With all the wild animals near camp, is camping worth it?

Yes

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by Cindy Kessler

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National Forests and Wilderness Areas, Wildlife Preserves and Habitats, lakes, mountains, rivers and your own back yard can become the site of a wild animal incident or viewing. We go to these places to enjoy nature in the un-manicured wild.

We want to smell the pungent evergreens, hear the babbling brook, see the soaring eagle, and watch the sunset and dawn break in the great out doors. We dream of sitting around a campfire telling tall tales under the starlit night; hearing the coyotes howling as they hunt under the glowing moon. Each of these encounters with the natural world provides memories for us and our children that truly last a life time.

Is camping near wild animals worth it? Yes, yes, yes with all my heart I believe camping out whether on the ground, in a tent or RV is one of our greatest rights as American's.

Most of the time it depends on you're following a few simple rules and using common sense to avoid an incident where you could be injured by a wild animal.

Normally speaking, wild animals avoid people. We hear of more incidents of human contact with bears and coyotes in suburban communities then we do in camping incidents.

The well known, "hidden truth" about camping and wild animal incidents is simply: If you keep your camp site clean, food put away and abide by the time worn adage "Don't feed the animals" your contact with them will be minimal.

Fifty years ago when I took my first camping trip, trash was a real problem. The camps did not have trash receptacles or they were poorly maintained with trash on the ground. Wild animals are attracted to trash and the parks soon realized that proper trash removal was important to avoid wild animal incidents. Today it is easy to throw camp trash into the provided, well maintained receptacles.

If you are camping out under the stars or in a tent never have food, not even a candy bar or pack of gum stashed in your sleeping bag.

When hiking in the wilderness, carry a walking stick and make a lot of noise as you pass through the animals' territory. Talk and laugh and have a good time. The wild animals don't like your smell or a lot of noise and they will avoid contact with you. It is important to keep little children close to you and the party as a whole should travel through the countryside in a tight group. No stragglers in the wilderness.

Camping in the midst of a forest or on a desert or beach provides your mind, body and soul respite unparalleled by any other activity available to you. And camping is an activity that is open to every American, regardless of income. We can all equally enjoy the magnificence of camping in the great out doors.

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