Camping Trip - Tips Please!

[kimbosaur]

Next week, some friends and I plan to head up to the Bruce Peninsula (about four hours from Toronto) to go camping. The last time we went, it was all about relaxing (swimming, barbecuing etc.) but this time I really want a chance to experience some of the wildlife.

With a little bit of research, I found out that this is one of the best places to go herping in Ontario. Although I doubt I will find anything (...seriously doubt it), I'd really appreciate some tips! I have no idea where to start, so by tips I really mean any help at all will be welcomed. I don't plan on bringing anything back - just hope to see some critters...snakes especially!.

Here's the site: Wildlife of the Bruce Peninsula - Animals of the Bruce Peninsula. It would be amazing if anybody who's been there could share their experience too.

[guidofatherof5]

Flipping rocks, fallen trees, boards and debris usually produces some nice finds.
Remember to replace everything the way you found it.
It's usually someone's home

[kimbosaur]

Remember to replace everything the way you found it.
It's usually someone's home

Promise to keep that in mind!

[jitami]

Looks like a neat area! You'll likely have more luck at dusk and dawn with most animals, but be careful, too. Watch every step, do put those rocks/logs back after flipping them, and just enjoy your surroundings. Hubby came back with black bear teeth marks in his cooler after camping in the Sierras this weekend... use the provided vaults or hang your food

[Mrs N1ntndo]

Flipping rocks, fallen trees, boards and debris usually produces some nice finds.
Remember to replace everything the way you found it.
It's usually someone's home

Wow I have always done that or just look in or around as much as I can for the cool spots. Sometimes you dont even have to flip anything.But yes if you do flip things try to do it slow to . thats what I do so that I dont spook them .

Looks like a neat area! You'll likely have more luck at dusk and dawn with most animals, but be careful, too. Watch every step, do put those rocks/logs back after flipping them, and just enjoy your surroundings. Hubby came back with black bear teeth marks in his cooler after camping in the Sierras this weekend... use the provided vaults or hang your food

I high lighted the part in red because one time when I was camping we didnt see anything like a bear but it was funny. this was before i met my hubby but I went camping with some friends and we were in tents that would zip and there were windows in the tent but the flaps were down and we woke up and heard something in the food stuff and it freaks us out and we didnt know if we wanted to look cause we were afraid of what we would see but we knew we had to. We opened the window and found that 12 cows got into our food stuff.(which was put away) and they were still hanging outside of our tent. It was funny cause my friends dog had never seen cows in her life but seem to know what she was doing(cocker). She hearded them up and took them away from our campsite. We all just sat there and watched . It was so funny.
So you NEVER know what can be there waiting....lol

[kimbosaur]

We opened the window and found that 12 cows got into our food stuff.(which was put away) and they were still hanging outside of our tent.

Where the heck did you go camping? Lol! I would be so amused if that happened to me.

[katach]

I usually find them at dusk at the edges of fields and under boards and rocks. Good luck!! Don't forget to take pictures!

[kimbosaur]

Hubby came back with black bear teeth marks in his cooler after camping in the Sierras this weekend... use the provided vaults or hang your food

I would love to see a black bear, but that's just too close for comfort. I think we kept the food in the car last time.

Don't forget to take pictures!

I will if I find anything!

[jitami]

Yeah, they were sitting around after building a campfire before making dinner and heard something over by his jeep. They shined flashlights that direction and caught a small cinnamon colored black bear jumping out of the jeep. It dropped the soft sided cooler on the way down, but left some cool holes/teeth marks. They chased it with flashlights, air horns, yelling & making a bunch of noise... and then hung their food where it couldn't be reached. Not sure how well they slept that night, but it didn't get any food... which is really more important for the bear than the humans. Sadly we have a few bear that recognize coolers and hubby knew better.

[d_virginiana]

If you're near a lake or stream, check out that area. Full of snake food. In the middle of the day you can probably find them chilling out under rocks around the water, and near dusk, you might see them come out to lay on warm rocks ad hunt. Not necessarily garter snakes, but odds are you'll find SOME snakes around water.

Also a nice place for frog/salamander hunting