News – Sheridan Media
Living in the Sheridan and Johnson County regions comes with benefits; sprawling vistas, fresh mountain air and living close to the natural wildlife in the area, including bears.
Many bears will run at the sound or sight of a human, unless they have grown wise that humans present very little threat. After the fear has gone, the draw to the food source is too tempting and bears become conditioned, returning to the sight to seek the reward.
In many instances, local law enforcement and Game and Fish wardens can relocate the bear. Although a costly and dangerous endeavor for the officials and the bear, this technique often works. But in some cases, a bear who no longer fears humans will seek out human produced food sources no matter where they are relocated. In those cases, the bear must be destroyed in the interest of public safety.
The best way to prevent interactions with bears is to remove their food choices, according to Game and Fish Public Information Specialist Christin Schmidt.
C. Schmidt
Place garbage pails in hard sided buildings, put away any livestock feed, secure barbecue grills and place electric fencing around livestock and fruit trees. Schmidt suggests taking some time to try and think like a bear when walking around property.
C. Schmidt
Game and Fish has many resources for those who recreate in bear country, including its Bear Wise web page with more safety tips, information and videos. Residents can call a Game and Fish regional office to learn more about bears in their hunt areas and ask questions about bear safety. Any human-bear conflict should be reported to Game and Fish as soon as possible by calling your closest regional office.
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Last modified: May 12, 2023