There are still areas in this country where you can see both brown and black bears. Here are some things to remember if you are paddling and camping in areas that support bears:

• Choose your campsite carefully. Do not camp near a salmon stream, animal carcass or garbage. Do camp in a tent in an open quiet area where you can see and hear nearby wildlife, and where they can see and hear you.
• Keep your camp odor free. Do not cook near your camp, cook smelly foods, sleep in clothes with food odors, or bring any food into your tent. Do cook at least 100 feet away from camp, downwind. Store food, pots, lotions and clothes with food odors away from camp. If there are trees, cache your food out of a bear's reach. If there are no trees, hang food off of a rock face or a bridge, or store it out of a bear's sight off the trail and downwind of camp. Pack out all trash. Don't cause trouble for those who will follow you.
• Bears don't like surprises. If you are hiking, make your presence known. Make noise, sing, talk loudly or tie a bell to your pack. Travel with a group if possible. Avoid thick brush and walk with the wind at your back so your scent will warn bears of your presence. Bears use trails just like humans so don't set up camp close to a trail they might use. On beaches, look for their trails and scat. Detour around areas where you see or smell carcasses of fish or animals. If a bear is nearby, it will defend its cache aggressively.
• Don't crowd bears. If you want to take pictures, stay at a safe distance. Bears protect their "personal space".
• Bears are always looking for something to eat. Don't let bears learn that human food or garbage is an easy meal. Don't feed bears.

If your next kayaking trip takes you into bear country, remember that in most cases, bears are not a threat, but they do deserve your respect and attention. Listed below are websites that contain in-depth information about brown and black bears:

Links and Information

Bears and You

You Are in Bear Country

How To Co-exist With Black Bears