F&G removes food-conditioned black bears in Teton County

On Nov. 4, Fish and Game responded to reports of a black bear sow and three cubs that had been frequenting a Teton County neighborhood for over a month. The bears repeatedly received food rewards from unsecured garbage and other attractants, which prompted them to spend much of their time in yards and around homes. Due to their food conditioning and habituation, the decision was made to euthanize these bears in the interest of public safety.

Relocating bears that have become extremely habituated and food-conditioned is not an option, as research shows they can quickly travel long distances to seek out human foods in their new locations. When it becomes evident that a bear has become excessively habituated to that food source or has lost its wariness of people, biologists and conservation officers often have no choice but to trap and kill the bear.

Unfortunate situations like these serve as a reminder for residents living in bear country to properly store attractants and report bear issues quickly, to keep both people and bears safe. These bears were known to have been frequenting the neighborhood for over a month before they were reported to Fish and Game, making hazing or relocation efforts impractical.

All of Teton County is bear country, and reports of bears getting into garbage occur every year. Bears become particularly active in the fall, as they search for easy calories to fatten themselves up for winter. This often drives bears to seek easy food rewards from carelessly or improperly stored attractants like garbage. For the safety of both the community and the bears, Fish and Game is asking residents to properly store their garbage and other attractants, making them inaccessible to bears.

Keeping bears wild and away from homes takes effort and cooperation

Luckily, there are a lot of things that people can do to prevent bears from becoming habituated, protecting both the residents in their neighborhood and the bears moving through it.

The key to keeping Idaho bears wild is to not allow them to access human food sources around neighborhoods and homes.

Following the steps below helps protect both you and the bears:

• Remove bird feeders between April and mid-November.
• Feed pets inside.
• Get a bear-resistant trash can and use it properly; don't tamper with latches, prop them open, or overfill them. If you don't have a bear-resistant can or if there is too much trash to fit in the can, keep it in a garage until the morning of pickup.
• Do not keep coolers, refrigerators, or freezers outside.
• If a bear has already visited your place and found food, take the above steps right away and call Fish and Game immediately. The bear will likely pay you a couple more visits, but if it finds no food, it will eventually move on.

Teton County residents can report bear problems to the Teton County Sheriff's (208) 776-8200 or the Upper Snake Region Fish and Game Office (208) 525-7290.