Black Bears at Camp Shehaqua

Hickory Run State Park is home to black bears. Although they appear cute and cuddly like a teddy bear, black bears are wild animals. Black bears normally avoid people, but if they smell an easy meal, they will be attracted. Aromatic scents can attract a curious and hungry bear from a great distance.

Bear sightings have been rare at Shehaqua Family Camps. Please help us keep it that way by following these measures:

• Never approach a bear, especially a mother bear and cubs. • Never throw food or other objects toward the bear • Stay calm, bears usually just want to be left alone. Their vision is relatively poor, they have to recognize you are a human • Do not run from a bear; stay together as a group, clap your hands and shout loudly while backing away slowly • Food and scented items must be locked in cars with windows rolled all the way up. Better to use the trunk. Best to store them in the Dining Hall • Don’t litter the area with food wrappers • All the food garbage outside the dining hall needs to be put in the dumpster near the sports field every night • The dining hall needs to be locked at night