Be bear aware

Bears have begun to wake up after their long winter hibernation and are looking for easy food opportunities. Living on the edge of the Bighorn National Forest affords residents opportunities to view and recreate in the scenic outdoors.  But occasionally, the city gets visitors from the forest. According to  Wyoming Department of Game and Fish Public Information Specialist Christina Schmidt, all of Sheridan County is considered bear country. 

The best way to keep bears out of the city and the towns is to ensure that food opportunities are low to non-existent. Schmidt told listeners of Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse that bears always look for the easy meal and can become habituated to searching for easy food sources around communities after only a few successful feedings. 

Other attractions for bears include bird seed, uncleaned BBQs, livestock feed and garbage cans. 

Schmidt suggests keeping your garbage in a hard-sided building until the morning of pick-up. Secure all livestock feed in a shed or building, including pet food. Hang bird feeders high enough bears cannot reach it, either on a limb or a high stand. 

Bears are an important part of the Bighorn ecosystem and in most cases will hide or evade human interaction out of a natural fear. Bears who become habituated to human provided food sources may begin to lose that fear and wander farther into communities becoming problematic. In extreme cases in the past, bears have had to be euthanized to prevent them from harming livestock, pets and humans.