Bear experts offer tips for camping in the Lake Tahoe Basin

LAKE TAHOE, Calif./Nevada – Heading to the Lake Tahoe Basin for a summer camping trip? Biologists who work daily in the Lake Tahoe Basin have tips and ideas to share to help preserve Lake Tahoe bears in the wild.

The Lake Tahoe Basin is the heart of bear country and bears are particularly active and persistent in their search for food. Sometimes the easiest food for them to find is human food and garbage.

“Anyone coming to the Tahoe area should educate themselves on bear behavior and general ecology. There are a lot of bears here and these bears have an incredibly keen sense of smell and a strong desire for food that intensifies at different times of the year, especially in the fall when they begin to binge,” said Alexia Ronning, an environmental scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and one of CDFW’s full-time human-wildlife conflict specialists assigned to the Tahoe Basin.

Hyperphagia is the biological instinct of bears to fatten up for winter, which drives them to constantly feed and search for food.

“Read and follow all camp rules regarding bears upon arrival and take them seriously,” Ronning said. “If you have an incident — whether it’s a bear getting into your car or getting into your campsite food — report it to your host or the appropriate government agency.”

Ronning encourages campers and visitors to the Tahoe Basin to bring a few special items to help keep themselves safe while enjoying the outdoors and to prevent Tahoe Basin bears from getting too close and comfortable with people, which is often the source of escalating human-bear conflicts. Conflicts are more likely to occur in environments where there is food and human waste, such as campgrounds and neighborhoods.

“Consider carrying bear spray and read the product instructions carefully before you go camping. Remember to spray the bear spray downwind,” Ronning says. “Bring a horn and whistle or bang on pots and pans. These noises will help scare the bear away to a safer distance. The noise will also alert other campers and hikers that a bear is present.”

Bear-proof coolers are another essential part of any Tahoe Basin trip.

People think their coolers are bear-proof, but in most cases, they are not. If they cannot be securely locked or latched without a way to cut a hole between the lid and the cooler, coolers should be placed in a bear canister. Campers should have all the necessary equipment to properly store food, whether it is a bear-proof canister for the backcountry or a bear-resistant cooler for camping.

Once a bear receives a food reward, it is more likely to return, so taking these preventative measures is the best way to protect campers and bears.

Toothpaste, deodorant, body spray, lip balm and similar scented items also attract bears and should not be left in vehicles, tents or loose on a campground. These items should also be placed in a bear canister or bear-resistant canister.

In the Tahoe Basin, bear encounters aren’t limited to campgrounds or backcountry destinations. Encounters can happen in neighborhoods, business districts, and at any time, day or night.

Tahoe Basin bear experts often find that conscientious campers use bear canisters to store food and bear-proof dumpsters, but fail to properly lock them. These must be properly locked to be functional and effective.

Visitors to the Lake Tahoe Basin can play a key role in helping to preserve bears’ natural habitat by practicing these strategies and being extra vigilant as the peak feeding season approaches.

For more tips and information on bear safe camping, please watch the following video from California State Parks and visit CDFW’s Human-Wildlife Conflict Center Web page.

Use the following phone numbers and online resources to report a bear incident or conflict while camping or visiting the Tahoe Basin:

In California, contact CDFW at 916-358-2917 or report it online using the Wildlife Incident Reporting (WIR) system at apps.wildlife.ca.gov/.
Non-emergency bear collisions in California State Parks can be reported to Public Response at 916-358-1300.
In Nevada, contact the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 775-688-BEAR (2327).
If the problem is an emergency, call your local sheriff’s department or 911.

Learn more about Tahoe’s wild bear conservation at TahoeBears.org and BearWise.org.