Shocking as it sounds, simple human foods—sunflower seeds, orchard apples—kill bears every year in Montana. Why? Because once a bear finds these easy sources of food they 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.
Capturing and removing bears to a new area is a notoriously ineffective. An even more expensive and time consuming step is to try to retrain bears to eat natural bear foods by using Karelian bear dogs, cracker shells and bean bag rounds to convince them to move away from areas used by humans.
It is useless to retrain bears only to have them relearn their dangerous habits because nearby residents fail to eliminate the bear's access to bear attractants. The most effective way to save Montana's bears is to prevent them from obtaining any human foods or garbage in the first place.
It is that simple, and that difficult.
Human garbage is a primary bear attractant. Garbage left out over night has a 70 percent chance of attracting a bear. Garbage put out in the morning has only a two percent chance of attracting a bear. * Trash should be stored during the week in a bear-proof location. Freeze particularly smelly items, and keep your trash container clean.
*1994 Arizona study
Avoid birdfeeders March through November. Birds don't need supplemental feed at this time, and birdseed is irresistible to bears. When using birdseed, store it in a bear-proof container in a secure location. Hummingbird feeders are especially attractive to bears. Seeds and sweetened liquids are high in calories.
Anything other than grasses and leaves should not be composted outdoors. Composting meat, fish, oil, dairy, kitchen waste, mellon and other fruit are all odorous and can easily lure a bear to your home. Once rewarded, the bear will return again and again. In a matter of days, this bear will be in the habit of looking for human food. A fed bear is a dead bear.
Bears crave fruit including apples, plums, and chokecherries. In the fall, pick fruit as it ripens and avoid leaving fruit under the tree. Pick garden vegetables as they ripen and plant your garden as far away from your house and away from natural bear cover as possible. Blood meal and fish fertilize also attract bears.
Bears can severely damage a tree laden with ripe fruit. Electric fencing properly used will protect gardens and fruit trees from bears. If you absolutely do not want bears in your yard it would be best to remove all fruit-bearing trees and berry-producing shrubs in favor of trees and shrubs that don't attract bears.
Grills with food and grease attract bears. Keep grills clean after each use and store them in a secure location. Do not store propane tanks from grills indoors, due to the fire hazard. Attend to food as it cooks outdoors, and when it is done promptly remove anything that would attract a bear including coolers, utensils, leftovers and used paper plates and cups.
Pet food and food bowls should not be filled and left out overnight, or left unattended. Feed pets indoors. Especially avoid feeding pets outside at dawn or dusk when bears are most active. Store pet food in a safe, secured area or bear-proof container.
Don't leave food or garbage in a vehicle or the back of a pick-up truck as bears will pry open the windows and doors to access even traces of food on old paper plates or drops of soda pop in used cups.
Bears generally do no present a threat to livestock, but special caution should be taken during lambing and calving. The use of protective animals such as guard dogs is growing in popularity among ranchers practicing non-lethal wildlife management and can be very effective in deterring bears.
