Be on the Lookout for Bear Attractants

Photos by Tracy Nelson and Idaho Fish & Game

Bears just seem to be everywhere this time of year, whether it’s hanging from hawthorn trees in the national parks or walking right through neighborhoods and schools in search of crab apples. Autumn is an especially crucial time for both black and grizzly bears to increase their caloric intake, preparing for winter and hibernation. They often come down out of the mountains searching for food much closer to where people make their homes.

James Brower, Regional Communications Manager for the Upper Snake Region of Idaho Fish & Game (IDF&G), said that there is generally an uptick this time of year for reports of bears and bear attractants. Attractants can include garbage, bird feeders, fruit on trees or on the ground, pet food, livestock grains, compost, and BBQ grills, among other items with an odor. Once bears get used to accessing human foods, they can become aggressive and protective, which often results in the bears being killed to prevent future conflicts.

There are very few ordinances in place in eastern Idaho to prevent these bear conflicts. It is mostly up to individual homeowners to be responsible for keeping bear attractants away from hungry bears. A unique solution to the plethora of fallen apples in one Idaho community, was for IDF&G to employ staff and volunteers to pick apples out of willing landowners’ backyards before the bears could get to them. For the third year in a row, the Idaho Master Naturalists along with IDF&G picked apples in Ashton and donated them to senior centers and the Grizzly Bear and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone. According to Brower, a similar effort was proposed in Teton County, ID, but did not come to fruition this year. Read more about the Ashton project and get tips for keeping bears and humans safe HERE.