Green Mountain National Forest officials are warning hikers and campers to safely store all food and keep campsites clean following a spike in encounters with bears.
Campers, hikers and other visitors are urged to safely store all food, including condiments like ketchup, in bear-resistant units, such as vehicles and car trunks and clean up empty food wrappers. A national forest spokesman says there have been numerous incidents of bears looking for food in the past week and in one case, a bear entered a tent.
Campers are urged not to sleep in clothes worn while cooking or handling fish and game.
The Forest Service says bear sightings or damage caused by bears should be reported to the nearest Vermont Fish & Wildlife office or a local Vermont state game warden.
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