Of course, one of the attractions of a Provincial park like Killbear is its wildlife. On entry to the park, we were greeted with the sign indicating a bear was active in the park, and after checking with the ranger, it turned out that there were actually multiple bears roaming the sites. The Visitor Center tracks confirmed wildlife sightings and during the week we were there, the tracking board included: Black Bears (multiple sightings), Deer, Pileated Woodpecker, Great Horned Owl, Porcupine and others.

Our personal sightings included a mother deer and two fawns that stopped traffic to leisurely stroll across the road while we were returning from an ice run, a large deer that wandered through our camp site, raccoons (including one that spent a considerable amount of time keeping my buddies and I company, rooting through empties while we sat around the fire at around 2am one morning) and a huge brown bird that we suspect was the owl. In addition, we heard loons and owls most nights. I never actually spotted a bear, but one of our neighbors did. The second night we were there, I woke around 4am to the sound of deep growling and snuffling around the trailer. The sound of exploration went on for the better part of an hour and I’m ninety percent sure it was a bear -it was far too deep and throaty a sound to be a raccoon, but I didn’t want to draw it’s attention by opening a window and I couldn’t find any tracks or proof the next morning.

We were careful to burn off the grill thoroughly each night and all foodstuffs and the cooler went into the truck and were covered with a blanket each night. Mind you, after reading what happened in Denver last week, nothing is entirely bear proof. I kept a nautical horn near our bunk, just in case (since we didn’t want to spook them too badly, we told the kids it was to wake them up in case they slept in). We didn’t see any snakes, despite the “Brake for Snakes” road signs, but we did talk to a camper across the road from one of our sites whose brother had been bitten by a rattler while camping at the park last year, resulting in an unplanned three day stay at the Parry Sound hospital.

Adventure travel company Overland Experts (OEX) is dipping their toe in the social media waters, and to celebrate, their giving away a free trip to Iceland – and winning couldn't be much easier. The company has launched efforts on both Facebook and Twitter, and they're hoping to reach 3000 followers on one or the other of those social networks by the end of the month. If they do, on September 1st they'll pick one of their followers on either network to head off on an exciting adventure.

To enter, simply go to the OEX Facebook page, which can be found by clicking here, and "Like" them or follow them on Twitter at @OverlandExperts and Tweet out the following: "Want to win a free trip to Iceland with Overland Experts? RT this and follow @overlandexperts. Details: http://bit.ly/OEXgiveaway #OEX" That's it! Do one or the other, or both of those things, and you'll be automatically entered to win the trip. For more specific information on the contest, check out the Iceland Trip Giveaway page here.

Overland Experts specializes in off-road driving training, but they are also a travel company that focuses on small group adventures, by 4x4, to remote corners of the planet. They offer excursions to Peru, Chile, Kenya, Egypt, Mongolia, and more. Their trips are an interesting mix of cultural immersion and exploration of the natural environment and they use their four-wheel drive vehicles to reach places that most people will never have the opportunity to see. Check out their website for more information and to find a trip that is right for you.

[Photo credit: Overland Experts]