Outside of Anchorage, Alaska a family installed an outdoor play station in their backyard. I’m sure that they expected other kids in the neighborhood would enjoy the equipment.
In fact, the very first morning, four locals did stop by to play.
Black Bears
Are you Bear Smart?
Did you know that bird feeders are powerful bear attractants? They love black sunflower seeds like we love ice cream. Or that compost and fruit on the ground can draw a bear from a mile away? And that unsecured garbage cans full of rotten food are an open invitation for bears to dine?
A bear that hangs around your house, farm or business becomes conditioned to human food and the presence of humans. They lose their fear of people and human-bear conflicts are inevitable. Once a bear becomes a problem they cannot be relocated and are often killed. “ A feed bear is a dead bear” so the saying goes.
GBOP developed the ‘Bear Smart Program’ to provide folks with the information necessary to ensure the safety of humans and the welfare of bears. You are invited to apply for ‘Bear Smart Certification’ by visiting the GBOP Bear Smart website www.bearinfo.org/bearsmart.htm.
Some bear smart tips include: pick ripe fruit from trees, feed birds in the winter when the bears are hibernating, don’t leave pet food outside, secure your garbage in a safe area or use a bear smart container. Enjoy the presence of bears without making them a nuisance.
photo credit: Jim Frick
written by Dennis Ryan; GBOP Okanogan County Field Coordinator
Skagit Valley Poster Contest
Kids love wild animals, and bears are no exception. This fall the GBOP’s Bear Smart Program sponsored the Upper Skagit Bear Smart Poster Contest for students living within Concrete School District. Chris Morgan, GBOP Co-Director, and Nan Laney, Skagit and Northern Snohomish Coordinator, kicked off interest in the poster contest during two assemblies at the Concrete Elementary School in late October.
The assemblies were great fun for all, and the kids left with a lot of enthusiasm for participating in the contest. There were about 40 posters submitted by students Kindergarten through 6th grade. Not surprisingly, there were many creative and artistic perspectives on how we can avoid conflicts with our resident black bear population (which is the focus of GBOP’s Bear Smart Program). This was our first poster contest and we look forward to further developing and expanding the poster
contest, as well as our relationships with kids, families and teachers in the coming years.
The best posters will be posted on this BLOG after the contest is complete.
Submitted by Nan Laney, Skagit and Northern Snohomish Field Coordinator
Summer Friend
As I look out my window at the first snowfall of the year, I wonder where my summer friend has chosen to spend the next five months sleeping. Our property borders the Okanogan National Forest and was home to this bear throughout the spring, summer and into early fall.
We coexisted quite easily by respecting each other’s space. The terrain is shrub-steppe. There is plenty of food for the bear including lots of succulent plants and grasses, grubs and insects, apple orchards, huckleberries and service berries. Both the hard winter and the coyotes left plenty of winter killed deer carcasses for the bear to replenish nutrients during the first few weeks after the bear emerged from the den.
I keep a tidy house so that compost, pet food, bird food and garbage does not attract the bear and create a conflict situation. My dogs have also been trained not to chase deer or bears. Alas, they do occasionally go after a chipmunk.
Throughout the season the bear and I ran into each other. My wife and I spend a lot of time riding horses and walking dogs on the forest service land. Usually the dogs or the horses would ‘alert’ to the bear before we were aware of its presence. That’s a handy tip to keep in mind when you walk in the woods. By watching the body language of your pets, they will alert you to the presence of other animals and people nearby. My Australian Cattle Dog has a special bark that he only uses for bears. I snapped this photo of the bear after I noticed my horse looking intensely up the hill as the bear worked it’s way down the slope behind our house.
When I see the bear I wave slowly and say “Hi Bear” loudly. This lets the bear know that I am human. Usually, the bear stands up to get a good look at me. We both go about our business giving each other plenty of space.
written by Dennis Ryan, GBOP Okanogan County Field Coordinator