Planning to hike and camp in the North Dakota badlands this summer? For the last few years, the number of cougars has been increasing there. So plan your trip, and plan to stay safe.

Head for the North or South Unit of the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, or the Little Missouri Grasslands. There are primitive campgrounds and a paved driving loop in the South Unit, but the North Unit is wilderness area, and if it's adventure you want, that's your destination. The buttes are taller, the trees are denser, and the wildlife is more abundant.

Take a light backpack for a day trip, or a sturdier pack for camping. There are hundreds of good sleeping bags out there; pick one that's light and not too warm for summer, like the North Face Kilo. You have a wide choice of tents but consider a light and eco-friendly tent like this one by Sierra Designs. If you're in the North Unit, you're a long hike from help, so be sure to take a good first aid kit, one that allows you to treat injuries - or bites - so you have time get to help.

The best way to survive an attack is to avoid one. Keep your food in zipper-closed plastic bags in your pack, and don't leave crumbs around. Along with that medical kit, carry water and add a good filter for water you may find along the way. Make a lot of noise as you hike, even if you're wearing lightweight boots. Keep your tent zipped when you sleep, and carry a good flashlight; use it all night if there's a burn ban while you're there. A heavy flashlight can also make a good weapon.

If you do come face to face with a cougar, make yourself look big, and be as loud as possible. Don't run, or you'll look like prey. Watch for tracks, and if you see them, head the opposite direction. Avoid creeks at dawn and sunset, "happy hour" for cougars.

Take these few steps, and be the (camera) hunter, not the prey.