Keep fishing and hunting waste away from trails and water.
While fish and game viscera are a natural part of the ecosystem, if disposed of improperly they can be unsightly. The goal in disposing of fish and game viscera is to reduce aesthetic impact and encounters between people and scavenging wildlife. In remote or little-used areas, place them away from trails, camp sites, and water, where they will decompose or be quickly consumed by animals or birds. In high-use areas or if you’re just out for the day, consider packing fish entrails out for disposal at home. Viscera left in lakes can wash up on shore and is only recommended in areas where bears might be attracted to the odor. Fish viscera tossed in lakes or streams often wash up on shore, so this practice is recommended only in areas when it is important to cover odors that might attract bears.
Be careful with food and odors in bear country.
In most backcountry areas of the Northeast, there is the potential for encountering black bears. It is essential to read any posted information on bears, and to speak with local land managers to learn specifics.
Bears are notable because of the potential threat they represent. In everyday experience however, problems with other “habituated” animals-raccoons, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, etc.-are much more prevalent and typically have much greater impact on our backcountry experience. Safeguard your food and equipment and the natural behaviors and habits of all wild animals by storing food correctly. When raccoons are a problem, hang food as you would for bears. For other animals, hang food a few feet above the ground-away from branches or tree limbs. Always keep a clean camp and never feed wild animals-the creation of “nuisance” animals is our doing.
