Bears are alike in many ways and this makes some of their behavior predictable. But, each bear is also an individual with a unique history. This individuality can lead to less predictable behavior and unique responses to various situations. The following guidelines work well for an average bear, but remember that each bear has its own way of interacting with the world around it. And remember, people have been injured and killed by bears, even in our national parks.

Prevention is the Key

People who live in, or visit, bear habitat have a responsibility to the wildlife whose habitat they are sharing. Feeding bears, whether intentional or not, can amount to a death sentence for the animal. More and more communities and campgrounds are adopting a zero-tolerance policy toward people who feed bears and other wildlife. In some places, people are being cited for failing to properly store food and garbage.

A Fed Bear is a Dead Bear

In the spring, bears emerge from their dens with one thing in mind: eating. They travel for miles in search of food, guided by a keen sense of smell. A full garbage can or a messy campsite might seem like the Motherlode to a hungry bear, and that's when most bear/human conflicts begin.

The black bear, in addition to being a strong swimmer, sprinter, and climber, is very intelligent. One easy meal from a house, car, or campsite is all it takes for some bears to learn that people and food go together. Once a bear makes this association, it's not a pleasant story for people or bears.

One hungry bear is capable of causing thousands of dollars worth of property damage in a single incident. In some states, by law, a homeowner who has taken steps to eliminate bear attractants but still suffers property damage can obtain a permit from the state's Department of Fish and Game to kill the bear causing the problem

Bears that are accustomed to people can become bold and even aggressive. There are dozens of documented cases of people being mauled, and even killed, by black bears. Although rare, when a bear behaves aggressively towards people, the Department of Fish and Game may need to euthanize the animal to protect public safety.

Living in Bear Habitat

Bears are attracted to anything smelly or edible, especially garbage. Bears are also attracted to bee hives, orchards, and gardens. Occasionally, livestock are killed and eaten. Follow these guidelines to help keep your home "bear-proof":

• Deodorize garbage cans with bleach or ammonia.
• Double-bag garbage to help eliminate odors.
• Separate "wet garbage" and keep it in an air and odor tight container. Use a garbage disposal whenever possible. Freeze meat bones or other smelly items until pickup day.
• Be sure to keep barbecue grills clean.
• Pick up fallen tree fruit, and put away pet food and bird feeders at night.
• Close windows at night on accessible ground floors and decks.
• Don't leave food in or near a window sill or on a counter near an open window.
• Securely block access to potential hibernation sites, such as crawl spaces under decks or buildings.
• Install bear-proof garbage and compose containers.
• Request a bear-proof garbage bin for your neighborhood or apartment complex.

What About Relocation?

Over the years, wildlife agencies around the country have tried to solve bear/human conflicts by capturing and moving "problem bears" to other locations. Almost without exception, the relocated bear suffers one of three fates:

• it returns to the place where it was captured and resumes its problem behaviors;
• it remains in its new location, continuing the problem behaviors; or,
• it dies in its new location as a result of conflicts with other bears.

What About Bear Education?

A researcher in Alaska tried an experiment to determine if bears that routinely raided local garbage cans could "unlearn" their behavior. He randomly placed pellets, laced with a chemical, in the garbage cans. When eaten, the pellets would cause the bears to vomit violently. These intelligent animals quickly learned that the garbage was fine, as long as they avoided the pellets.

Shooting bears with rubber bullets or pepper spray may temporarily scare them away, but it hasn't been successful in changing a bear's behavior if the bear has learned that food is available. At best, it is a short-term, temporary solution in areas that already have problem bears. As long as there is food available, the bears return after the bullets and pepper spray are put away. These tactics are legal for use only by law enforcement personnel and employees of some public agencies.

Bears and roadsides are not a good combination. Bears feeding along roads quickly become habituated to vehicles and people. When people stop for a closer look or to take pictures, habituated bears become even bolder and my approach cars or people. Eventually, someone will feed a bear, creating a very dangerous situation that may lead to human injury and the bear's death.

The photo of the bears at the top of this page is taken from a commercial clipart package and was not produced by the author.

On one visit to Yellowstone I got to see a female grizzly and her cub browsing in a meadow, but at some distance, from a paved road. In the summer of 2006 we got to see a small black bear wandering around another grassy meadow in Yellowstone. But even though we've done quite a bit of hiking in bear country, those are our only encounters.

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