JACKSON, Wyo. — A grizzly bear sighting in the Aspens on Tuesday, May 7, reminds Teton County residents to implement safe bear practices.
An Aspens resident shared with Buckrail that a sub-adult male grizzly bear chased a sickly-looking moose through Lake Creek, and then it ran down Pond Drive around 7 p.m. Tuesday evening.
The resident’s neighbor, Rebecca Ritter, told Buckrail that the same grizzly hung out in her yard earlier, around 5:30 p.m.
“The bear cruised through my backyard, left, came back and then hung out in my yard for approximately 45 minutes eating grass,” Ritter said. “I was cooking sausage in my oven, and I wondered if the bear smelled it.”
The Aspens Management notified community members to the grizzly roaming the area, and reported it to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD).
Ritter recorded a video of the grizzly leisurely eating grass.
According to the Aspens resident, this is the second grizzly sighting in two weeks in the Aspens development. He reported that a sow and her cub visited last week, and added that many black bears frequent the neighborhood.
The resident also told Buckrail that a few of his neighbors have been feeding the deer. He said that this has attracted even more deer, and that this could have led to last year’s visiting mountain lion. After killing a couple mule deer about 10 feet from the road, the lion was eventually run over by a car.
According to WGFD, feeding wildlife attracts more animals, including predators, and this can cause conflicts in developed regions. Game and Fish asks the public to never feed wildlife for not only their well-being but for the safety of the public as well.
“Feeding by private citizens often takes place in developed areas, which generally draws the animals into conflict situations,” the WGFD said. “The animals are continually crossing roads where they are hit by vehicles or chased and sometimes killed, by homeowners’ dogs. Just being in close proximity to humans generally elevates the stress on these animals.”
Aspens Management Office Administrator Cynthia Brios told Buckrail that the neighborhood takes measures to deter bears.
“We bear proof all the trash cans,” Brios said. “We don’t have anything that would allow bears to be exposed to the community.”
Now that it’s spring, bears are out and about looking for food, and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) reminds residents to bear-proof their trash cans and yards.
- Dogs and other pets should be kept inside at night. If possible, feed pets inside.
- Fruit trees and gardens attract bears, especially when wild foods are scarce. Electric fencing is the most effective way to keep bears out. Gardens should be located away from forests or shrubs, which bears use for security and travel.
- Composting is not recommended because the odors attract bears. If compost, use an electric fence or enclosed, bear-resistant composter. Don’t put meat, grease or bones in a compost pile.
- Livestock, poultry feed and pet food should be stored in bear-resistant containers — such as a 55-gallon drum with a lid that seals — preferably inside a sturdy building that bears can’t get into.
- Bird feeders can also attract bears. Feed suet only during the winter months, and suspend hummingbird feeders out of reach of bears — at least 10 feet off the ground and four feet away from any tree trunk or pole.
The Town of Jackson has implemented new bear-proof trash regulations. The requirement for bear-resistant trash containers for residential and commercial properties within the designated Bear Conflict Zone went into effect on April 1, 2023.
The WGFD states on its website that if bears get into garbage or other food, remove the attractant immediately and notify the Game and Fish office. Avoid giving bears a repeated food reward. Bears that associate people and places people live with easy food rewards can become dangerous, and this can lead to eventually euthanizing the bear.
