Seeing a black bear is a thrilling and rewarding experience. The presence of bears is not necessarily a problem or a threat to your safety. But it is important to remember that bears are wild animals and deserve respect. If you are not careful, you could break the law and risk both your own safety and the bear's.
Bears are driven by their need to eat and with a sense of smell that can detect odors over a mile away, problems arise when bears gain access to food sources such as pet foods, garbage, barbecue grills, bird seed or even livestock feed.
The calories a bear can consume by picking through one garbage can often surpasses what they can find in an entire day.
Bears are highly intelligent and adaptable, learning quickly to associate people with food. Black bears are normally too shy to risk contact with humans, but their powerful need to find food can overwhelm this fear.
As bears become "food-conditioned" (dependent on a food source) they are more likely to frequent residential areas and cause property damage to get these unnatural food sources. Over time, they become “habituated”, gradually losing their fear of humans and will return frequently to locations with accessible food.
It is important that you do your part to keep bears out of your neighborhood.
Avoid attracting bears!
* Garbage, pet foods, barbeque grills and anything
that smells like food attracts bears!
* Don’t leave your garbage can outside! Store trash
and recyclables in bear resistant containers or in a
secure area until morning of pick-up.
* Feed pets inside or bring in bowls after pet is
finished eating.
* Remove bird and wildlife feeders. Store pet
or livestock feed indoors or in bear-resistant
containers.
* Protect your garden, compost pile or livestock with
electric fencing.
* Clean meat smokers and grills with bleach or a
degreasing agent.
* If bears are rewarded with food (garbage, pet food, etc.) at your home, bears will keep coming back!