Bears are often attracted to residential neighbourhoods by food odours. Once a bear has located a good food source, it has the ability to remember that location and return. Bears will also communicate to other bears (through their scat and scent trails), the location of the food source, and that 'it is a safe place to feed'. Soon, several bears will be visiting your property.

Bears in pursuit of an easy meal may damage property, or in rare cases, cause injury to people. It is important for everyone living in bear country to follow precautions. Encourage your neighbours to participate as well.

Wildlife managers called to deal with 'problem' bears may try relocating the bear or discouraging it by using non-lethal tactics. If these methods fail, however, the bear is usually destroyed.

Can Max stay out of trouble?

Can we save Katie and her family?

You can prevent the unnecessary destruction of bears by following these simple guidelines:

Dispose of Garbage Properly

• Never store garbage outside, unless it is in a bear-proof container. Never leave garbage on your balcony or porch (even if it is screened).
• If you have curbside pick-up, do not put garbage out until one or two hours before the truck arrives. Use containers with locking lids.
• Do not let garbage pile up or develop strong odours that can attract bears. Minimize odours by keeping garbage in tightly closed plastic trash bags. Stash food scraps, especially meat, fish, bones and fruit by-products in the freezer or in an airtight container until you can dispose of them properly. Even "dry" trash (empty cereal boxes) has an odour, so be careful where everything is stored.
• Do not discard cooking grease in your yard. Collect it in a glass, plastic or metal container with a lid. When ready to dispose of it, transfer it to a plastic bag, seal the bag tightly and place in trash.
• Lobby your municipal government for a bear-proof waste management system with handy 24-hour drop-off.. (See our TAKE ACTION section for more information)

• Keep doors and windows closed and locked. Food smells can lure hungry bears inside your home.
• Replace lever-style handles with a round door knob and knob collar/protector as well as a dead bolt.
• Do not store food of any kind outside, even it is inside a locked refrigerator or freezer.
• Rural or unoccupied homes are susceptible to break-ins. Try installing extra security, tight-fitting doors and windows, electrical fencing, or place a bear-resistant mat (piece of plywood with nails pointing upward) in front of your accessible door and windows.
• Securely block potential denning sites like crawl spaces under decks and buildings.

Vehicles:

• Don't leave trash, groceries, animal feed, coolers, or any odorous item in your vehicle or in the back of a pick-up truck, even under canopies. Bears can easily pry open car/truck windows and doors to access the food inside.

Landscaping:

• Keep your lawn mowed and weeded. Grasses, dandelions and clover are natural bear foods.
• Keep brush, close to your home and other buildings and walkways, cut down or remove it completely. Bears like to have cover close by to which they can retreat. They are very reluctant to cross wide open spaces.

Birdfeeders:  

• Ideally, you should avoid using any type of birdfeeder during bear season. Not only do birds have access to plenty of natural foods during this time, but birdfeeders often spread salmonella and other diseases. (Check with your local wildlife office to learn when bears are active in your area.)
• Store birdseed securely indoors at all times.
• As an alternative to hummingbird feeders, plant red or pink native flowers which are known to appeal to hummingbirds.
• Bird baths are a great way to attract birds to your yard, without attracting bears.
• If you intend on feeding birds, hang your feeder well out of reach of bears and bear-proof your system. Almost all bird seed found under feeders is millet, these are the small round white seeds often found in multi-grain bread and cheap bird seed. Buy only deluxe feed without the millet, which most birds just toss out of the feeder because they don't like it. You can also switch to chips of sunflower seeds which will attract birds but leave nothing under the feeder....say no to millet!

Fruit Trees/Berry Bushes:  

• Remove plants and shrubs that bears like to eat (like berry bushes, fruit trees) from areas where you don't want to find bears feeding, including entrance ways, busy paths, or around children's play sets.
• Replace fruit trees/shrubs with ornamental, non-fruit bearing trees/shrubs. Plant non-fruit bearing trees/shrubs when landscaping.
• Harvest fruits as they ripen (or before, if you're not going to use the fruit right away). Remove fallen fruit from the ground below the tree.
  
• If you are unable to pick the fruit yourself, call your local "Bear Aware" organization and ask about their "picking" program or start your own. Ask a friend or neighbour to help.
• Plant non-fruit bearing trees/shrubs when landscaping. Replace fruit trees/shrubs with ornamental, non-fruit bearing trees/shrubs.
• Electric fencing can be effectively used to deter bears from orchards and gardens

Gardens:  

• Vegetable gardens, especially those containing potatoes and root vegetables, such as carrots and beets, attract bears. Flower gardens are not as attractive to bears as long as they don’t contain sweet vetch, dandelions and clover.
• Harvest garden vegetables as they ripen.
• Consider a permanent fence, preferably electric, to keep animals out of your garden.
• Never use blood meal, fish fertilizer or deer repellent in any garden.

Pets and Pet Food:  

• Feed your pets inside and store their food indoors. Don’t leave dog bones lying around your yard.
• A well-trained dog can help deter bears from entering a yard, or at least be effective at warning you if a bear is nearby. However, aggressive dogs may create a conflict situation and may be injured or killed by bears in self-defence.
• Cats and other small pets (rabbits, guinea pigs) should be kept indoors when unsupervised, especially at night, when predatory animals (coyotes, cougars and bears) can’t prey on them.

Barbeques:  

• Burn your barbeque clean and wash immediately after use - removing all grease and food residues.
• Remove and dispose of the grease in the drip can or grease tray every time you use your barbeque. Clean it thoroughly before returning it to the barbeque; or store it securely indoors.
• Lava rocks trap grease, and should be replaced with ceramic bricks that are easier to clean.
• Store barbeque covered out of the wind – preferably indoors, but please remember not to store your propane tank inside, as it is a fire hazard.
• "Smoker" grills require even more precautions to keep the odours down.
• Be watchful at barbeques – the smell from cooking can attract bears from long distances. Don’t leave any food unattended outside. As soon as you are finished eating, bring all dishes, containers, utensils and uneaten food inside the house. Promptly and properly discard of all cans, used paper plates, cups, disposable containers and napkins.

Compost:  

• Keep your compost clean and odour free.
• Never compost meat, fish, oil, grease, or dairy products.
• Sprinkle your compost with lime to aid in decomposition and reduce odour. Cover kitchen waste with brown material (dry leaves or dried grass clippings). Keep compost aerated and properly turned.
• Locate compost heap well away from forest edge, thickets and natural pathways used by bears.
• Start a community compost heap at your local electric-fenced landfill.
• Try Vermicomposting. Check out the dirt on Indoor Composting.

Citronella:

• Since, Citronella products contain a compound that is very attractive to bears, it would be best not to burn candles containing'citronella' or use any citronella-based bug sprays on your person.

Salt and Mineral Blocks:

• Don't put out salt and mineral blocks as they may attract unwanted wildlife to your yard. Your intent might be to draw deer, elk and moose, but bears and cougars may also be attracted to your property.

Livestock/Feed:  

• Use electric fence to protect livestock. Calves, goats, geese and especially sheep, pigs and chickens are all vulnerable.
• Store livestock feed securely indoors or in air-tight, odour-free, bear-proof containers. Purchase feeders that minimize spillage.
• If an animal dies, remove the body from your property as soon as possible. Haul it to the landfill, have a rendering service pick it up or bury it at least eight to ten feet deep in a remote spot on your land. Don’t dump an animal carcass on public property or leave it near a building, road, trail or other developed area. Never leave a drug-euthanized carcass where other animals can feed on it, as it can be fatal.
• Locate calving grounds away from forested areas.
• Put small livestock indoors at night.
• Use bear dogs, such as Great Pyrenees or Black Mouth Cur, to deter predatory wildlife.

Beehives:  

• Never place beehives in prime bear habitat, like a berry patch or a riparian zone.
• Avoid setting up beehives in the early spring, when other bear foods are not yet abundant.
• Surround behives with electric fencing; or
• Strap your beehives together and put them on an elevated platform with an overhang more than two metres above the ground. Use metal posts instead of wood to support the platform. Bears can climb wooden posts.

Agricultural Crops:

• Use electric fence where practical.
• Remove cover around field to create a buffer zone.
• Over plant crops to accomodate losses from wildlife.