The city of Issaquah deserves high marks and praise for including bear resistant containers as part of their contract negotiaions for selecting a waste management company. Effective July 1, 2012 CleanScapes will offer Issaquah residents the BearSaver toters for garbage, compost/yard waste and recycling. Read more.
Safety and Coexistence
Autumn, Hunting and Bear Safety (and Pies)
For some, cooler weather means additional sweaters, increased heating bills and a great excuse to eat a lot of pie. For others, autumn means big game hunting season. We walk quietly through the woods, in camouflage sometimes sprayed with animal musk, and we bugle to attract animals. While our technique may be good way to attract deer and elk, they are also a good way to attract a curious bear.
While bears are naturally shy creatures, there have been an increased number of incidents with grizzlies this year. A high number of grizzlies have been relocated or removed by wildlife agents due to human food habituation, and there have been two human deaths from grizzly bear attacks this year; a hiker in Yellowstone National Park and a hunter in Lincoln County. Deaths from bear attacks are very rare, but precautions should be taken when hiking, camping and hunting.
Please read Staying Safe in Bear Country where you can learn about bear behavior and how to properly respond to a potential bear attack. Read Tips for Coexistence to learn about safely hunting, camping and hiking in bear country.
Tips for Coexistence also lists ways in which you can keep your yard free from bear attractants. Bears have a very strong sense of smell and are attracted to unsecured garbage, greasy BBQs, dog food, bird feeders and more. Bears that are attracted to human food can become problematic, and may be removed or killed – and they hold the potential to do some decent property damage. Just as we’re putting on a little fat for the winter (ahh, the joy of eating pie), bears are preparing to den for the winter and are focused on eating as many calories as possible: in late summer and early fall black bears can eat up to 20,000 calories a day, grizzly bears twice that much.
Whether you are preparing for a fall hunt, or preparing your BBQ for storage, follow the links above to learn more about being Bear Smart and about responsibly living with bears.
First time “hard release” of a cougar in Washington
A 140-pound male cougar was too close for comfort, hanging around homes and a school near Enumclaw. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife trapped the animal and then “hard released” the cougar using Karelian Bear Dogs and shooting bean bags to scare the animal away so it won’t return to the neighborhood. Fish and Wildlife officers fitted the cougar with a radio collar which will monitor its whereabouts.
There are approximately 2,000 cougars in Washington State. To learn more about cougars and co-existing with them visit GBOP’s website
Chris Morgan blogs about bear safety
Chris Morgan, Co-Director of the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project, wrote a recent blog on PBS’ website about the bear attack in Yellowstone and what you can do to be safe.
A must read for anyone who is working, recreating, or living in bear country.
One of the key elements of staying safe in bear country is prevention. Bears don’t like to be surprised – especially grizzly bears that may be defending cubs or a prized food cache. It goes without saying that hiking in groups increases safety – making noise reduces the likelihood of an unwanted confrontation with a defensive bear. Smaller groups have to be very conscious of making noise – especially when the wind is in your face (the bear ahead can’t smell you), or when in thick brush, approaching blind bends in the trail, or hill rises, or when hiking alongside a noisy creek. I’m often the loudest guy on the trail – belting out a “Hey bear!” every so often politely warns a bear of your approach and enables them to take diversionary action
Click here to read the entire blog
Hiker stops grizzly with bear spray
Chris Laing was hiking in Teton Canyon, Wyoming when he encountered a grizzly bear sow with two cubs. The sow was chasing after Laing’s dog when suddenly she headed towards Laing. He used bear spray to deter the bear and managed to leave the trail uninjured.
Wyoming Game and Fish Specialist Mike Boyce thinks Laing’s dog was a factor in provoking the bear. Boyce recommends hiking with others, making noise, keeping dogs on leashes, carrying bear spray and knowing how to use it. Read the entire article
For more information on encountering a bear and staying safe in bear country visit GBOP’s website
Learn more about bear spray versus bullets in detering bears.