Bears pack it on before packing it in
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
The Wood
River Valleys notorious midnight snackersblack bearsare plundering every
food source possible as winters icy fingers begin to cinch hold.
Bears go into an extended winter sleep around the beginning of November
and must pack on enough nutrients before they go to sleep to get them through the long
winter.
That means local bird feeders, garbage cans and pet food are now being
targeted by the furry beasts more than ever, Idaho Department of Fish and Game
conservation officer Lee Frost said in an interview.
"Bears are spending all of their waking moments walking around
looking for their next meal," Frost said.
Throughout the summer, approximately six black bears have roamed in and
out of the valleys populated areas, between Greenhorn and Chocolate gulches.
Most local bears hibernate in wooded areas on Bald Mountain, Frost
said. They pick heavily wooded hillsides and find good cover, perhaps beneath fallen
trees. There, they dig out dens that will protect them throughout the winter.
"They dont eat at all until spring," Frost said.
"When they sleep, their metabolisms go way down."
Most of what black bears eat is vegetable, Frost said, though they
sometimes prey on rodents or very young elk in the spring.
Females give birth in mid-January or early February, and the young stay
close to their mothers teats until spring.
In the past few weeks, reported bear activity in residential areas has
picked up, Frost said. There is no reason, however, that local residents should have
problems if they take certain precautions.
Bear-proof dumpsters are available at no charge from Wood River
Rubbish. The Dumpsters can be locked down at night, Frost explained, which prevents bears
from invading smelly human refuse.
Bird seed is an easy source of food for bears, and bird feeders should
not be put up for another four to six weeks, Frost saidafter bears have gone to
sleep for the winter.
"When you put out food to attract wild animals, you have to accept
whatever wild animals you attract," Frost said of bird feeders.
Traditionally, pet food is another food source that attracts bears.
Local residents should keep pet food inside their homes, or in a locked outdoor storage
bin or shed.
Frost explained that the largest problem with wild animals in this area
is that people who are moving into the outlying areas of the valley are often naïve
concerning what will or wont attract wildlife, particularly those who have moved
here from metropolitan areas.
"If there werent solutions, Id be more sympathetic to
people who have problems," Frost said, "but there are solutions that work."
Also, he said of the solutions, "it really helps when people
spread the word about these things."