BEAR SEASON IS HERE….

​Bears are coming out of hibernation and they really love to get up close and personal with humans when they smell food.

​Bears have acute eyesight and hearing. Their sense of smell is seven times greater than a bloodhound’s. They have a keen ability to detect pet food, garbage, barbecue grills and bird feeders—and once they locate a food source, they remember where it is.

​Bears who lose their fear of people are called “nuisance bears.” These are most often subadult males—young bears who have just dispersed from their mothers and are still learning how to obtain food—and mothers with young cubs.

​To avoid bringing bears into you area, campground or backyard just follow a few simple steps. 

This will protect you and the bear.

​Make trash cans inaccessible. Bring them inside at night or buy a bear-resistant trash can or an enclosure for the container.

Enclose your compost pile. Open compost piles, especially those that include kitchen scraps, are an irresistible treat in bear country. Burying compost won’t work because bears will easily find and dig it up.

Recycle wisely. If you store recyclables outside, use enclosed bins. (Persistent bears will break into even ruggedly built bins.)

​Keep your barbecue grill clean and as free of drippings as possible. Move the grill away from your house when you aren’t using it, and clean it regularly with ammonia or bleach.

Rethink your bird feeders. In the summer, birds can make do with naturally available foods. If you do set up feeders, install them away from your house.

Most importantly leave them be! If you see a bear out exploring, especially a young cub this time of year. Do not approach them, you are doing more harm than good if you bother them.

​Bears that come near humans in most stats are trapped and killed.