Problem bears? Problem situation

SEELEY LAKE – As one of the high school teachers drove to school the morning of Oct. 24, a large black bear strolled down Locust Lane. Throughout town, garbage cans were tipped over and trash littered the streets.

The past couple of weeks it has been nearly impossible to get on social media sites without seeing photos of bears in Seeley Lake, reports of bear sightings, or hearing about garbage littering the community because a bear got into uncontained trash cans. The bears are back in town trying to fatten up before they head to their dens. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Bear Specialist James Jonkel said if there are problem bears, it means there is a problem situation that is often human behavior related.

Jonkel said there is at least one grizzly bear in the area working the edges of town. He has been seen in Poverty Flats and Dogtown.

There are multiple black bears in the area. There is also one black bear that has learned how to open car doors. Jonkel said 10 incidents have been reported of it accessing a vehicle since July.

While FWP can try and capture and relocate bears getting into trouble, if a bear continues to get into attractants, it often has to be euthanized.

"In Seeley Lake, the folks that should really be trying hard or at least doing something, don't seem to be doing anything," said Jonkel.

Jonkel said it was pretty quiet in town this summer because there was good food in the higher elevations for the bears. But every time Jonkel drove through Seeley Lake there was trash out, bird feeders swinging, "there was garbage everywhere."

Jonkel said that many of the people that call in bear reports have attractants all over their property – garbage cans left out, bags of trash in the back of a pickup, doors of the chicken coop left open, plastic bins of chicken feed outside.

"The same places I've been dealing with for the past 23 years, I'm still dealing with," said Jonkel. "They aren't taking that extra step of changing their behavior. Everyone always thinks problem bears but really the bear represents the problem of the situation that exists there. Seeley is a good example."

Jonkel said he will be working with Seeley Lake Elementary students to put on a Bear Aware Art Exhibit Nov. 1-15. The art will be on display in the breezeway of the junior high wing. Preschool artwork will be displayed on their bulletin board outside their room in the hallway. Jonkel hopes this new approach will help the students better understand how to coexist with bears and that education will integrate into the community.

"We will not set traps on top of garbage," said Jonkel. "If you put your garbage away, take all the attractants down like bird feeders, chicken feed locked up in a metal box. If the problem still continues then we will set a trap."

Defenders of Wildlife continues to offer their electric fence incentive program run through the Defenders of Wildlife. They offer to reimburse 50 percent of the cost of an electric fence (up to $500) for securing bear attractants. For more information on the program visit https://defenders.org/got-grizzlies

Jonkel said another concern during hunting season is grizzlies. Many people, especially from outside of the area who come to hunt, do not realize there are hunting in a grizzly bear corridor.

When hunting in grizzly country, the golden rule is "get that elk or deer out of the area as quickly as possible." Hunters are encouraged to cautiously approach a carcass. If a grizzly bear is present, do not attempt to frighten or haze the bear once it sees you. If the grizzly bear refuses to leave the carcass or the meat has been covered with debris and is not salvageable contact FWP. Hunters who have lost an animal to a grizzly may be eligible for another license. Jonkel reminds hunters that there is a food storage order in place. Keeping a clean hunting camp is a must.

For more information visit missoulabears.org and find Missoula Bears on Facebook. Updates about bears and mountain lions are posted and provide the most current information. There is also information about community resources available to help reduce human-bear conflicts.

To report a residence or business with bear attractants call 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668). Tips are anonymous and can be eligible for a reward.