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Q.} Are bears, mountain lions, and other predators attracted to, or repelled by human urine? I often 'set up a perimeter' when camping in bear country by peeing in different locations outside of camp. Is this effective or am I just watering a lot of different rocks? Submitted by: A.} Pee, by any other name, still smells the same, and bears, lions, and other predators are interested in anything that smells interesting. Stephen Herrero's book "Bear Attacks", considered the definitive work by many authorities, says "human excrement/urine attracts bears and should not be near your campsite." The National Park Service promotes that belief as well, adding that the salt in urine attracts wild animals (including bears and lions) and should be deposited well away from camp. There are some folks, however, who disagree with urine-as-attraction. The Get Bear Smart Society is one. They say human urine deters nosey bears. But the majority of experts oppose this view. Two other no-no's that you should be aware of: You don't have to bury urine; and you shouldn't pee on vegetation. Urine is harmful to many species of plants. Move about 100 yards from camp to urinate in big predator country, and you should be far enough for a safe deposit. Finally, you can pee fearlessly into large bodies of moving water for the safest bet of all. For the safest bet of all, urinate in large bodies of moving water.

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