| Looking
out for bears
by
Tara Nelson
All
seasons are bear seasons, according to Jim Davis, organizer
of the Bear Smart group in Glacier. But during the fall months
when bears come down from the high-country to store up fat
reserves for winter, hikers and residents of the foothills
area should take extra precaution to avoid human-wildlife
encounters.
Davis, organizer of the group, said most problem encounters
occur when bears are startled or when food or garbage is
left out and accessible. He added that animal lovers often
don’t realize that bears who come into contact with
human food are frequently killed so it is best for both human
and bear to avoid contact.--
“A fed bear is a dead bear,” he said, reiterating
the slogan on his website. “Once a bear gets accustomed
to human food, they will keep coming back because they’re
pretty bright. But it’s inevitable the bear ends up
getting shot.”
If you do encounter a black bear, Davis recommends yelling,
screaming, and walking slowly away but never running away.
Grizzly bear encounters, although much more rare, require
a more passive approach.
“If you get aggressive with a grizzly bear, they’ll
get more aggressive toward you,” Davis said. “Instead,
you should try to just move away slowly and quietly. Chances
are, however, you’re not going to run into a grizzly
bear.”
An encounter with a cougar should be handled similarly by
walking slowly away. If you spot a cougar, do not run. If
rocks are available, try hitting two rocks together as the
noise is bothersome to the cougar’s ears.
The group is also looking at forming a community education
group called “Glacier Bear Smart” to address
problems such as household garbage. Many foothills communities
are currently without municipal garbage service and gated
communities often store their trash in dumpsters, which attract
bears, Davis said.
“We’re looking at how we can address that problem
through different ways of educating the public,” he
said. “We’re also looking at the possibility
of bear-resistant dumpsters.”
At a household level, Davis said individuals can avoid bear
and other wildlife by keeping trash indoors as long as possible
until trash is picked up.
“It’s better if you can put it out in the morning
as opposed to leaving it out all night the night before,” he
said.
Taking bird feeders down during the summer and keeping pet
food indoors also helps, he said.
For more information about the Bear Smart program, visit
their web site at www.bearinfo.org.
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