TETON VILLAGE, Wyo. — Hey, neighbor!
Buckrail photographer Nick Sulzer encountered this black bear last week as it was taking a stroll through a Teton Village neighborhood parking lot.
All of Teton County is considered bear country, and Teton Village is no exception. In early spring, a black bear and two cubs were spotted on a ski run at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
“Bears become more active during the fall as they try to consume as many calories as possible to prepare for winter,” the Wyoming Game and Fish Department’s Public Information and Education Specialist Raegin Akhtar told Buckrail. “This increased activity makes them bolder around food sources such as unsecured attractants near homes. To prevent conflicts, it’s essential to remember to either remove or secure attractants in bear-resistant containers or a building that bears can’t get into.
According to Bear Wise Jackson Hole, bears can be attracted to anything associated with human or domestic animal foods, including coolers, cooking equipment, bird feeders and pet dishes that are easily accessible. Once a bear becomes conditioned to human foods, the bear is likely to exhibit increasingly bold behavior, which Bear Wise writes increases risks to the bear and humans and limits management options.
Ways residents can reduce bear conflicts:
- Look around properties and identify any unsecured attractants.
- Store all garbage in bear-resistant containers or in a secure building. Teton County requires Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC)-certified bear-resistant garbage containers in all unincorporated areas of the county. The Town of Jackson requires IGBC-certified garbage containers within designated zones.
- If possible, keep garbage containers indoors until the morning of trash pickup.
- Secure livestock feed, chicken coops, pet food, compost and beehives. Electric fences are effective for securing many of these types of attractants; contact Bear Wise Jackson Hole for assistance.
- Hang bird feeders in a way that makes them inaccessible to bears. See examples on the Bear Wise Jackson Hole website.
- When a bear is seen, give it space and always stay at least 100 yards away. Do not run.
