Bear sightings on the rise

Bear sightings near populated parts of the county have been more common than usual so far this year, according to Game Warden Nate Holst.

A few sightings have taken place near Sundance, as well as one in Moorcroft that Holst says was hanging around for a while near the D Road.

The latest sighting near Sundance took place on Monday evening, says Holst. In this case, the spotter thought it was a grizzly due to its coloring, but it was identified as a blond phase black bear.

Grizzlies are not known to be present in this area, he says – all recorded sightings have been black bears.

"I think we've just been a little unlucky this year as far as bears cruising a little closer to town than normal. They've certainly been here [before now]," he says.

"They come from the Big Horns as well as the Laramie Range. If you look on a map, it's pretty easy – for a bear, it's a hop, skip and a jump."

Most bears coming from those areas, where there are healthy bear populations, are generally juvenile and adolescent.

"They're looking for their own territory," Holst says. "That's how they end up here."

The Black Hills have always been home to predators.

"Historically, there were grizzly bears, wolves and black bears here in the Hills, if you go back a hundred or two hundred years ago," Holst says.

"But just within the last 20 years, if we see bears it's not that they're local, established bears, it's that they're bears trying to find a home and they generally find themselves in trouble because, when they're covering country, they're getting into dumpsters and bird feeders."

Whether there are actually more bears traveling through than in previous years is also a matter for debate. While sightings are indeed up, so are the number of eyes.

"I don't know that there's necessarily more bears than usual, I think there's more people, whether it be folks touring around in the Hills or [new residents]," he says.

While doing flights around the county, Holst says, he's noticed that, "Any more, you come over just about any hill and there's a house that didn't used to be there. That's one reason I think we're seeing more: there's more eyes on the landscape."

Though he welcomes any reports of bear sightings in the local area, there are two types Holst would particularly like to hear about.

First, he would like to hear of any sighting that involves a sow with cubs – something that, to the best of his knowledge, has yet to be documented here. Holst would like to be informed of such a sighting whether it's in a populated area or out in the woods.

"If we have a sow with cubs, then we know we have breeding pairs in the Hills," he says.

In other words, this would suggest that the bears are here to stay.

Additionally, he would encourage the public to report conflict bears.

Conflict situations with bears, he explains, involves when they are "getting a little too close to town," such as the bear spotted last week on the west end of Sundance.

"Getting into the trash, bird feeders and stuff like that," he adds. "I've already had two calls of bears getting into dumpsters between this spring and into summer."

Bear awareness is a common skill in these parts but, because sightings are relatively rare, it's generally thought of as more necessary while camping or recreating. It's probably time to apply those skills at home, too, says Holst.

"I get it's an inconvenience to do so, but if we can get a little better at managing our trash and bird feeders and coolers, dog food – any kind of attractant. Any time there's a conflict, there's generally some kind of food reward," he says.

"I think it's something we're going to have to get used to."

Holst recommends browsing the Wyoming Game & Fish website for useful information about living in bear country and identifying bear species.

Many of the recommendations specifically deal with bear appetites and include tips to prevent your home from becoming a bear buffet. Store garbage where bears cannot smell or access it, for example, and consider using electric fencing around fruit trees and picking all fruit as soon as possible.

Locate your gardens, bee hives and compost piles away from forests and shrubs and consider electric fencing. Store animal feed in bear-resistant containers, preferably inside a building bears cannot access.

Keep your pets inside at night and, if possible, feed them inside. Don't leave animal food out overnight.

Sheep and pigs are easy bear prey, so sheep should be closely herded and electric fencing can be used to protect pigs. Bears will dig up dead livestock if buried.

Keep hummingbird feeders at least ten feet off the ground and four feet from a trunk or pole and place suet only in bird feeders over the winter.

If a bear does access food on your property, remove the attractant immediately and notify Game & Fish. Bears can become dangerous if they associate people or places with easy food rewards and may need to eventually be euthanized.

Holst also recommends learning how to protect yourself during a bear encounter.

"Rarely, but bears will sometimes see humans as prey," he says. For this reason, it's a good idea to learn how to tell the difference between a bluff charge and, "No, this bear wants to eat me."

Visit wgfd.wyo.gov/wyoming-wildlife/large-carnivore/bear-wise-wyoming/how-react-encounter to find a video that demonstrates the difference between defensive and predatory behavior.

A defensive bear is protecting its space, food or offspring, but a predatory bear is not defending anything. If you encounter a bear that does not avoid you, determining what kind of behavior it's exhibiting is key to figuring out how to respond.

According to Game & Fish, you should not challenge a bear if it is defensive with aggressive body language or direct eye contact and you should never run away. Instead, stand your ground and use bear spray if available; if the bear makes contact, drop and cover by laying flat on your stomach and interlacing your fingers over the back of your neck.

Do not fight back. Once the bear feels the threat is neutralized, it will stop attacking.

If the bear is displaying predatory behavior, on the other hand, you should make yourself look as big as possible, stand your ground and act aggressively by using branches or rocks to deter the bear while yelling in a loud and firm voice. Use bear spray or a weapon to protect yourself.