Bear sighted on Swinomish Reservation

The Hunting & Gathering team captured another photo of a black bear on the Swinomish Reservation last week.

Remember that most bears are inherently scared of people and will usually run from human encounters. We have no reason to think this bear will behave any differently. We have not had any reports of conflict (bear getting into garbage, etc.).

Please review information from the Washington Department Fish and Wildlife website below on how to prevent conflict with black bears and help us keep this bear out of trouble.

Primarily, manage garbage, pet food, compost bins, bird feeders, etc. so that the bear does not have easy access to snacks on your property. This will keep the bear (and wildlife in general) from associating people with food and becoming a habituated problem bear.

We will continue to monitor the situation with trail cameras. Please report any additional sightings to Tino Villaluz (Hunting & Gathering program manager) at (360) 466-7245 and dial 911 in case of emergency.

WDFW: Preventing conflicts

The number one reason for conflict between black bears and humans is irresponsibility on the part of people: Access to trash, pet food, bird feeders and improper storage of food while camping make up the majority of the calls.

Bears may opportunistically seek food in human-occupied areas when natural foods are scarce. In some years a late-arriving spring or drought conditions may increase the likelihood of this behavior.

Management strategies to prevent conflicts:

Don’t feed bears. Often people leave food out for bears so they can take pictures of them or show them to visiting friends. Over 90 percent of human-bear conflicts result from bears being conditioned to associate food with humans. A wild bear can become permanently food-conditioned after only one handout experience

Manage your garbage. Bears will expend a great amount of time and energy digging under, breaking down, or crawling over barriers to get food, including garbage. If you have a pickup service, put garbage out shortly before the truck arrives—not the night before. If you’re leaving several days before pickup, haul your garbage to a dump. If necessary, frequently haul your garbage to a dumpsite to avoid odors.

Keep garbage cans with tight-fitting lids in a shed, garage, or fenced area. Spray garbage cans and dumpsters regularly with disinfectants to reduce odors. Keep fish parts and meat waste in your freezer until they can be disposed of properly.

Bear attacks

In the unlikely event a black bear attacks you (where actual contact is made), fight back aggressively using your hands, feet, legs, and any object you can reach. Aim for the eyes or spray bear spray into the bear’s face.

Leslie Parks, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, (360) 399-5376, [email protected].

Information: https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/ursus-americanus