JACKSON, Wyo. — Bear season has arrived in a big way, and Bear Wise Jackson Hole is encouraging visitors and residents alike to make good choices to avoid human-bear conflicts.
According to Bear Wise, the first grizzly sighting of the year occured on March 21 on the Bridger Teton National Forest. Soon after, bears were spotted in Grand Teton National Park. This week, Grizzly 399 made her grand re-entrance, and an additional pair of grizzlies was seen in Wilson. All of these bears on operating right on schedule; adult male grizzlies usually emerge from hibernation in March, and females with cubs follow between April and May. After months of hibernating, they’re eager to find food.
“Living and recreating in bear country requires awareness and actions on our part to keep bears wild and people safe,” Bear Wise Jackson Hole’s Thursday press release states. “As the grizzly bear population expanded within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, bears dispersed across their historical range but also into more populated areas. All of Teton County is now in occupied grizzly bear habitat.”
In order to minimize human-bear conflict, Bear Wise advises taking the following steps when possible:
If you are a resident:
- Please look around your yard for any unsecured attractants.
- Store all garbage in bear-resistant containers or in a secure building.
- Secure livestock feed, chicken coops, pet food, compost, and beehives. Electric fences are effective for securing many of these types of attractants.
- Hang birdfeeders in a way that makes them inaccessible to bears.
- Help your neighbors create a bear-wise community to protect bears and other wildlife.
If you are visiting public lands, such as a national park or national forest:
- Never leave your food unattended unless it is properly secured.
- Keep a clean camp and adhere to all food storage orders. Store all attractants, including coolers, cooking gear, pet food, and toiletries, inside a bear-resistant food locker (i.e. bear box) or a hard-sided vehicle with the windows rolled up.
- Properly store garbage until you can deposit it into a bear-resistant dumpster.
- Do not eat or cook in your tent, and never keep food or other scented items in your tent.
- Please respect all wildlife closure areas.
- If you see a bear, please give it space. Always stay at least 100 yards away. If you choose to watch or photograph the bear, use a spotting scope, binoculars, or telephoto lens. Park in designated areas, and never block travel lanes. Follow the directions of staff in places where bears are sighted.
If you are exploring the backcountry:
- Be alert and aware of your surroundings.
- Make noise, especially in areas with limited visibility or when sound is muffled (e.g., near streams or when it is windy).
- Carry bear spray, know how to use it, and keep it readily accessible.
- Hike in groups of three or more people.
- Do not run. Back away slowly if you encounter a bear.
Bear Wise Jackson Hole is a partnership between Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Teton County and the Town of Jackson, established in 2006. Its aim is to “keep bears wild and people safe” through educating residents and visitors in human-bear conflict prevention.
