Be bear aware

Hunting season prime time to encounter bears

By Laura Bell
Photos by Eric Ross & Faith malpeli

Bears are out and active this time of year in Big Sky. One family that is keenly aware of this is the Ross family, owners of La Luna in the Meadow Village.

The family lives in Hidden Village and while they have witnessed bears and moose over the years and have learned to appreciate and live peacefully them. However, one thing they are not tolerant of: neighbors baiting bears.

“We have one neighbor who is renting a place and only staying for a few months. He wanted to take pictures of a bear, so he deliberately put dog food out on his back porch to bait the bear,” Ross laments.

Sure enough a bear came.

Bears are also foraging in the Greater Yellowstone area, including the Gallatin National Forest, Yellowstone National Park, the Beartooth Ranger District of the Custer National Forest, and state and private lands.

The National Forest, Yellowstone National Park, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks join in urging visitors who use these areas to practice the tips and guidelines outlined by the Be Bear Aware campaign.

“The Forests will increase our field presence during hunting season,” said Mary Erickson, Gallatin and Custer Forest Supervisor. “We will be answering questions and helping people understand travel management and food storage regulations.”

When visiting public lands please remember to Leave No Trace. This includes planning ahead and being prepared for the unexpected, traveling and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly, leaving what you find (except for trash), minimizing campfire impacts, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors. Detailed information on Leave No Trace methods can be found at www.LNT.org .

There are no fire restrictions on either Forest. However, some emergency road or trail closures are in effect so please check with your local Ranger District Office before heading out if you have questions.

National Forest visitors can report violations at any time to 1-800-Tip-Mont. This toll-free number is similar to the well-known Crimestoppers program and assists managers in apprehending persons abusing Montana and South Dakota’s natural, historic or cultural resources.

This time of year, bears are in constant search of food before denning for the winter. Bears are moving up and down in elevation and moving along river valley bottoms looking for calories—fruits and vegetables, unsecured food in residential areas (pet food, garbage, bird feeders), and carcasses from hunter harvests. Hikers, campers, hunters—all recreationists—should use care and be familiar with how avoid encounters in bear country.

“We can save a lot of bears’ lives simply by eliminating their access to garbage and other food-related bear attractants,” said Jamie Jonkel, a bear management specialist for Fish Wildlife & Parks. When an individual or a community makes that commitment, they create safer communities and prevent bears from having to be destroyed.”

Jonkel said those living on the boundaries between bear habitat and residential areas have more opportunity than most people do to protect bears from becoming habituated to food and complacent around humans.

“Landowners bordering bear habitat are the ‘buffer’ between bears and the more heavily populated areas,” Jonkel said. “If these landowners are responsible and eliminate a bear’s access to bird feeders, grain, garbage and other food sources they help prevent bears from moving on to the more populated residential areas where they are sure to get into trouble.”

Hunting is a prime time to encounter a bear, especially if your are calling game, using scents or have harvested an animal. Here are a few important safety tips for hunting in bear country:

Tips for recreating in bear country:

• Always carry bear pepper spray, have it close at hand, and know how to use it.

• If you are going to be alone in bear country, let someone know your detailed plans; better yet, don’t go alone.

• Be alert to signs of bear activity

• Think in advance about what you would do in the event of an encounter.

• Make noise as you travel.

• Cook any meals at least 100 yards from any backcountry campsites

• Store any attractants, including game carcasses, at least 100 yards from any backcountry campsites.

• Hunters: after making a kill get the carcass out of the area as quickly as possible; while field dressing, keep a can of bear pepper spray within easy reach; use special precautions if you must leave and return to a carcass, including placing the carcass where you can easily observe it from a distance when you return. Do not attempt to frighten away or haze a bear that is near or feeding on a carcass.

The Gallatin National Forest, Beartooth Ranger District on the Custer National Forest,

Recreating in Bear Country
• Try to recreate in groups of at least two people if possible.

• Always let someone know where and when you’ll be hiking or biking and what time you plan to be back.

• Always carry an approved brand of bear pepper spray when recreating in bear country.

• Stay on established trails; make plenty of noise, especially when the trail you’re on goes through areas of thick brush, or takes a bend and you can’t see the path ahead.

• Avoid hiking at dusk or at night; bears are very active during these times and it’s too easy to startle a bear when the light is low.

• Watch for signs of recent bear activity—scats (droppings), bear tracks, logs that have been torn apart, large rocks that have been rolled over, trees with claw or bite marks or areas of digging; if you see signs, leave the area.

• Avoid animal carcasses and berry patches—these are potential food sources for bears.

• Keep children and pets close at all times; either leave your dog at home or keep it leashed while hiking. Kids and dogs can excite bears which could result in a defensive or predatory response from the bear.

• Do not take odorous items along on your hike. Bears have a great sense of smell and may be attracted to items that have a strong smell, such as lotions, deodorants, scented soaps, etc.

• Do not leave backpacks, coolers or other gear unattended—hang packs using methods presented in this guide.

• If you encounter a grizzly while hiking or biking, remain calm and quiet. Keep watching the bear but avoid making direct eye contact with the bear. Back up slowly, and speak to the bear in a soft voice. Never turn your back or run from a bear.

• Do not approach bears to get a closer look or a better picture. View bears at a distance using binoculars or your camera lens. Bears can run as fast as 30 m.p.h., and can go from being “far away” to “way too close” almost in an instant. In addition, the bear you’re looking at may not be the only bear around—it could be a mother with cubs.

If you plan to be out overnight, follow the guidelines listed below in the section on camping in bear country.

Camping in Bear Country

• Use designated camping areas when they are available and follow all regulations.

• Camp in open areas when at all possible.

• Do not put your tent near any potential feeding areas such as: near a carcass, near water or riparian areas, near berry patches, or near trails.

• Store food or other odorous items (including toothpaste, lotion, sun screen, bug repellent, etc.) in an airtight and bear-resistant container; if the bear does get into your pack, it won’t get a food reward.

• If camping with pets, be sure to pick up any leftover or spilled food immediately and dispose of it the same way you dispose of your garbage.

• Store pet food in a bear-resistant manner along with your food.

Hang backpacks and other gear out of the reach of bears—at least 10-15 feet up from the ground and at least 4 feet away from any vertical support (tree, post or pole). Techniques for hanging gear and other bear attractants are presented later in this guide.

Do not store food or odorous items in your tent or sleeping bag.

Never bury garbage since bears could smell it and dig it up; always pack out discarded feminine hygiene products. Hang garbage at least 10 feet off of the ground and at least 4 feet away from vertical supports while camping.

Do not use or pack any scented hygiene items.

Do your cooking, eating and dishwashing at least 100 yards from your sleeping area.

Keep your camp clean—do not leave garbage or food unsecured.

Never bury garbage. Pack all food and garbage out when you leave.

Disposing of Your Garbage in Bear Country

Proper disposal of all garbage is critical when you’re recreating in bear country. Please keep these important points in mind:

Do not bury your garbage. Bears have a great sense of smell and will dig it up.

Hang your garbage using one of the methods described in this guide while you’re camping.

Pack all garbage out with you or dispose of it in a bear-resistant trash container if one is provided.

If you burn any of your garbage, make sure it is completely burned before you leave. Dispose of any unburned or partially burned garbage in a bear-resistant trash container or pack it out with you.

Make sure your camp fire is completely out before you leave your camp.

If you see other recreationists being careless with their food and/or garbage, please report the situation to a ranger or other authority immediately...before the bears find it.

Yellowstone National Park requires all attractants be stored appropriately.

In Yellowstone National Park, regulations require visitors to stay at least 100 yards away from bears at all times. Finally, while in the Park, remember to store your food appropriately.

For more detailed information on how you can be bear aware, please visit www.BeBearAware.org. Information on avoiding bear encounters can also be obtained at all Gallatin and Custer National Forests, Yellowstone National Park, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks offices and visitor centers.