Bear visits continue in campground near Ketchum

CAPTION: IDFG file photo: This is not the bear that's been visiting campgrounds. Black bears are common in Idaho and are usually nonaggressive, but people should always use caution and maintain their distance.

KETCHUM – A black bear continues to visit a variety of campgrounds and raid coolers north of Ketchum in and around the Sawtooth National Recreation Area headquarters, (Sawtooth NRA). Fish and Game has set two culvert traps in the area for the past week trying to capture the bear.

“This bear has shown no outward signs of aggression to date,” said Josh Royse, Fish and Game Regional Conservation Officer. “But it is also not showing an appropriate fear of humans and it is extremely food conditioned.”

The bear again made human contact on July 19, in the Wood River Campground off of Highway 75 north of the Sawtooth NRA headquarters. At about 4 p.m., the bear was driven away by a camper after it tried to open a cooler. At 6 p.m., the bear rubbed against a chair and the arm of a woman reading a book.

“We are working directly with our concessionaires to educate all the people in the campgrounds and surrounding dispersed sites about cleaning up their camps and putting their coolers and food up when they are finished with them,” said Kirk Flannigan, Forest Service Area Ranger for the Sawtooth NRA. “The campgrounds that have been closed up the North Fork will reopen Friday, July 21, due to the belief that the bear has moved out of the area. With that said, we really need campers to keep their camps clean and report any bear sightings.”

The bear has been sighted in this area for three weeks, the first reported issue came on July 12, when a bear wandering through a camp awoke some campers at 12:30 am. They yelled and the bear ran off.

The next evening, July 13, one of the campers in the same campsite was awakened after feeling pressure on her right foot from the bear's mouth. She yelled and the bear ran off.

She wasn’t injured and the sleeping bag was not damaged, but it did leave some saliva on the sleeping bag.

Fish and Game is continuing to work with Sawtooth NRA officials to remove the bear from the area.

For details about bear safety while camping, the U.S.D.A Forest Service offers these tips and information about bears. 

For more information, contact F&G Regional Conservation Educator Kelton Hatch at (208) 324-4359 or kelton.hatch@idfg.idaho.gov.