What to do when a bear is ‘stuck’ in the neighborhood
By Cheryl Millham
I guess you all wondered when I would be talking about bears. OK. It’s time.
I got a call last week. It sounded like a young woman who told me a bear was “stuck” in a tree. I found out that the bear weighed about 150 to 200 pounds. Well, first of all, bears do not get stuck in trees. They are not even taken out of their birthing den until they learn to climb a tree.
So, I told her that the bear must be eating someone’s garbage, or it wouldn’t be around. She laughed and said the bear “had” been eating her garbage for about two months. Isn’t it interesting that she had been feeding the bear for two months out of her garbage can. No wonder the bear stayed by her house.
Maybe you should put yourself in the bear’s place. Think about it. A bear looks at a garbage can as a bear dish. We humans are so nice by putting a big food bowl out — just for them. Not only that, but we do it once a week and it can be from everyone on your block.
A bear feasts on items found in an outdoor food locker. Photo/LTWC
So, one of the first things we all need to do is to secure our garbage by using either a bear proof garbage can, or keep in it your garage and only take it to the curb when you hear the refuse truck approaching. Ours arrives at 5:30am, but we hear it about 15 to 20 minutes before it reaches our house.
Also, bears have learned how to open most car doors. Bears can smell even an old French fry that has fallen between the seats. And, yes, I have had a bear open my car door, as well as my sliding glass door to my house.
Now, when we can’t keep our car in the garage, I first make sure there is no food – new or old – in the car and make sure the car is locked. So, when the bear(s) try to open the door, he/she can’t. Lots of times, we will see bear pawprints on our car door and window, but, at least, they do not get in the car.
Should you ever need any personal assistance, we are happy to help out. Just give us a call at (530) 577.2273. Or, you can also call the BEAR League, which we are members (530.525.7297). More about bears later this spring/summer.
Cheryl Millham is executive director of Lake Tahoe Wildlife Care on the outskirts of South Lake Tahoe.
Excellent article! I would add that if you are in Nevada you should NOT call the Dept of Wildlife unless there is an emanate threat to safety. The NDoW has a policy of killing any bear that has either “three strikes” or has a single strike of entering a house or car, doing damage to a house, and a long list of other “one strike” offenses. Any tagged bear already has at least one strike so your call to NDoW may very well be a death sentence. In the past they did excellent aversion work and they also did not have the “Three Strikes” policy, but that all changed a few years ago with their non-leathal aversion budgets were eliminated and Three Strikes was adopted.
As an example of Nevada’s over-use of lethal intervention, Nevada kills five times as many bears (based on percentage of bear population) as does California, though California has over 15 times the human population and vastly greater bear territory near urban areas.
Is there a number to call to report repeat garbage offenders? I walk past overflowing bins from apartment buildings and sf homes on my way to work. I do what I can, but have to be at work and don’t have means to carry all the garbage with me. Any suggestions?
To Cheryl Millham
Good article about bears and trash, but if I may, I’d like to add my two cents worth.
Those so called bear proof cans are an excellent way to keep the coyotes, racoons and your neighbors dog out of your trash but if a bear wants to chew through the screw on lid, it will. Trust me, I’ve seen it several times.
The bear boxes are pretty much bear resistant if they are properly latched shut but they have draw backs as well. They retain the odor of the trash even if your cans are empty thus drawing the bear back to the box looking for a free meal. Depending on the design, some box doors will freeze shut after a wet storm and freezing temperatures at night. These boxes are kind of costly and pretty good at keeping the bears out of your trash but they are not the perfect solution.
Your best advice was to keep your trash inside until your pick up day. Don’t leave any food in your car and I would add, anywhere outside your house.
Pouring bleach, ammonia, pine-sol or whatever else is not much if any of a deterrent to a bear who wants your trash.
There is more I could say about bears and trash but that is all for now. More later.
Take care, Old Long Skiis
Good info Cheryl on prevention. Keep it coming.
But when I read the title of your article “What to do when a bear is ‘stuck’ in the neighborhood ” I was hoping you had more insight on what to do when a bear is habituated to humans. People such as yourself with so much experience are invaluable resources to learn from. Thanks for the effort and hope you can shed light on habituated bears.
Miss Frugal,
you can call Clean Tahoe, 530-544-4210. They will come by, clean up the mess and if called out again to the same address, can and will issue citations/corrective measures. I have called them in the past and have had excellent help. Property tax assessments pay for them.
Also, to shame these offenders into “cleaning up their act”, this site,LTN, will publish pictures of offending properties. I need to send in pictures myself. Also, in the city, code enforcement should come out and require more trash cans at offending properties.
Miss Frugal,
By the way, it doesn’t need to be repeat offenders. It’s like dealing with vacation rentals and all other annoyances, how many times do you say “bad boy, don’t do it again”. People only respond to citations/fines. So report all offenders.
Thank you Steven, will do!
How do bears learn to climb trees in their dens?
Great article!
Education is the key to this problem.
You can call Clean Tahoe if you need help with a neighbor who is feeding bears or other animals by allowing access to their garbage, or if you are aware of an area/lot that has trash problem.
Thanks for chiming in on our behalf Steven.
You can reach Clean Tahoe at 544-4210
or cleantahoe@sbcglobal.net
thank you Mark!!!!! for bringing the attention to the abhorrent NDOW. these people are criminal. everyone please write to your legislators regarding the bear killing of these savages. the bear parts are sold on the black market and this needs to be brought to the publics attention pronto. if you live in bear country, act like it. you are in THEIR territory. i am attending the hearing on SB 1221 making “hounding” or the use of dogs to tree bears and mountain lions in California, illegal. if you can’t attend write to this states legislature. you don’t have to be a resident of this state to put your concerns out there. keep up the great posts.