Food Storage Guidelines

Bears can very easily learn to associate human garbage with food.

NPS Photo

Black bears live within and around Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area, and understanding how to safely store food and respond during a bear encounter can help reduce negative interactions between people and wildlife. Taking a few simple precautions, such as keeping campsites clean and securing food and scented items, helps protect personal safety while reducing the chance of bears becoming attracted to human food or developed areas.

Food Storage

Bears have a voracious appetite. They also are incredibly curious and have an amazing sense of smell. This combination sometimes leads them to look for our calorie-rich food. Sometimes bears that routinely get our food become aggressive, and may have to be killed as a result. By storing your food properly, you can prevent a bear's needless death.

What is Food?

"Food" includes any item with a scent, regardless of packaging. This may include items that you do not consider food, such as canned goods, bottles, drinks, soaps, cosmetics, toiletries, trash, ice chests (even when empty), and unwashed items used for preparing or eating meals.

How to Store Your Food in the Campgrounds

Food, garbage, coolers and equipment used to cook or store food must be kept sealed in a vehicle or in a camping unit that is built of solid, non-pliable material such as a camper or closed trailer. Food must never be left unattended unless it is properly stored. Please pick up food scraps around your site, dispose of them properly and wipe down tabletops after eating. Place trash in the provided garbage receptacles, do not leave trash unattended at your campsite.

How to Store Your Food in the Backcountry

If tent camping in the backcountry, when ever you are not preparing or eating food it must be stored properly. It is recommended that you use the standard method of hanging your backpacks and food sacks. Find two tree about 30 feet apart with limbs 15 - 20 feet tall. Throw a rope across the limbs and allow enough slack to attach your packs. Once attached, pull the rope tight and the packs should stabilize high enough where a bear cannot reach. Cook your meals some distance from your sleeping area and do not sleep in cloths you have cooked in.

What to Do if You See a Bear

You may not see a bear during your visit because bears naturally avoid people. If you do see a bear, what you should do depends on the situation. Report bear activity to a ranger or leave a message at 423-569-9778. In an emergency, call 911.

If you are in a developed area (e.g., campground, parking lot)

Act immediately to scare it away: make as much noise as possible by yelling or banging pots together (don't worry about waking people up if it's nighttime). If there is more than one person, stand together to present a more intimidating figure, but do not surround the bear. However, never get between a mother and her cubs.

The intent is not to harm the bear, but to scare it from the area and restore its natural fear of people by providing a negative experience.

If you see a bear anywhere else

Keep your distance (at least 50 yards), don't run, or look at it in the eyes. Yell at it, making yourself appear as big as possible . If you get close to the bear, you will be helping the bear become used to being around people.

Bears that become comfortable around people lose their natural fear of us and sometimes become too aggressive; sometimes they then have to be killed.

 

Reporting Bear Encounters

 If a bear does get into your food, you must report the incident to a park ranger. These regulations and precautions help decrease the chance of personal injury or property damage. However, bear damage and confrontations are still possible even when all of the above guidelines are followed. Failure to comply with these regulations may result in a citation.