Bear bars on dumpsters, use them – here’s why (video)

SIERRA CITY, Calif. August 30, 2018 – If it hadn’t been for Brian Davey checking a dumpster at the Kentucky Mine Park in Sierra City, a bear might have met an untimely and completely unnecessary demise. The bear was trapped in the dumpster for an unknown time as only one of the two top panels had been properly secured with the lock bar.

In all likelihood the bear, food-conditioned thanks to readily accessible human garbage, climbed in the dumpster some time after the last event at the park on Sunday. Brian liberated the bear on Wednesday.

Below are some tips for living in bear country, but it all starts with common sense. If there is a lock bar, use it. Thanks to Mary Lee Davey for sharing the video with us.

Keep Me Wild: Black Bear – Factsheet from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife

In settled areas close to bear habitat, bears may venture in searching for food. The best defense against bear break-ins and bears in your yard is to eliminate attractants to your property by following these tips:

Tips for Bear-proofing your Home, Rental or Timeshare

• Do not toss food scraps out into the yard.
• Purchase and properly use a bear-proof garbage container.
• Wait to put trash out until the morning of collection day.
• Do not leave trash, groceries or pet food in your car.
• Keep garbage cans clean and deodorize them with bleach or ammonia.
• Keep barbecue grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use.
• It is advised to not hang bird feeders in bear country. If you must, only do so during November through March and make them inaccessible to bears. Keep in mind bears are excellent climbers.
• Do not leave any scented products outside, even non-food items such as suntan lotion, insect repellent, soap or candles.
• Keep doors and windows closed and locked when unoccupied.
• Consider installing motion-detector alarms and/or electric fencing.
• Bring pets in at night. Provide safe and secure quarters for livestock at night.
• Consider composting bins as opposed to open composting.
• Securely block access to potential hibernation sites such as crawl spaces under decks and buildings.
• Do not spray bear spray around property – when it dries, it can serve as an attractant.
• Do not feed deer or other wildlife – this will attract bears to your
• Harvest fruit off trees as soon as it is ripe, and promptly collect fruit that falls.
• If a bear breaks into your home, do not attempt to confront the bear. Give the bear an escape route. If the bear cannot make its way out, go to a safe place and call 911.

Tips for Bear-proofing your Campsite

Maintaining a clean campsite is the responsible and safe thing to do when visiting bear country. Here are a few tips for bear proofing your campsite:

• Haul garbage out of camp regularly – check with camp host or other camp personnel about safe garbage storage. Use bear lockers if available.
• Store food (including pet food) and toiletries in bear-proof containers or in an airtight container in the trunk of your vehicle if bear lockers are not available. In some areas, food storage in the trunk is not advisable. Check with camp or park personnel.
• Clean dishes and store food and garbage immediately after meals.
• Clean your grill after each use.
• Never keep food or toiletries in your tent.
• Change out of clothes you cooked in before going to bed.
• Do not clean fish in camp.
• Do not leave pets unattended in camp or sleeping outside.
• If in the back-country, store food in a bear-resistant food canister.

Tips for Hiking in Bear Country

• Bears may react defensively if your presence is not known – make noise while hiking. Talk loudly or whistle.
• Avoid wearing scented cosmetics and deodorants.
• Avoid thick brush and walk with the wind at your back so your scent is ahead of you.
• Watch for bear sign along trails – scat, tracks and stripped bark off trees.
• Avoid sites where dead animal carcasses are observed.
• If you see a bear, avoid it and give it the opportunity to avoid you. If the bear does not see you, back out and when at a safe distance make noise so the bear will move off the trail.
• If you surprise a bear, back away not making eye contact. Do not run.
• Carry bear spray and learn how to use it. Bear spray does not take the place of preventative knowledge.
• Leash dogs while hiking in bear country – dogs can surprise and scare bears – even provoking them to defensive behavior.

Black Bear Safety Reminders

Injurious black bear encounters and attacks are extremely rare in California, but they have occurred. There is no single safety strategy applicable to every encounter, and bear behavior is not always predictable. However, basic understanding of bear behavior will help keep people safe and bears out of trouble.

Given the great numbers of people visiting and living in bear country, bears exhibit a high degree of tolerance to humans – other environmental hazards are more prevalent.

• Individual bears can display varying levels of tolerance and different temperament.
• Prevention is better than confrontation.
• Share this information with your children. Make sure they know to tell you if they see a bear in the area. Be Bear Aware.

Black Bear Encounters

These are general guidelines based on research by wildlife managers and scientists, intended to help keep you safe in the event of a black bear encounter. Keep in mind that safety tips for the American black bear are not exactly the same as for grizzly bears. California does not have grizzly bears.

• If a bear breaks into your home, do not confront the bear. Most bears will quickly look for an escape route. Move away to a safe place. Do not block exit points. If the bear does not leave, get to a safe place and call 911.
• If you encounter a bear in your yard, chances are it will move on if there is nothing for the bear to forage. If there is enough distance between you and the bear, you can encourage the bear to leave by using noisemakers or blowing a whistle.
• If you encounter a bear while hiking and it does not see you. Back away slowly, increase your distance. Clap hands or make noise so the bear knows you are there and will move on.
• If you encounter a bear on the trail and it sees you. Do not make eye contact. Slowly back away. Do NOT run. Let the bear know you are not a threat. Give it a way out.
• If a bear approaches you, make yourself look bigger by lifting and waving arms. Use noisemakers, or yell at the bear. If small children are present, keep them close to you.
• Carry and know how to use bear spray as a deterrent. In the event of a black bear attack, it is usually recommended to fight back. However, each situation is different. Prevention is the key.

• Black bear attacks are rare in California and typically are defensive in nature because the bear is surprised or defending cubs; however, bears accustomed to people may become too bold and act aggressively.
• Female black bears will often send cubs up a tree and leave the area in response to a perceived threat. Do not remain in the area – when you leave, she will come back for her cubs.

See also:

• Black bear biology
• Bear-proof containers and where to buy