4-11 SS Bears Emerging/Ad

 Bears are emerging in The Northwest

If you hunt bears in the spring…this just in. The fact that both black and grizzly bears can be found in the Northwest has been confirmed by early spring recreationalists who have recently come across tracks from both members of the bruin family. While both black and grizzly bears have been observed coming out of hibernation, it is generally the male of both species that comes out first. Females with cubs den separately from the males and generally emerge after the males have had a chance to snack on winter-killed ungulates. Because of this focus by the bears to regain lost fat reserves, everyone in the Upper Snake Region is reminded that they live in bear country and need to act accordingly. Here’s Fish and Game’s Greg Losinsky: “Just wanted to let the public know about some bear related items coming up. First of all bears are out and about, both black and grizzly, so anyone who is out recreating needs to be thinking about being in bear country and that also means if you live in bear country you need to put those birdfeeders up higher and think about how you’re going to handle your garbage when the time comes during the week.”

Once upon a time, both black and grizzly bears could be found in our area.  Today, black bears are still common in many locations. Their cousins, the grizzlies, are recolonizing many places their ancestors inhabited in the not too distant past. Because of increased bear activity, a number of communities have created ordinances to control human behaviors that attract bears and result in conflicts.