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

[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

[infernalis]

Early AM just as the sun comes up, prime basking for wild snakes.

[kimbosaur]

K so far there's:

- Dusk or Dawn
- Check around water
- Flip rocks, logs, boards etc.
- Put everything back

I'll probably go in the early PM rather than morning. It would be extremely difficult to convince anybody to wake up at sunrise to search for snakes with me. I'll have better luck convincing them for the evening.

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.

I would have been very tempted to just stop and take a picture...then get somebody ELSE to chase it away.

Also a nice place for frog/salamander hunting

Frogs are about the only things I ever find. I did find a salamander/lizard ONCE, but it was flat, shriveled up, and hanging from our front door frame by the tail. No idea where that came from.