LANDER – As the seasons shift and bear activity increases, we remind residents and visitors to be bear aware. To reduce the risk of problems with bears on or near your property, the Wyoming Game and Fish Department urges residents to secure all attractants.
“We have seen increased bear activity at lower elevations this year from Dubois to Lander, mainly with bears focusing on natural foods,” said Large Carnivore Conflict Coordinator Brian DeBolt. “We are asking people to be careful about storing anything that might attract bears to unnatural food sources.”
Bears that associate people and places where people live with easy food rewards can become food conditioned and often have to be lethally removed. Please consider the following recommendations to minimize human-bear conflicts:
- Secure attractants: Store all food, garbage, livestock feed, pet food and other potential bear attractants in bear-proof containers or inside a secure building.
- Protect your pets, livestock, and gardens: Confine domestic animals in a hard-sided building at night with a securely latched door. Do not feed cats or dogs outdoors. Consider constructing an electric fence around vegetable gardens, compost piles, beehives, fruit trees, domestic flocks, and other attractants you want to protect from bears. Residents in need of electric fencing materials or assistance setting up an electric fence can contact the Game and Fish Jackson Regional office.
Bear conflicts should be reported to Game and Fish as soon as possible by calling your local Game and Fish Regional office or dispatch at 1-877-WGFD-TIP (943-3857).
Further information on bear safety and tips to reduce conflict can be found on the Game and Fish Bear Wise Wyoming web page.
– WGFD –