Prevention Helps Reduce Bear Problems:

  • Keep meat and fish scraps in your freezer until garbage day and wash garbage cans regularly using strong disinfectant to cut odors.
  • Keep garbage in a bear-proof container or in the garage until pick-up. Keep pet foods inside.
  • Keep barbecue grills and picnic tables clean.
  • Fill bird feeders in late fall and empty them in spring when the bears wake up from hibernation and are hungry.

  • Use fencing to discourage bears--if you have valuable trees, orchards, beehives or vegetable and berry patches, electric fencing can protect your investment.
  • Pick all fruit off trees and remove all fruit and vegetables from the ground.
  • Barking dogs, bright lights and noise will sometimes discourage bears.

    If a bear comes onto your property:

  • Don't panic--allow it an escape route, wait for it to leave.
  • If you are indoors, stay there and keep your dog inside too. If you are outside and the bear woofs, snaps, slaps the ground, scuffs dirt or bluff charges, you are too close.
  • Do not turn your back, do not run, and do not play dead. Back up slowly holding your hands or jacket over your head to look as big as possible.
  • If the bear is treed, leave it alone. Remove people and dogs from the area. When the bear feels safe, it will come down on its own and go away. If the bear doesn't go away, make loud noises or throw something to scare it (without endangering yourself by getting too close) .