Mark your territory

[racoon]

What are we suppose to use exactly for marking territories? Human scents? What are some of the things campers have used? I have never heard of this but think it is an excellent precaution, whether it works or not. So far, I have read human hair and urine. Anything else?

[dinosaur]

You could try land mines.

[oldsarge]

I guess it all depends on where you're at on the food chain. Small animals are going to smell your scent and avoid you because they don't want to be a meal. On the other hand, large animals that can make a Hors d'oeuvre out of you will use your scent to track you. Either way it seems to me like it's going to be smelling like urine no matter what you do!

[ppine]

Coon,

Mark your scent just like predators do. Just keep all food scents away from your camp. When I see lots of bear sign, and especially bears in dayligth, I like to sleep somewhere a few hundred yards from the cooking site. We use dogs as the first line of defense.

[ejdixon]

Originally Posted by dinosaur

You could try land mines.

That would be really fun! Hahaha!!!!

[Grandpa]

Mark all you want. A bear will smell food and man with or without marking the area. If he is more afraid of man than hungry for the food, don't worry. If he is hungrier for the food than his worry about man, then you had better prepare. Think a triangle, 100 yards between corners with your fire and cooking area at one corner, your food sack hung 10 feet off the ground at another corner and you and your tent in the third corner.

If you are in an area where bears are not hunted, I would even suggest having a change of clothes strictly for preparing food and have them hung in the bag with the food. Or at least, keep clothes worn for food preparation out of your tent.

Food bag that is hung should contain any and all food, food preparation materials, garbage, anything that remotely resembles food smells, cosmetics, medicines and hygiene products. If you do all this and a bear still comes to your tent, then know that you are on the menu and the fight is on. Don't use your bear spray in the tent.