BEAR Task Force

It is important to note that killing bears or establishing a bear hunting season will not resolve bear-human conflicts. As long as attractants are present, another bear will come in place of the bear that was killed. However, removing attractants and securing trash can reduce (over 95%) or eliminate any bear-human interactions.

Spring is a time to be extra BearWise. Now is the time to take action to discourage hungry bears from paying you a springtime visit. BearWise has tips for you to make it a BearWise spring.

- Secure garbage and recylces. Store trash and recyling in a sturdy building or bear-resistant container until the morning of pick up.

- Take down bird feeders. If you’re still feeding birds, you could soon find something big, furry and hungry ripping down your feeder. So many calories, so easy to get at. When you take down your feeders, remember to lock up or bring inside any bird seed or other treats you’ve been storing outside.

– Bring in all pet food. Leaving pet food outside where bears can see or smell it is an invitation that can be hard for a hungry bear to resist. Feed pets indoors if at all possible. If you must feed them outside, feed in single portions only, remove bowls and food after feeding and store pet food inside in a secure location.

- Help out your neighbors and community. Share BearWise resources with your community. Visit the BearWise store to download free information fact sheets (including the checklist: How BearWise Are You?) or order handy door hangers and magnets that make house calls for you.

Check out more BearWise spring tips: bearwise.org/seven-tips-for-a-bearwise-spring

Thanks for doing your part to make it a BearWise spring.



BearWise®. Created by bear biologists. Supported by State Wildlife Agencies.
Dedicated to helping people live responsibly with black bears.

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February and March are the most sensitive weeks of the year on your property. Not because of what you can see — because of what you can't.

Right now, Great Horned Owl chicks are already in nests. Gray squirrel babies are in tree cavities and sometimes in attics. Early cottontail litters are hidden in shallow grass depressions. Bald Eagles are incubating in the southern states. Red-tailed Hawks are sitting on first clutches. Great Blue Herons are repairing rookeries.

And on the ground, red foxes are scouting birthing dens. Coyotes are excavating. Raccoons are inspecting the lattice under your deck. Skunks are finding maternity sites. Most of these animals chose their spot weeks ago. They're already committed.

This is the window where a routine property task can destroy a nursery without you ever knowing it was there.

🪓 The chainsaw can wait

February and March are the worst time to prune large trees, remove dead snags, or clear heavy brush. A dead tree that looks like an eyesore may be an active nest site. If you see hawks or owls circling a specific tree or aggressively chasing crows away from it, that tree is being defended. It's occupied. Wait until late fall.

🏡 The shed and deck — inspect now, not later

If you have gaps under your shed, deck, or porch that you've been meaning to seal, check them with a flashlight this week. If the space is empty, seal it today with hardware cloth. If you wait until March, you risk trapping nursing mothers or newborns inside. The window between empty and occupied is narrow and it's closing right now.

🐾 What else helps:

- Keep dogs leashed near brush, tall grass, and den sites through March — free-roaming dogs are the primary cause of nursery failure for ground-nesting species
- If you find baby rabbits in a grass depression, leave them alone — the mother visits once a day for five minutes, and the nest is not abandoned
- If you find a baby squirrel on the ground, give the mother several hours to retrieve it before intervening — she usually does
- Delay any major landscaping, brush clearing, or tree work until late fall when nesting season is over

Spring doesn't start the clock on new life. It reveals the life that was already born in the cold 🌿

Be BearWise: Protecting Chickens, Small Livestock, Bees and More

An unprotected apiary, coop or pen is like a fast-food restaurant for bears. So much easy-to-get-to, calorie-filled food all in one convenient place. People are always trying to get more exercise. Bears are always trying to get less; the less energy they expend looking for food, the easier it is for them to build up fat reserves.

What to do? Get your buzz on.

Ordinary fences can’t keep out bears. It’s easy for them to climb up and over or just break through if there’s something interesting on the other side.

A properly constructed, installed and maintained electric fence is the most fool-proof, powerful and long-lasting bear-deterrent available.

Electric fencing designs and materials are widely available online and at farm and ranch stores and home centers.

Many states offer help with fence design and installation, and some have programs to help offset costs. Check with your state wildlife agency to find out more. Check with your HOA, community or county for any local regulations before installing an electric fence.

Get all the tips and resources on electric fencing at: bearwise.org/protecting-chickens-small-livestock-and-bees



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New year, new backpacking trips! Are you planning a backpacking adventure this year? BearWise has information on setting up a BearWise camp, using bear canisters or hanging food, carrying and safely using bear spray, camping considerations with dogs (and being BearWise), and how to check local trail guidelines and regulations.

Visit our page on backcountry tips for information and resources at: https://bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/backcountry-food-storage-and-safety-tips/

As we roll into the new year, we invite you to take some time exploring the BearWise.org resources and build your knowledge on ways to be BearWise at home, in the outdoors, while on vacation, with dogs and pets, while gardening or composting, as a vacation property owner, or for HOAs and communities. We have an article bank where we share BearWise stories across the U.S. Or, join our email list to stay informed with BearWise. Find helpful resources year-round in the BearWise Store where you’ll discover many free print-ready handouts and activity sheets in our online BearWise store, plus items like magnets, door hangers, stickers and signage that can be ordered individually or in bulk. Our website offers a wealth of information on black bear biology and behavior as well as sections on preventing human-bear conflicts at home and outdoors, important bear safety information, and helpful FAQs and tips on how neighborhoods, communities and businesses can put BearWise to work. We wish all a joyfully BearWise New Year!

BearWise® is a program of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. BearWise.org

BearWise has fact sheets, outreach materials, checklists and posters available in the BearWise store. Check out the ones on “Scare the Bear” (new), “Raising Chickens in Bear Country,” “Bear Encounters - Outdoors in Grizzly Country,” “How BearWise Are You” Checklist, and the pocket guide on “Backcountry Food Storage & Safety Tips.” Many of the resources in the store are free - you can download, print and share with your friends and neighbors.

BearWise shares ways to prevent conflicts, provides resources to resolve problems, and encourages community initiatives to keep bears wild.

BearWise.org

You probably know that a hollow tree, handy cave or dense thicket would appeal to a bear in search of a winter den. But did you know the cozy hideaway beneath your deck, the crawl space or storm cellar you forgot to seal up for the winter, that pile of tires or brush out back or the shed full of gardening tools and supplies can seem like the perfect place to turn in for the winter?

If you’d rather not have bears as house or property guests, walk around your home and property and think like a bear. Where would you den up for the winter?

Porches, decks and crawl spaces: Make sure your crawl space is closed up tight for the winter, and securely block off any small openings that might attract a bear.

Outbuildings: Check garages, storage sheds and outbuildings. Now is a good time to remove or safely store anything that might attract a bear, including bird seed, pet food and livestock feed.

Vacation Homes: Lock all ground floor and bear-accessible windows and doors.

Campers and RVS: An RV parked outside for the winter can smell like a giant can full of food to a hungry bear. Remove all food, thoroughly clean, and consider protecting with an electric fence or unwelcome mat.

Nobody wants to discover a bear in the crawl space or under the porch come spring. So please pass this info along to the neighbors. And thanks for being BearWise. The more you know, the more you can do to keep people safe and bears wild.

Read the full article at: bearwise.org/will-bears-find-a-good-winter-den-at-your-place

Photo by Nevada Department of Wildlife



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