The Town of Dayton has recently installed two bear-resistant trash containers in Scott Park to reduce the number of bear conflicts in that area each year.
“We pretty much have constant bear activity,” said Dayton Animal Control Officer Lorren Lane. “We are trying to do what we can to keep smells and attractants down and not reward marauding bears. They seem to be using the park as a refuge. We already attract them naturally due to our location and we sure don’t need garbage to be available to keep them in the area.”
Lane said he and other town maintenance crews removed the previous trash cans at the two gazebos in the park and replaced them with bear-resistant containers. Dumpsters in the park are in deteriorating condition and are being considered for replacement as well. He said the town’s budgeting cycle begins this month and if money for their purchase is approved, additional containers will be ordered in coming weeks.
The containers are easy to use, with a small handle on the top to reach into and depress a lock which opens the lid. Lane said the new containers also prevent other animals besides bears, such as squirrels and raccoons, from accessing garbage and distributing it around the containers.
“We appreciate the Dayton town council and Mayor Anderson for supporting the purchase and installment of these containers,” said Dayton Game Warden Dustin Shorma “Dayton is on a natural wildlife corridor on the Tongue River and each year bears have been accessing unsecured garbage as they come through, particularly in Scott Park which sits on the banks of the river. We expect that if the public properly uses these containers, bear conflicts in this area will decrease substantially. Now that trash in the park will be safely secured, we also need Dayton residents to do the same and not leave attractants such as pet food, bird feeders and trash in an area where bears can access them.”
New bear-resistant containers will soon be available for campers on the Bighorn National Forest as well. Later this spring, the U.S. Forest Service will install food storage lockers for Sibley, Prune Creek and Pine Island campgrounds. Bear-resistant trash cans are already in place, but the food storage lockers offer a dedicated space for cyclists, motorcyclists or other campers to secure food or trash if they do not have the option of putting it in a hard-sided vehicle.