Complaint:

Bears getting into the garbage and scaring people.

The introduction statement from the association manager was “this is a retirement community and these residents have worked hard their whole life and should not have to get up early to put their trash out on the day of pick up”.

Garbage containers were in every car port or on the side if the home. Many residents had bird feeders and squirrel feeders hanging in the yard also. Residents stated they were afraid the bear would kill them so they stopped walking.

Evaluation Conclusion:

The residents were asked to keep all garbage inside or a bear secure area as well as taking bird feeders down. Also they were given bear information and an area info session was scheduled at their convenience which was March.

This 500+ home development was built recently in a major bear area.

A site evaluation is for gathering of information on why a bear is at that particular location i.e. attractants such as garbage out on the night before pick up, being fed, denning or simply passing by. Bear information is given to residents on most site evaluations. After review, a decision is made for disposition, such as leave the bear alone, trap and relocate or in the event the bear damaged a home or broke into a residence, the bear may be euthanized.

What makes an acceptable evaluation for a bear area home is a clean yard and outside of home, garbage containers either bear proof of not outside, no bird feeders or wildlife feeders, no pet food outside.

Evaluation cases:

Date: 01/2010

The call came in as a bear ripped the door off a utility shed . Upon arrival the complainant pointed to a shed with a board holding the door shut. She stated the bear pulled the door open a got the trash stored inside until pick up day. She then stated a bear at her mothers house (a couple streets over) walked through the screen on her porch. Her mother stated she just leaves the screen off so the bear can just walk through. A gentleman across the street stated a bear ripped the hasp off his out side refrigerator. He also stated he loves the bears and does not want them harmed. A neighbor of the complainants mother constructs one gallon squirrel feeders and has them hanging all over the property.

Evaluation conclusion:

The door was not ripped off as stated in the phone interview. The garbage was stored in the shed and not on the side of the house. However the complainant  had only recently started to use the shed to store the garbage until pick up. The mother stated she had no attractants on her porch and had no idea why the bear was coming around. A neighbor stated the complainants mother had parties frequently and left food out all night on the patio. The resident across the street with the refrigerator, had a large pan with large pieces of beef in it on the back porch.. There were bear paw prints in the meat grease on the porch, he stated it was for the cats. The squirrel feeding neighbor had corn covering the ground which the bear was most likely feed on.

This type of finding can and probably will lead to the bear being euthanized if it is habituated. However to date the bear has not been trapped and one home owner was cited for feeding bears and others given warnings for having attractants in a bear area.