Canoeing and Camping Hazards

Warm Climate Hazards

Heat Cramps:
These are usually the first warning signs of heat exhaustion and occur in the muscles, which are doing most of the work (arms, legs, and abdomen). Heat cramps are usually due to lack of body salt as a result of excessive sweating (especially if no salt has been taken).
Symptoms: Shallow breathing, vomiting and dizziness.
Treatment: Move to the shade, rest and drink water with a little salt.

Heat Exhaustion:
Exposure to high temperatures and humidity with loss of body fluids through excessive sweating produces heat exhaustion. It can occur without direct exposure to the sun, (lying on hot ground with poor ventilation for instance).
Symptoms: Face pale, skin cold yet sweating, a weak pulse accompanied by dizziness, weakness and perhaps cramps. Patient may become delirious or unconscious.
Treatment: Move to shade, rest and drink water with a pinch of salt.

Heat Stroke:
The most serious result of overexposure to, or overexertion in the sun.
Symptoms: Hot dry skin, face flushed, feverish but sweating stops. Temperature rises, and pulse becomes fast and strong. Severe headaches, often accompanies vomiting. Unconsciousness may follow.
Treatment: Lay in shade, head and shoulder slightly raised. Remove outer clothing. Cool body by wetting under clothing with tepid water and fanning. (Cold water will push the temperature up) Do not fully immerse in water, sprinkle water over patient. Lay in damp hollow with plenty of ventilation. When consciousness returns give water to drink. When the body temperature returns to normal, replace clothing and keep warm to prevent chills.

SUNBURN:
Actual burn with blistering (not just tanning) is a real danger, especially with pale and sensitive skin. If more than two third of the body is affected, it can prove to be fatal.
Treatment: Avoid further exposure and keep in the shade. Take painkillers if available. Cover blisters with dressing but do not burst.

Dehydration:
Dehydration becomes more noticeable as more body fluid is lost. Water makes up 75% of the body weight, about 50 litters (11 gallons) for the average man. Survival is unlikely if more than 1/5 of this volume is lost.
Fluid loss 1-5%: Thirst, vague discomfort, lack of appetite, flushed skin, impatience, sleepiness, nausea.
Fluid loss 6-10%: Dizziness, headaches, laboured breathing, no salivation, indistinct speech, unable to walk.
Fluid loss 11-20%: Delirium, swollen tongue, unable to swallow, dim vision, numb and shrivel skin.
In the later stages: There is gross muscular weakness and mental capacity is impaired. You must make your plan at the start when you can think clearly, then stick to it.

Hypothermia:
A technical name for the condition where the body cannot generate heat as fast as it loses heat and its temperature falls below normal. It is caused by exposure to wind, rain, and low temperature. Exhaustion, inadequate clothing, inadequate food intake, inadequate shelter, lack of knowledge and preparation, also bring it on. The conditions that aggravate hypothermia are exactly those likely to occur in the polar region. Hypothermia can occur under any conditions, especially as a result of wind chill. It is a common problem with any very cold spell. It�s a killer and must be treated as soon as it is recognized.
Prevent hypothermia by sheltering when conditions are bad and by keeping dry. Avoid over exertion and if in a group use the "buddy system". Watch each other carefully so that you recognize symptoms early. If one person goes down with hypothermia, others in the group may also be near it to. Check everyone for symptoms.
Sign and Symptoms: Irrational behaviour, typified by sudden burst of energy followed by lethargy. Slowing down of responses, failing to respond to questions or instructions. Sudden uncontrollable fits of shivering, loss of coordination, stumbling and falling, headaches, blurred vision and abdominal pains. Collapse stupor or unconsciousness.
Aggravating Factors: Soaked clothing, low air temperature accompanied by high winds and immersion in water. Any injury that immobilizes and reduces the ability to produce heat. Anxiety and mental stress. Unusual thinness.
Treatment: Prevent any further heat loss. Shelter from wind and weather. Replace wet clothing with dry ones. DO NOT strip off completely, remove one garment at a time and replace with a dry one. Insulate patient from the ground and apply heat (other bodies, hot rocks�E. Give warm fluids and sugary foods only if conscious.

Heat Loss General Rules:
If heat is lost rapidly, warm up the individual rapidly
If heat is lost slowly, warm up the individual slowly

Facts About Black Bears

• Black bears are generally timid, but can come into conflict with people especially when natural foods are scarce.
• Black bears are large. Adult males can weigh 120 - 280 kg (250 - 600 lbs.). Adult females can weigh 45 - 180 kg (100 - 400 lbs,). Black bears are not normally aggressive towards humans, however, on extremely rare occasions, bears can be dangerous.
• There are about 75,000 to 100,000 black bears in Ontario.
• Black bears are active from about mid April to late fall in most parts of the province.
• Most black bears enter their dens by mid-October in the north and by early November in Central Ontario. However, bears will stay out of their dens longer when fall foods are abundant.
• Black bear cubs are generally born in January while their mothers are in their dens. Cubs stay with their mothers for approximately 16-18 months.
• Between early July and late September bears typically double their body weight as they prepare for winter hibernation. Black bears do not eat or drink while in their winter dens.
• Black bears are omnivorous (they feed on both plants and animals).
• Black bears feed mainly on summer and fall berry crops as well as acorns and beechnuts in the fall.
• Natural foods vary in abundance from year to year. Bears may look for other food sources more actively in the spring if the previous year�s food supply was poor and they are in poor condition. They may also look for alternate food sources in late summer and fall if the current year �s food supply is poor. Consequently, food or garbage�s around homes, and campsites will become attractive to bears.

How To Prevent Nuisance Bear Problems

• Store garbage in steel bear-proof containers if possible.
• Alternatively, store garbage in airtight containers inside a storage area that is not accessible to bears.
• Garbage for pick-up should be put out on the morning of collection and not the night before.
• Keep meat scraps in your freezer until garbage pick-up day.
• Wash garbage containers and dumpsters frequently.
• Use lime to cut odours.
• Do not feed other wild life as you may attract bears.
• Do not leave pet food outdoors at night.
• Bears are often destroyed because they have become a 'nuisance' or are perceived as a threat to human safety. That is why you should never intentionally feed bears or place food to attract wildlife to your yard for viewing.

How Bears Can Become Nuisances

• Bears will travel over 100 km to a known food source, such as a berry patch or a stand of beech trees. Bears are highly intelligent and will learn where other food sources can be found and seek them out. They can easily learn to re-visit your backyard or campsite once they have determined that food can be found there.
• The majority of bear problems occur as a result of improperly stored garbage. Bears quickly learn to associate human residence and campsites with a readily available food source.
• Bears are also attracted to pet food that is left outdoors, bird feeders, barbecues, composters, fruit trees, beehives, sweet corn and grain fields.
• Garbage dumps provide a concentration of readily available food that often attracts bears.
• Bears loose their natural fear of humans through repeated exposure to people in areas where food is available.

How To Recognize A Potentially Dangerous Bear

Cornered bears

• Black bears may become anxious or annoyed if they are crowded by people, dogs, or if intently focused on a food source. These bears will generally give many warning signs (they may make huffing or �popping�Esounds, swat or beat the ground with their forepaws or even bluff charge) to let you know that you are too close.

Mother bears protecting their young

• Mother bears are rarely aggressive towards humans but they are protective of their cubs. Do not test this by intentionally approaching cubs or knowingly getting between them and their mother. The mother bear will generally give you many warning signs to let you know that you are too close.

Predatory black bears

• On extreme rare occasions, black bears (usually adult males) have attacked humans with the intent to harm them.

What To Do If You Encounter A Bear

Bears are normally shy of humans and quickly get out of our way when they see us. There are a number of things you can do if you spot a bear on a trail or one enters your campsite or yard.

• Do not approach the bear to get a better look. Slowly back away while watching the bear and wait for it to leave.
• If you are near a building or vehicle, get inside. If the bear was attracted to food or garbage, make sure it is removed after the bear leaves.
• It is important to keep dogs away from a bear. While a well-trained dog may deter a bear, a poorly trained one may only excite it resulting in the bear following the dog back to its owner.
• If a bear is in a tree, leave it alone. Remove people and dogs from the area. If a bear is trying to get at food in your yard or campsite (and a building or vehicles is not within reach) or if a bear tries to approach you, here is how you should react.
• Stop. Face the bear. Do not run. If you are with others, stay together and act as a group. Make sure that the bear has a clear escape route, then yell and wave your arms to make yourself look bigger. Use a whistle or airhorn if you have one. The idea is to be aggressive and to persuade the bear to leave. This will work if the bear is still partly afraid of humans.
• If these attempts fail to frighten the bear away, slowly back away watching the bear and giving it a wide berth.

If a bear makes contact with you, DO NOT PLAY DEAD. Fighting back is the best chance of persuading a black bear to stop its attack. Use a large stick, rock or anything else that you have on hand to hurt the bear.

Intent to kill and eat them.

• This has happened about 40 times in the last century in North America (7 incidents in Ontario). Predatory black bears may not make huffing or popping sounds, swat or beat the ground with their forepaws or perform bluff charges. Instead, they may press closer and closer to their intended prey assessing whether it is safe to attack.

BEAR WISE
The Ministry of Natural Resources is committed to reducing preventable causes of human-bear conflict in Ontario. The Bear Wise Program teaches people about black bears as well as things they can do to keep bears away from urban and semi urban areas. We work with community leaders to establish local prevention programs. We offer many education and awareness products including a website. We provide bear information and reporting line. We work in partnership with police to respond to human-bear incidents.

By now, most black bears are in their dens. The shorter days, disappearing natural foods and also cold nights and snow cover - are nature's cues that it is time for black bears to hibernate. It is not unusual if disturbed, for bears to leave their dens briefly in the winter months; for example if they are disturbed by humans or their dens become wet because of winter rain events or extended warm periods. If left alone they will find a suitable location to continue their hibernation cycle.

The Bear Wise reporting line will be available beginning April 1, 2011. Should you require assistance before then, please contact your local District Ministry of Natural Resources Office.

Be Bear Wise - What You Can Do You can remove many things that attract black bears to populated areas. Here are some tips: Store garbage in waste containers with tight-fitting lids and only put garbage out on the morning of pick-up. Remove bird feeders and only use them during the winter months. Black bears are attracted to foods like seed, suet and nectar used to feed birds. Clean outdoor grills after each use, including the grease trap underneath.

TO REPORT BEAR PROBLEMS: contact the Bear Reporting Line at:  1-866-514-2327  (TTY) 705 945-7641 In a life-threatening emergency, call your local police or 911.