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Dwindling food supply stirs bear activity - By Mark Heinz
This document was published online on Wednesday, June 21, 2006
A lack of natural food this year is driving bears closer to settled areas, according to Game and Fish biologists.
Activity for both black bears and grizzlies is greater in lower elevations in the Cody area, Game and Fish biologist Mark Bruscino said.
“Last year's good natural food conditions kept most bears away from front country sites such as rural homes and ranches,” he said. “But so far this year, it appears natural foods are in bad shape and that is when bears move lower searching for food along riparian areas and developed sites.”
The trend is expected to continue through the fall, he said.
Normally during June, elk calves, roots, other vegetation and moths provide much of a bear's diet, he said.
Because of dry conditions due to the lack of rain and snowfall earlier this year, bears will be working harder to find food, Bruscino added.
That means attractants such as garbage, birdseed, livestock grain, dog food, and ripe fruits should be contained, Bruscino said.
“If bears don't get food in association with humans they will often move on. Bears that get food rewards are known to hang around homes and might become destructive and dangerous while looking for more. They are quick to learn.”
Fall is typically when most human-bear conflicts occur because bears are constantly seeking food to put on weight for winter hibernation.
If current food conditions persist, the potential for human/bear conflicts could get worse in the fall, he said.
Game and Fish offers these tips:
€Keep garbage in a bear-resistant container or store it in an enclosed building until the day of pick up. On pick up day, bring garbage out after sunrise and bring any leftover garbage back in before sunset. Bears are most active at dawn and dusk.
€Store pet foods and livestock grain (including chicken feed) in bear-resistant barrels or in a sturdy building. Try to feed pets indoors or remember to clean up leftover food.
€Feed wild birds only during bear hibernation months (November through March). If you do feed birds during the rest of the year, hang bird feeders at least 10 feet high and four feet away from the nearest climbing structure.
€If you have vegetable gardens or fruit trees or shrubs, consider using a temporary electric fence to deter bears.
€Store barbecue grills in your garage or other enclosed building. If your grill is too large to move around, keep it clean to avoid attractive odors.
€If you have livestock, dispose of any carcasses in a landfill or away from your other animals.
€When recreating in bear country, remember to practice “leave no trace” methods. Follow food storage recommendations where applicable, contain all attractants, make noise before entering dense brush while fishing and hiking, and carry bear pepper spray.
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