Bears busy around valley
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Cool nights and crisp days are a sure sign of fall, and fall means bears trying to store up lots of calories for the winter.
Tribal Game and Fish have been receiving all sorts of bear problem calls, according to Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Game Warden Pablo Espinoza.
The department is trying to educate people about garbage and pet food.
The best way to do that is to “remove the food source,” Espinoza said.
Items such as pet food should not be left outside, and garbage needs to be inside a building until close to pickup time. Even barbecue grills should be moved into garages or outbuildings since the smell of burgers and steaks lingers. If food sources are not available, bears will move on to another area.
With lots of calls are from people with orchards and fruit trees reporting bear activity, Espinoza said his department advises them to harvest the fruit as soon as possible and pick up the windfall fruit. Then the bears won’t have anything to eat. Otherwise they may climb in fruit trees and break the trees trying to get at the ripe fruit.
Two bears have been killed at almost the exact same spot on Highway 93 south of Arlee and a third very close by during the past week. This shows that bears are hungry, moving around and looking for food.
Another good lunch for bears are chickens, and many folks are raising chickens now, Espinoza said.
“Chickens are easy food,” Espinoza said, “because they can’t run.”
Tribal Game and Fish also advises people to put up an electric fence to protect their chickens and chase the bears away. They also need to lock their fowl up at night in a secure building.
For more information about being bear safe, email germainew@cskt.org.
