"We would have come up even if they hadn't caught the bear," Day explained.
If Uinta National Forest offered bear boxes, he would use them, he added, but for now, he will stick with his usual routine.
He's not alone.
"Utah campers are very generally lax in their awareness in what they need to do in protecting themselves," said John Logan, acting ranger of Pleasant Grove Ranger District, which encompasses Timpooneke campground. Especially, he added, in bear country. Since bears haven't been an issue in the past, campgrounds don't provide bearproof containers, and people aren't bringing their own. At any campsite, Logan said, you will see a cooler or groceries sitting out.
This type of camping leads to all sorts of problems, said Utah State University bear specialist Barry Gilbert, especially during warm, dry summers like this one, when bears are food-stressed and ranging into lower elevations, closer to humans - and human food.
Bears, who have extraordinary senses of smell, love the kinds of food humans eat, said Jim Karpowitz, head of the Division of Wildlife Resources. They like the grease in chips and hamburgers, and sweet foods, such as doughnuts and marshmallows - in short, the kinds of food people like to eat while camping.
If campers don't store food properly, a bear will become conditioned, associating food with campsites.
"There's a saying: A fed bear is a dead bear," Gilbert added. "Once they get fed by people, accidental or otherwise, they're going to be shot at some point because they'll be a problem."
Poorly kept campsites can have repercussions, but not always for the careless campers. The result is a bear that's been partially trained to expect food in a certain place, regardless of who is present.
"It's maybe not the incident that caused the incident," Logan said. "It's the previous activities that went on in that site that attracted that bear to that site for food."
But overall, the chances of a bear attacking you while camping is about equal to your chances of getting struck by lightning during a storm, Gilbert said; it's possible, but very unlikely.
"I'd expect within the next 30 years we won't see another incident of black bears killing people," he said. Black bears, the only bear species found in Utah, are less aggressive than their grizzly cousins.
Utah campers don't need to change the way they camp, he added, though it would be a good idea to learn more about storing food and camping cleanly.
Changes already have been made in the area where Sunday's bear attack occurred. Timpooneke camper Melanie Hegewald, of Layton, was storing food in her truck, not in the pop-up trailer where she and her family sleep.
Information about camping safety is now more readily available. Campground hosts at Uinta National Forest are handing out black bear information brochures. Each bulletin board, as well as every restÂroom, has a poster with details on what to do if you encounter a black bear.
But rangers are not planning to start punishing careless campers with tickets, a common practice in larger national parks such as Grand Teton and Yellowstone, where there are large populations of both black bears and grizzlies, said Logan. In Utah, he said, the incidence of bear and human conflict isn't nearly high enough to warrant ticketing - Sunday's tragic attack being the state's first fatal bear attack.
Ultimately, Logan explained, it's up to campers to ensure their own safety.
"Utah is bear country," Logan said. "You can expect bears anywhere. Therefore, you should be practicing the standard practices to keep safe."
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* LIESL GOECKER can be contacted at lgoecker@sltrib .com or 801-257-8605. Send comments about this story to livingeditor@sltrib.com. Staff writer Greg Lavine contributed to this report.
Camping safety
Sleeping area
Keep tents close together and far away from the food and kitchen areas of the campsite (100 yards recommended). Do not keep food, or personal-care items with strong fragrances, in the tent.
Food storage
Using rope or nylon cord, raise stored food between trees. Store the food at least 10 feet off the ground, 15 feet if possible, and seven feet from the tree or pole. It's also a good idea to store fishing gear and clothing that has been used while cooking in the same way.
Cooking area
Do not leave food, cooking utensils and containers or packaging that had food in it out in the campsite. Also, it is recommended that campers put trash in a bearproof trash receptacle.
Prevent bear conflicts
* Never feed a bear.
* Keep campsites litter free. Food attracts bears.
* Keep garbage in bearproof containers.
* Store food where bears cannot reach it.
* Do not leave food in coolers or out on picnic tables.
* Never store food in your tent.
* Never approach or come between a mother bear and her cubs.
If you encounter a bear
* Do not make direct eye contact, which is an act of aggression.
* Stay calm. Immediately pick up small children.
* Make noise, yell, clap hands and throw rocks to scare it away.
* Raise your arms or jacket to make yourself appear as large as possible.
* Never approach a bear.
* Do not turn to run. Back away slowly.
* If you are attacked, fight back, kick, scream and yell.
Source: Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. For more information, go to: www.wildlife.utah.gov/bear/pdf/bear brochure.pdf
