We aren’t the only ones looking forward to spending time outside near our barbeque grills, gardens and favorite campsite as the spring weather warms. Bears are also active this time of year, and many Missoula backyards and area campgrounds can be destinations for bears in search of food.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists in Missoula have been busy responding to reports of bears in or near town this spring, and it is often bird feeders, garbage, compost piles and dirty barbeque grills that are attracting the bears.
Commonplace backyard items like these can actually be life-threatening to bears.
Why? Because once a bear finds these easy sources of food they can become conditioned almost immediately to favor them over the more difficult to find and less calorie laden natural bear foods such as clover, ants and grubs, and wild chokecherries.
A bear seeking human foods is certain to come in conflict sooner or later with people, and these bears have to be captured and removed or sometimes killed.
“It is easy for a bear to learn bad habits if goodies are left out in our backyards or campsites,” said Jamie Jonkel, FWP Bear Specialist in Missoula. “Once bears become dependent on these food sources, their behavior is hard to alter and the bears often have to be relocated. An animal that returns time and again after it is relocated is considered a threat to public safety and may have to be euthanized.”
The most effective way to save Montana’s bears is to prevent them from obtaining any attractants in the first place. Common bear attractants include dirty barbeque grills, garbage, bird feeders, pet food, fruit trees, gardens and compost piles
Put away pet food, clean dirty barbeque grills, and store garbage in bear-resistant garbage cans or in a secure building or vehicle. Take down bird feeders or hang them well away from the house and out of a bear’s reach, which means at least 15 feet up and four feet out from the nearest tree or building. Adding a catch plate underneath the feeder to keep bird seed from dropping to the ground is also a good idea. Limit compost piles to grass, leaves, and garden clippings. Kitchen scraps should be composted indoors, where they are away from a bear’s reach and smell, before adding them to garden soil.
If your spring and summer plans call for venturing outdoors beyond your backyard, remember that bears can become food-conditioned at campgrounds and in the backcountry if they can get access to garbage, toiletries, coolers and the like.
Food, beverages, toiletries, and garbage should be stored in vehicles, trailers or hard-sided campers. Approved bear-resistant containers are also good options to store attractants, but remember that coolers are not bear-resistant.
If you do not have a vehicle or bear-resistant container available, suspend attractants at least 10 feet up (from the bottom of the suspended item) and 4 feet out from any upright support, i.e. tree, pole. Or, store attractants within an approved and operating electric fence.
Food leftovers, including grease, should never be burried or burned in a campfire.
For more information on how to make your backyard or campsite more bear-resistant, visit fwp.mt.gov or contact the Missoula FWP office at (406) 542-5500.
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