters with hungry animals, practice proper food safety. When camping, this means never leaving food open, out, and unattended around camp. Only bring food out from storage when you’re actively preparing or eating your meals. 

It’s also imperative to follow proper food storage protocols. Always use airtight containers to help reduce odors, and never leave food, or any scented products for that matter, in your tent. Yes, even if you’re camping in a heavy-duty, 4 season canvas tent! While you may not be able to smell the food inside, the predators lurking outside sure can. Bears, for example, have a 2,100 times better sense of smell than humans. If you are camping in a location with high bear populations, always store your food in bear-proof bags, or designated bear-proof boxes around camp.

When cooking meals, take the extra precaution of cooking downwind from your pitched tent, and always change your clothes before bed. While it may seem excessive, smells linger, and could easily attract unwanted wildlife through the night.

Last but not least on the point of food safety, never attempt to feed them. Not only does this put you within an unsafe distance of the animal, but it also disrupts the natural order of the ecosystem you’re in. 

Stay alert and aware

To prevent close encounters, always remember to stay alert and aware of your surroundings. Always keep your eyes and ears open for signs of nearby wildlife. Many animals make distinct sounds, from the yell of a coyote to the howl of a wolf. Fresh footprints and droppings are also sure indicators of nearby critters, so look out for those signs too. Additionally, stay up to date with locals on any recent sightings. If you spot something noteworthy, be sure to share your findings with local park rangers or other nearby campers. 

Make your presence known

Don’t solely rely on animals to tell you when they’re around. Be sure to make your presence known to let wildlife know to stay away. Most animals want nothing to do with us. If they know you’re around, they’ll do their best to keep their distance. 

If you see a critter lurking, make noise! This is the easiest and best way to make yourself known. If they get a bit too close for comfort, start clapping, yelling, or even banging pots and pans. Don’t, however, try to startle them with quick, unsolicited sounds. While you want to be perceived as a threat, you don’t want to provoke an attack.

Keep a clean campsite

Campsites littered with food waste and trash are more appealing to the local animals than to you. To avoid sending out an accidental invitation to your wildlife neighbors, always keep a clean campsite. Never leave anything scented out and about, whether it’s a food product or your daily deodorant. When you’re done with meals, thoroughly clean your cooking utensils and store them away. Collect all of your trash as soon as you create it, from food packaging to food scraps. Many campgrounds have designated trash bins that you should use daily. If they don’t, consider hanging your trash in a nearby tree to make it harder for wildlife to reach. 

For hunters at camp, take extra precautions to maintain a clean site. Never leave successfully caught game near your hunting tent or outfitter tents unattended. If you plan to prepare it onsite, be extra sure you’ve cleaned and stored it properly. You’ve gone through the hard work of hunting, don’t let the local wildlife enjoy your successes before you can!

Pack the right camping accessories

For some wildlife, you may want to consider coming prepared with the right camping accessories. This is especially true if the location you’re traveling to has high bear populations. As discussed earlier, bear-proof bags are a smart precaution for storing food and other scented items. It’s also advised to carry bear spray as a defense. While it’s designed specifically for protection against bears, it’s also been known to deter almost all other mammals, like coyotes, wolves, moose, and elk. While all other steps outlined in this article should be followed first, having the extra security of defense items is never a bad call. 

Camping is the Most Fun When It’s Safe

Encountering your first wild animal is a moment you’ll remember forever. To ensure it’s a positive memory, take extra care to understand the behavior of local wildlife and the steps you can take to prevent unnecessary confrontations as well as stay safe when inevitable encounters occur. By following the advice outlined in this guide, you’ll be better equipped to camp with confidence, knowing how to safely coexist with wildlife. Whether it’s maintaining a safe distance, properly storing food, keeping your campsite clean, or making your presence known, just remember, camping is the most fun when it’s safe!