HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1999-07-07, Page 21THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, JULY 7, 1999. PAGE 21.
Safety tips for summertime camping, hiking
Summer has finally arrived and
many will be heading for the woods
for that long-awaited picnic, fishing
or camping trip. To help prepare
for that trip here are a few basic
safety tips from Emergency
Preparedness Canada and Parks
Canada.
• Travel Plans - always tell
someone where and when you are
going, and the return date. Making
travel plans also means getting as
much information about the area
you will be visiting, including
weather conditions and what
services and facilities are available.
• Equipment - make sure all
your equipment is in good working
order and that you know how to use
it. If in doubt about what you need,
local outfitters or recreational
organizations will be glad to advise
you. Don’t forget, a first-aid kit is
also part of your equipment.
• Make sure your clothing and
footwear are appropriate for the
terrain and weather conditions.
Wool is best in wet or cool
weather. Always wear or carry
headgear (a neckerchief can serve
as both a hat and a sling) as you
can lose as much as 60 per cent of
your body heat through your head.
• ’'Footprint” children's
camping shoes by having them step
on a sheet of tinfoil placed over
soft material such as a towel and
then label the footprints. This
procedure will help searchers
identify the tracks and possibly the
direction of travel of a lost child.
• Hypothermia (loss of body
heat) is the number one killer of
outdoor recreationists. Bring
matches in a waterproof container.
(With fire, you can keep warm, dry
clothes and signal for help.) A
variety of shelters can be formed
using materials found in the forest,
e.g. tree branches and natural
formations such as caves or fallen
trees. Garbage bags, compact and
easily carried, can be cut to serve as
a poncho; additionally, bright
orange and yellow bags can help
searchers locate lost individuals.
Another good idea is a "blaze”
orange vest and hat - the kind
hunters and anglers use to make
themselves visible.
• Avoid wild animals that come
too close or seem too friendly.
• Fear and panic are the worst
enemies of someone lost in the
woods and, in the majority of cases,
it is far safer to stay in one place
and wait to be rescued than trying
to walk to safety. Teaching a child
to stay near a tree, particularly near
a clearing, portrays trees as friends
during times of panic and also en
courages a lost child to stay in one
place, perhaps avoiding fatigue.
• Pin a whistle to children's shirts
(hang it around their neck); three
signals, whether blasts on a whistle
or shouts, are universally
recognized as a distress call.
• The best way to attract the
attention of a search plane is to lie
down in a clearing wearing a
brightly coloured jacket, vest, or
garbage bag.
BEARS
• Since behaviour varies with the
species and situations, only general
guidelines can be provided. Some
ways to avoid a confrontation are
by taking these basic precautions:
- never store food in your tent
(some parks have bear-resistant
food storage facilities.)
- Do not cook or eat in or near
your tent
- do not sleep in clothes worn
while cooking as clothing absorbs
food odours
- store and carry food (and
garbage) in airtight containers. Do
not bury garbage, as bears (and
other animals) can easily dig it up.
The bear may then become a
danger to the next group of hikers
- hang food-packs (and your
toothpaste) from a tree out of
reach of bears and other animals,
and away from your immediate
camping area
- never feed a bear
- stay away from a mother and
her cubs
- make noise when you walk in
the bush near rushing water or
travelling into the wind to
advertise your presence
- keep children close to you
- avoid scented cosmetics - bears
may be attracted to perfumes, hair
sprays and soaps. Women should
be extra careful during
menstruation to take steps to
eliminate odours, particularly
from materials, by storing in an
airtight container
- watch for bear signs: if you see
fresh tracks, diggings or
droppings, choose another area
WHAT TO DO IF YOU SEE A
BEAR
//you see a bear and it isn't
approaching:
Don't panic. Don't approach.
Keep it in view but avoid direct eye
contact. Move away without
running. Chances are it won't
approach. Report all sightings to
park personnel.
If a bear approaches:
Don’t run unless there is a secure
place close by. Keep moving away,
watching the bear but avoiding
direct eye contact. If the
approaching bear is a grizzly,
consider climbing as far up a tree
as possible if you have opportunity
and time. This works better for
grizzlies than for black bear, who
are good climbers. Dropping your
pack or an object may distract an
approaching bear and give you time
to move away.
If a bear physically attacks:
In the rare event of a bear attack,
your response should depend upon
the nature of the situation and the
species of bear involved. Because
situations are complex and
somewhat unique, only guidelines
can be offered.
If you believe the bear has been
surprised and is responding
defensively:
Grizzly bear - try not to threaten
or further arouse the bear. Play
dead, assuming a "cannonball
position," clasping your hands
behind your neck and burying your
face in your knees. Try not to move
until the bear has apparently left the
area. Such attacks seldom last for
more than a few minutes. Fighting
back usually increases the intensity
of such grizzly bear attacks, but
may cause the bear to leave.
Black bear - fight it off with any
weapon you can lay your hands on,
even if all you can do is kick or
punch the bear. Don’t play dead -
this doesn't work with black bears!
Species unknown - respond as
for grizzly bears but continue to
assess the situation.
If you are sleeping and are
attacked or if you believe the bear
has stalked you and then attacked
offensively in a predatory manner:
In this case, for any species of
bear, don't play dead. Try to
escape to somewhere secure such
as a car or building. If this is not
possible consider climbing a tree,
realizing that the bear may climb
after you, especially if it is a black
bear. If no other option exists, try
to intimidate the bear using any
potential weapons such as tree
branches or rocks. Deterrents such
as bear sprays may repel such
bears.
Lyme disease becoming common tick-borne illness
Do you plan to enjoy the many
spring and summer outdoor
activities that Ontario has to offer,
like hiking, hunting, fishing or
camping? Do you plan to travel to
the U.S.?
If so, you may be at risk of
contracting Lyme disease, a
potentially serious but preventable
bacterial infection.
Lyme disease is caused by a
bacterium carried by infected deer
ticks and Western black-legged
ticks. These ticks transmit the
bacteria to humans while feeding
on their blood.
Individuals most at risk are those
living in, working in or planning to
travel to areas where Lyme disease
occurs regularly (known as "Lyme-
endemic areas"). Ticks are
Telephone system open
for licenses
The telephone system for
purchasing Resident’s Deer
Licences and entering the
Antlerless Deer Draw is now open
for hunters.
The telephone licensing system
allows hunters to apply by a touch
tone or rotary dial telephone 24
hours a day, seven days a week,
until 11:55 p.m. EDT, Tuesday,
Aug. 3. The number is 1-800-288-
1155.
A $3 administration fee is
charged for telephone transactions.
To use the phone process, hunters
need the 15-digit number from a
valid hunting version Outdoors
Card, a valid Visa or Mastercard
and a choice of Wildlife
Management Units (WMU).
Instructions for phone applications
are on page 30 of the Ontario
Hunting Regulations Summary and
in the Telephone Application
Brochure, which was mailed to
many Ontario deer hunters in early
generally found in woody, brushy
- or grassy areas so people who
participate in camping, hiking,
hunting or other outdoor
recreational activities are at an
increased risk.
Ticks have been found in over
250 locations across Canada. Here
in Ontario, the Long Point and
Point Pelee areas are considered
endemic, although ticks have been
found all across the province.
Lyme disease has rapidly become
the most common tick-borne illness
in the U.S. and is now growing in
Canada. Individuals at highest risk
are those who travel to the
Northeast, upper Midwest and
Pacific coastal areas of the U.S.
Half of the Canadian cases of Lyme
disease occur as a result of people
and draw
June.
The brochure also provides
hunters with step-by-step
instructions for completing their
applications.
Ontario hunters who want to
apply in person may purchase a
Resident’s Deer Licence or
Farmer’s Deer Licence at any of
MNR’s hunting licence issuer
outlets. These licences will be
available as of Monday, June 28.
Hunters are required to have a
valid hunting version of the
Outdoors Card, before they will be
allowed to purchase a deer licence.
To apply for the Antlerless Deer
Draw, hunters who have a valid
licence should complete the
application attached to the licence
and mail it to the address on the
back of the application.
MNR must receive this form by 5
p.m. EDT, Tuesday, Aug. 3. There
is no fee for those using the paper
process.
travelling to endemic areas in the
U.S.
If detected early, Lyme disease
can usually be successfully treated
with antibiotics without any long-
lasting complications.
The problem is that Lyme disease
is not always easy to diagnose,
often requiring extensive laboratory
testing. In Ontario, more than 4,500
tests were ordered in 1997 by
physicians who. suspected that their
patients had Lyme disease.
"Lyme disease, if left untreated,
is a potentially serious infection
which can cause neurological
problems, heart rhythm
disturbances and arthritis. In
addition, it is difficult to diagnose
because the symptoms imitate
many other illnesses. Canadians
should be concerned about Lyme
disease, particularly those who are
planning to travel to the North-
Central and North-Eastern United
States, as well as people who enjoy
outdoor activities like hiking,
camping, fishing and hunting," said
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EDWARD FUELS
Goderich 524-8386 Clinton 482-7381 Teeswater 392-6100
Dr. Jay Keystone, staff physician,
Centre for Travel and Tropical
Medicine, Toronto Hospital.
Usually, the first sign of Lyme
disease is a rash called erythema
migrans (EM), which typically has
the appearance of a "bulls-eye" at
the site of the tick bite. This rash
appears in an estimated 60 - 80 per
cent of people.
But research shows that
approximately 20 per cent of
people infected do not exhibit any
early symptoms at all (this is
known as asymptomatic infection),
which puts them at higher risk of
developing debilitating arthritic or
neurological conditions, requiring
extensive treatment.
To help protect Canadians from
this infection, LYMErix - the
world's first Lyme disease vaccine
- was recently approved by the
Health Protection Branch.
The new vaccine, manufactured
by SmithKline Beecham
Biologicals, has been shown to be
safe and effective, according to a
large-scale clinical trial.
As with any vaccine, it may not
protect 100 per cent of individuals,
and it may be associated with local
injection-site reactions including
redness and swelling, flu-like
symptoms, and joint and muscle
soreness.
Doctors advise that people
should continue to take other
preventive measures because ticks
that transmit Lyme disease can
transmit other tick-borne illnesses
as well.
Preventive measures include
avoiding tick-infested areas,
wearing protective clothing
outdoors, tucking in pants and
shirts, and checking for ticks after
coming in from the outdoors. It is
also important to use insect
repellents containing DEET on
exposed areas for additional
protection.
For more information on the new
vaccine for Lyme disease,
consumers can call toll-free 1-800-
268-4372.