[ODFW-News] Take action to avoid unwanted bears

[ODFW News]

Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife 	
Contact: 	Anne Pressentin Young (503) 872-5264 x5356	
Internet: www.dfw.state.or.us  Fax: (503) 872-5700
	

For Immediate Release	Wednesday, July 16, 2003

Take action to avoid unwanted bears, ODFW reminds residents

PORTLAND - Like many Oregonians, black bears anxiously await the ripening of the wild berry crop. In the absence of berries, bears look elsewhere for food and may find a camp kitchen, pet food bowl or driveway garbage can. 

Already this year, bears have been sighted within the city limits of Florence, Eugene, Cottage Grove and other communities. Wildlife officials are providing advice to residents and community leaders to prevent these sightings from become safety or property damage problems. 

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife reminds people who live or play in suburban, rural or forested areas they need to reduce bear attractants. Bears have a keen sense of smell and will travel long distances to reach an easy food source. 

"We have a healthy bear population and they need to eat. Bears rewarded once with garbage or pet food will return and can become a real problem," said Don Whittaker, ODFW wildlife biologist who oversees the bear program. 

ODFW will not relocate bears habituated to humans because of human safety concerns.  Research indicates the bears will seek human foods in their new habitat or move to an area where human foods are available. For these reasons, if ODFW has to trap a bear, the bear will likely be destroyed.  

Last summer, several bears frequenting a campground near Newberry Crater in central Oregon were destroyed because they continually ransacked garbage cans, broke into vehicles and ate food from camps. Two other bears in southwest Oregon were killed after causing damage to homes when trying to gain access to food. 

Oregonians can help prevent problems from occurring by taking the following actions at home:
1.	Remove all food attractants.  Don't leave food unattended.  Bears are creatures of habit and will return to spots where they have previously found food.
2.	Take in all bird feeders at night, including hummingbird feeders, and sweep up any seed on the ground. In areas where bears are a problem, avoid feeding birds during the summer months.
3.	Keep all garbage inside your house or closed garage, and only place it outside just before garbage pick-up.
4.	If bears have previously ransacked garbage cans, clean cans with hot water and bleach or ammonia to remove odors. Double bag all garbage. Use of ammonia-soaked rags in and around the cans may repel bears. 
5.	Keep all pet food and livestock feed inside the house or garage.
6.	Use three strands of low-cost electric fencing as an easy way to deter bears from fruit trees, compost piles, beehives and garbage cans.
7.	Clean up barbecue grills and store them inside.  

When camping, Oregonians also need to be bear aware and remove attractants:
1.	Never store food in your tent.  
2.	Keep a clean camp. Store all food and garbage locked in containers designed to thwart bears or kept out of sight in a secure area such as a vehicle. When in the backcountry, bag and hang food 10 feet off the ground and 10 feet away from the nearest supporting tree.
3.	Don't burn food-related garbage in fire pits.
4.	Choose a campsite that is away from an area frequented by bears such as a berry patch.

For more information on living and camping with bears in bear country, call a local ODFW office for a copy of the brochure Living with Wildlife: Black Bear or visit the ODFW Web site at www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/InfoCntrWild/blackbear3.pdf

If bears are a problem on your property or exhibit aggressive behavior, call the nearest ODFW office.  If you encounter a bear while camping in a designated campground, report the incident to the campground host or administrator.

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Information and Education Division
Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
(503) 872-5264 ext 5528