by Rex Trulove

Created on: February 26, 2009

Quite a few people would have you believe there are only a handful of animals in the wild that are actually dangerous. Truth is that there is a large number of animals that can be dangerous, and many more that can make the camping experience less than enjoyable. Most of these animals can be dealt with though, by using a bit of common sense.

Bears

One of the first animals a person may think of as a problem creature is a bear. However, bears are relatively intelligent animals. They are the largest natural predator in North America, but they are also scavengers. Despite their bulk, they are also surprisingly fast. Over a short distance, a black bear can outrun a horse. They are also great at climbing trees.

Bears have poor eyesight, but they make up for it by having superb hearing and sense of smell. This is a key when dealing with bears. Most bear attacks happen because they are either being startled or because they've smelled something sweet. Bears love sweets, including but not limited to honey.

To counter this, don't be afraid to make noise. Bears do not like people, and if they know a person is around, they will often move away. The exception would be if the bear could smell something sweet. This means you should not leave anything sweet out where a bear can smell it. This includes some colognes and perfumes, incidentally. The general rule is that if you are camping, don't wear either.

Bears have an aversion to fire like many wild animals, though. They don't like the sound or the smell of it. They will often even shun a campfire that has gone out, because it still smells of fire. A campfire is a good deterrent for bears.

Coyotes

Contrary to popular myth, a healthy coyote is seldom a problem in camp, even if you have pets along. They are naturally curious, and many have lost the fear of man, however they are still shy animals. They also don't like fire or loud noises. It is questionable whether a person in camp should even worry if there are coyotes around, as they are likely to watch the campers but seldom to do much more than that.

Porcupines

Porcupines can really put the damper on camping. However, they are even more timid than coyotes and tend to try to be as far from people as they can. If you have a dog with you in camp, just don't let them run free and you should be fine.

Skunks

Skunks are one of the most curious of animals. In skunk country, leaving food out is almost begging skunks to come and explore it. Skunks can inflict a vicious bite, but seldom will if

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