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Safety in
Grizzly and
Black Bear Country
Garbage
Disposal
Improper garbage
disposal is another major cause of bear problems. Bears are
strongly attracted to garbage and may be drawn to your camp if
you do not take care to eliminate all garbage and associated
smells:
- Do not let garbage
accumulate. Dispose of it on a daily basis.
- Eliminate odours by
burning garbage completely to ash. Burn garbage at
least 200 metres from camp in an area visible from
camp. Bury the ashes at least one metre deep and
200 metres from camp.
- Pack all unburned
garbage out with you when you leave, otherwise you
may create problems for other campers. Burying
unburned garbage does not eliminate smells.
- Avoid burning
garbage right before bedtime - it may attract
bears to the camp area while people are sleeping.
- In established
campgrounds, use bearproof garbage containers if
they are available.
- Latrine facilities
should be covered with lime and earth on a regular
basis. Tampons and sanitary napkins should be
burned in a hot fire.
- In temporary camps,
garbage which cannot be completely burned can be
stored in airtight containers and cached away from
camp. Cans, bottles and other containers should be
washed first.
- A forced-air, solid
waste incinerator is the most effective and
preferred method of burning garbage in long-term
camps, and is essential for large camps.
- The Department of
Environment and Natural Resources can
provide information on the construction of an
incinerator using a 45-gallon drum, which may be
appropriate in small camps.
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