Food conditioned black bear euthanized after repeatedly getting into residential garbage near Hailey

After repeated incidents of accessing unsecured residential garbage, a yearling black bear was euthanized north of Hailey on Thursday, November 14, 2024. The young male that weighed approximately 100 pounds had twice broken into a garage to find food and there were signs of the bear attempting to get into a house. Since the bear was showing increasingly aggressive behavior, the decision was made to trap and euthanize the bear to protect public safety.

Over the last several months Fish and Game has been receiving an increasing number of reports of black bears getting into garbage and other attractants in subdivisions and neighborhoods throughout the Wood River Valley. Since early August, well over 100 reports have been received by Fish and Game, with the common theme of a bear getting into residential garbage or other food sources. 

To keep bears from becoming food-conditioned, it is the responsibility of every homeowner in the Wood River Valley to protect their garbage and other attractants so that bears cannot get an easy food reward.

A concern is that once a bear becomes food-conditioned, it can lead to aggressive behaviors because the bear will protect what they sense is their food source.

Many wildlife agencies across the US have found that relocating a food-conditioned bear is not as effective at stopping the behavior as many have hoped. Experience has shown that the bear will either return to the same location where it was finding food, or moving the bear just gives a known food-conditioned bear to another community or area.

In the fall, bears are eating a tremendous amount of food as they try to carry as much fat as they can into the winter dens. This drive to find food, as much as 20,000 calories or more a day, can lead bears to seek out easy food sources – which can include residential garbage, bird feeders and fruit trees.

“Having to euthanize this bear was an avoidable situation” stated Mike McDonald, Regional Wildlife Manager, “our hands were tied in terms of the options we had to respond, because the bear had become food-conditioned leading it to become a public safety issue. We work hard to help educate residents on how to prevent a situation like this from happening. Ultimately, the lack of residents who don’t secure their garbage or other attractants significantly contributed to the need to euthanize this bear.”

When living in mountain communities, like the Wood River Valley, it’s imperative that all attractants like garbage be kept in a secure location so the bear can’t find an easy meal. 

Garbage should be kept in a garage or locked shed. Bird feeders need to be taken down in the spring and not put back up until the snow flies. All fruit trees should have their fruit harvested once it’s ripe, and if fruit falls on the ground, it should be regularly disposed of so that it doesn’t attract wildlife into neighborhoods. 

In 2024, Fish and Game relocated two black bears away from residential areas in the Wood River Valley and took one cub to a licensed rehabilitation center. So far, Fish and Game staff have only euthanized one bear in the Wood River Valley in 2024, which is the first bear to be euthanized since 2022. 

For more information about how to keep bears wild visit the Wood River Valley Wildlife Smart Communities website or call the Magic Valley regional office at (208) 324-4359.