Take precautions to avoid conflicts with bears

Residents and visitors are encouraged to take precautions to avoid potential conflicts with black bears. They are naturally cautious animals that normally avoid contact with people, but conflicts do still occur, most often when food or attractants are involved.

Grills, bird feeders, and unsecured trash containers or garbage cans are the most common attractants. It is important to make sure these attractants are inaccessible to bear at all times of the year, but it’s especially important in the spring, when natural food sources are limited.

If a bear finds food, such as bird feed or garbage, near homes and cabins, it will often return until the food source is unavailable. Even then, bears will periodically check sites where food was once available, so it may take several days to weeks after a food source has been removed, for a bear to discontinue visiting food sites entirely. The best approach is prevention through reducing bear attractants or access to them.

Completely remove bird feeders, even during daytime hours – bears are active during the day, and may cause problems, even if the feeders are out only during that time. Clean areas where bird feeders were located, so that accumulated deposits of spilled seed are removed.

Reduce garbage odors by rinsing food cans before putting them in covered recycling containers or garbage cans. Keep meat scraps in the freezer until garbage day; if possible, keep garbage cans in a closed building until the morning of pickup. Be sure to lock commercial dumpsters, and keep pet food inside or inaccessible to bears, even during daytime hours.

Keep barbeque grills and picnic tables clean. Conflicts will still occur to some degree, so it’s best to know what to do if encountering a bear. If a bear is near a home or cabin, from a safe location or a safe distance from the bear, try to scare the bear away by making loud noises or throwing objects in the direction of the bear. When scaring a bear away, make sure it has a clear escape route. Never corner a bear, and do not turn and run away.

If meeting a bear while in the woods, stay calm and do not approach the bear. Wave arms and make noise to scare it away. Back away slowly and seek a safe location to wait for the bear to leave. Never approach a bear, and do not attempt to break up a fight between a pet and a bear.