Be Bear Aware
June 16, 2005
Montana, Fish Wildlife & Parks bear specialists say that campers, hikers and anglers are very likely to see a bear sometime this spring and summer.
"Grizzly bears continue to gradually expand into new areas and Montana's black bear population is thriving," said Tim Manley, FWP grizzly bear specialist in northwest Montana. "I urge the folks I see when I'm out in the field to brush up on their bear facts and to be bear aware."
"By nature a bear will prefer to avoid humans, but if a bear begins to learn food is available around people it can quickly become bolder and more dangerous," Manley said. Anyone who observes a bear hanging around camps or residences or raiding garbage, orchards or gardens should report the animal to FWP.
"Most bears that people see in the back woods when camping, hiking or angling are going to be good, wild, bears and we'd like to keep it that way. They won't become a problem unless people make it easy for them to get food," Manley said.
Manley recommends that outdoor enthusiasts always carry bear pepper spray and know how to use it; and that they take the proper precautions for their personal safety and for the good of Montana's bears:
Hikers:
* Do not travel alone in known grizzly habitat or nearby areas.
* Make noise by talking, singing or wearing a bell so a bear can act on their natural instinct to avoid people.
* Be especially alert near berry patches and avoid areas with evidence of bears such as bear tracks, droppings, digging, freshly opened tree stumps and partly consumed animal carcasses.
Campers:
* Locate camps away from trails and areas with obvious grizzly sign or known grizzly sightings.
* Keep a clean camp and avoid cooking smelly foods.
* Hang all food, trash and other items at least 10 feet above ground and four feet from any vertical support.
* Livestock feed should be stored in the same way as human food, or in a bear-proof container.
* Keep tents and sleeping bags free of odors and, if possible, don't sleep in the same clothes worn when cooking.
Anglers:
* Avoid leaving fish entrails on shorelines of lakes and streams.
* Fish with a partner or make sure someone else knows where you will be fishing.
* Whenever possible avoid heavy brush along stream sides that could provide cover for a traveling bear or make it difficult for a bear to see or hear you.
* After catching fish, return to camp or the car to store the fish in a cooler, reducing the chance of a bear being attracted to the smell of dead fish.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
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