Racoons may look cute and innocent, but these furry creatures can easily become pests if you are not careful. Imagine leaving your tent for a while and coming back to see all your food has disappeared. Such a sight is common for campers who do not keep their food items secure. Do racoons attack tents? How can I keep racoons away? If these questions are on your mind, you are in the right place.
In this article, we will go over everything you need to know about racoons when going camping. We’ll answer all your burning questions and even tell you what you should do if an unknown animal is outside your tent.
When Camping Outdoors, Do Racoons Attack Tents?
Camping is how people reconnect with nature. But nature also has a lot of wildlife on the prowl for their next meal. When camping, do racoons attack tents? It is certainly a possibility.
Under certain conditions, racoons will attack your tent. Racoons are not aggressive with humans, so they will not come close to your tent if you are still around. But if you leave your tent unattended and the racoons can smell food inside, they will surely waste no time and attack your tent.
Is there a way to keep racoons away from your tent? Can you secure your food to prevent any racoons from showing up? Yes, and yes. Keep reading to learn how to protect your camp from these pesky creatures.
Want to sleep in your car instead? Here are a few tips on car sleeping when you are camping.
How Do I Keep Racoons Out of My Tent?
Many commercially available products claim to keep racoons away. However, these products often contain chemicals that are not good for the environment. Using these products can harm the habitat where you have set up your camp. For these reasons, we do not recommend using these products to protect yourself from racoons.
So what can you do to keep racoons out of your tent? We think using natural methods or certain scents is best to keep yourself safe. These options are far superior to any chemical-based products available on the market. Keep reading to learn how to implement both of these techniques.
Watch the following YouTube video by Country Pests to learn more about keeping racoons away from your campsite:
What Scent Keeps Racoons Away?
Racoons have an excellent sense of smell. They use this superior sense to find food sources. We can take advantage of this trait by using scents they dislike. This method will keep them away from your campsite.
Pepper Spray
Spices like cayenne pepper, cinnamon, or black pepper will bother a raccoon’s sense of smell. Mixing cayenne pepper and onion in boiling water can create a natural raccoon repellant. You can also add hot sauce to the mix. Keep this mixture with you and spray it on your tent and around the campsite whenever possible.
Ammonia
Racoons also hate the smell of ammonia. Thus you can use it to deter racoons by placing some around your camp. You can also soak rags in ammonia and place them under your tent. After you have done this, no racoons will dare to come near your camp.
Mothballs
Mothballs are another excellent way to keep racoons away. If you think you are at risk of a raccoon attack, placing mothballs will help keep them out of your space. However, the odor of these mothballs can soak into the tent’s surface if left inside for too long. This odor will make you and the racoons both want to leave.
What Naturally Keeps Racoons Away?
Why do racoons attack tents, and what naturally keeps them away? Like all wildlife, racoons are mostly interested in food. If the food is not accessible, they will be forced to look elsewhere.
Keep Your Food Secure
Regardless of where you are camping, it is best not to store food in your tent. Racoons are attracted to the smell of food and other scented items. So avoid keeping food in your tent, especially at night.
When storing your food, you should always use a hard container to prevent racoons from getting inside. Your car is perfect as it will keep the wildlife at bay. But you may not always have a vehicle nearby when camping.
Ziplock bags are excellent for containing the scent of your food items. Scroll down to see our recommendations for the best raccoon-proof containers and odor-proof ziplock bags.
Do Not Litter
Often, people focus too much on food storage and forget how messy their camp is. Spilled liquids, food scraps, and wrappers are excellent ways to attract racoons to your campsite. Be sure to clean up well before going to bed at night.
Racoons are just as attracted to food-related garbage as to actual food. Therefore, you must take special precautions to secure your garbage at night. If you are at a campground, dispose of the day’s garbage in a campground dumpster or trash bin before bed. However, if you are hiking, you should store your garbage in a secure container at night.
Littering should always be avoided. But if your campsite is known to inhabit racoons, properly securing your garbage is necessary. Ziplock bags will help you a lot in this situation. Scroll down to see our pick for the best odor-proof ziplock bags on the market.
Bring Your Dog Along
Your loyal pet will surely scare those annoying racoons away from your tent. Your dog’s urine will trick them into thinking that your camp is the territory of another predator. They will not dare approach your tent. Even if they decide to come, your dog will scare them away without you having to do anything.
This method is extremely effective but is only an option for people that already own a dog. If you do not own a dog, you could purchase some predator urine online, but we believe this method is not worth the hassle.
Racoon-Proof Storage for Camping
Are you unsure about storing your food in your tent? Well, you should be. Racoons can easily smell food if you do not store it properly. We recommend these excellent food storage solutions to keep those nasty racoons away:
Our Choice – Rubbermaid ActionPacker
The Rubbermaid ActionPacker is our top pick to keep those pesky racoons at bay. It comes in sizes ranging from 8 to 48 gallons and is virtually indestructible. The extra strong lid and secure latches will make sure your food is completely safe. Temperature changes from 0-100℉ are no challenge for the Rubbermaid. A lifetime warranty backs all these claims, so you will never have to worry about anything.
Runner up – Frontiersman Storage Container
The Frontiersman Storage Container is great for when you want to go hiking. It has a slim and lightweight design making it easy to carry. The Frontiersman has an air-tight seal to help keep in odors and help prevent raccoon attacks. This malleable plastic container will not allow any wildlife to get inside. You can use this 12-liter container to store food for your entire family.
Best Value – OPSAK Ziplock Bags
The OPSAK Ziplock bags are a must-have when camping. They offer the best value compared to other hard shell containers. These ziplock bags lock in the freshness of your food and do not let any odors escape. The smell of food attracts wildlife which is why these reusable bags must be a staple of your camping equipment.
Will Racoons Attack You if They See You?
Do racoons attack tents and humans? A normal raccoon will never attack a human. However, racoons will bluff if they feel cornered or threatened. They may hiss, grunt, or even charge at you. But they are just attempting to scare you into leaving them alone.
If this happens to you, you should back away. If the raccoon feels trapped, this will give it space to get away. Once you have backed away, clapping your hands and yelling will remind the raccoon that you are the bigger and scarier predator.
Do not be scared! Remember, they are more scared of you than you are of them. Do not run away. Stand your ground, and we assure you that the raccoon will disappear. If you decide to leave, all your food will be gone when you return.
People get bitten or scratched by racoons only when they are hand-feeding one or trying to keep one as a pet. We advise you not to do either. If you do get bitten or scratched by a raccoon, you should go to the doctor. Racoons can carry diseases such as rabies, which must be diagnosed and treated immediately.
What to Do if There Is a Racoon Outside Your Tent
Knowing what to do if an animal is outside your tent is crucial. We recommend following the steps below to ensure everyone’s safety:
Step 1:
Do not panic! Stay calm and keep your tentmates calm as well. Listen closely and try to figure out what the racoon is doing. From the animal’s perspective, a human camp is strange. The only thing it wants is food. Be patient! It may leave by itself after realizing there is nothing to gain by remaining in your camp.
Step 2:
If the racoon doesn’t go away on its own, you should make your presence known. Start by making some noise from inside your tent. This method will eliminate the possibility of surprising the animal if you decide to leave the tent to investigate.
Step 3:
Keep listening and assess the situation. Is the racoon looking for food, or has it just stumbled upon your campsite?
Step 4:
If the racoon knows about your presence and still is not leaving, going out of your tent to take a look is a good idea. Do not make sudden movements or loud noises when exiting the tent. Keeping pepper spray with you is a good idea. Exiting the tent will allow you to assess the situation better. More information is always better.
Step 5:
Keep calm and look at the animal. What is it, and how many are there? Is it reacting to your presence? Is there a building or vehicle where you can retreat?
Step 6:
The racoon may be bothered by your presence and decide to leave. However, if this is not the case, you should stand your ground. Raise your arms. If needed, clap, shout, and do whatever is needed to scare away the animal.
Key Takeaways
The techniques mentioned in this article will ensure a safe camping experience for yourself and your companions. Racoons are pesky creatures that will come if you do not dispose of your garbage properly or if your food is in the open. It is always better to prevent wildlife from finding your camp as they can be a bother.
So do racoons attack tents? It depends. If the tent contains food that the racoons can smell, they can attack the tent and try to get inside. Keeping your dog with you or using mothballs are effective deterrents. These will prevent racoons from coming near your camp or your food.
Racoons are just looking for their next meals. Scaring them away is easy. They can act aggressive, but you are bigger and much stronger. These little burglars can be a bother, but they can by no means ruin your camping experience.
Want to make your tent even more secure? Check out our article on how to lock your tent.