Bears and How to Live with Them

Our community is not just named Bear Creek Association because of the beautiful creek that runs through it, but also because we live in black bear territory. It is important that we find a balance to live harmoniously with these natural creatures. If not, they can become a potential nuisance. Please be bear aware!

Understanding Black Bears: If a bear has an experience that tells them they can expect to find food where humans live, they will search for food in your home. Once a bear finds food in your home, he or she will come back again and again AND teach offspring about your home. Avoid the first bear incident by not attracting bears to your home in the first place.

The Bear League states that when a person is fearful and runs from a bear by retreating inside their home, they are telling the animal, “You are welcome here…I am not going to defend my territory.” Bears are naturally afraid of you and will scare off easily. Consider keeping a small supply of rocks to throw at bears who approach your home – this is for the bear’s safety as they need to be dissuaded from entering your home. A fed bear eventually results in a dead bear as bears who continue to enter homes looking for food become increasingly more aggressive and often need to be put down.

Too many bears now believe they can roam neighborhoods and come into homes to find food because of the mistakes we have made. Help us change this by making sure no food is left outside or in parked cars, by keeping your barbeque clean or put away, and by keeping your home secure. Particularly in the summer, be sure to have doors and windows closed when you are not in the room. Bears have frequently entered homes through screened doors and windows, particularly if the homeowner is not in the room at the time. It should go without saying that leaving a cooler outside, empty or full, is asking for trouble.

Bears in our region often do not hibernate anymore, especially if there is a ready food source available. Please do everything in your power to not contribute to this problem. Even in the winter, clean up birdseed from feeders and do not ever leave food or coolers outside or in cars.

There are many websites available on how to live with bears safely and securely. Here are a few that you might want to look at: www.savebears.org and www.tahoewildbears.org