Wildlife and Summer Camping – How to Avoid Mixing the Two

Summer camping is surely fun but in many cases when planning such an outing with your family you should consider the area and whether or not the chosen camping spot interferes with wildlife territory.

Wildlife and Summer Camping  - How to Avoid Mixing the Two

Watering Holes

The average American knows that all the organized camping spaces are placed near a water source. In case you plan to camp outside such areas, near a river or a lake, you should be aware that the water source can be a wildlife watering hole.

Be aware not to place your tent on an animal path because you will block the access to water and disturb the balance of the ecosystem. You can recognize such paths by observing animal footprints and droppings.

In case you find signs that large animals like cougars or bears are using the water hole you should not place the tent in that area.

Forest Paths

You may be tempted to place your tent on a clearing inside the woods. The spots are usually clean and easy accessible. In case you plan such a thing keep in mind that natural forest paths and clearings are used by animals. Herds of deer are known to congregate inside forest clearings and it is not advisable to disturb their routine. In order to make sure you camp in a wildlife free area look for animal signs such as chewed bark, hoof footprints or grazed areas around the camping spot you chose.

Animal Dens and Burrows

Small forest animals like foxes, badgers and possums can do a lot of damage to a camping site in case their habitat is disturbed. They can practically chew on everything, from food to camping gear, during nighttime. To avoid this make sure you check the camping area for logs and dead trees but also ground burrows which are visible on the surface of the forest soil.

How to Avoid Wildlife Encounter Issues?

It is very important to keep in mind that you are responsible for keeping the wildlife away. For this to happen you need to store the food air tight and avoid leaving food items inside your tent. Also make sure you get rid of the garbage and dishwater because both are attracting animals.

Last but also most import fact to keep in mind is to never feed the wildlife. They may seem cute and it might seem tempting to help them, but they will most likely come back for more and raid your camp site when you least expect it.