Please Help Avoid Bear-Human Conflicts

An open letter to the people of Teton, Fremont and Clark counties by Steve Schmidt, regional supervisor, Upper Snake Region, Idaho Department of Fish and Game Through a series of unfortunate circumstances, Tim Henderson and a 15 year old male grizzly bear collided on April 10, 2007, northeast of Tetonia, Idaho. As a result, Tim was badly injured and the bear was ultimately destroyed. I am thankful that Mr. Henderson appears to be on the road to a complete recovery and wish both him and his family health and much happiness. As we put this tragedy behind us, I wish to share my thoughts to speed the healing process and help avoid future bear and human conflicts. Hopefully, this message will begin a discourse in Teton, Fremont and Clark counties regarding what we have learned from this incident. Tim Henderson did nothing to provoke this bear attack. He simply went looking for his dog outside of his house. He did not know there was a winter killed moose carcass in the trees near his house. He did not know that a grizzly bear had been feeding on the moose carcass for several days. Fortunately, Mr. Henderson knew he should lie down and protect the front of his body when the bear attacked. By curling up and covering his face and neck, Tim avoided more serious injuries. Nonetheless, this grizzly hurt him badly. The old boar survived 15 years without getting into trouble with humans. He had been studied extensively during his lifetime and yielded a great deal of valuable information as a "research bear." He spent much of his time in Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller Jr. Memorial Parkway. Several times he had been captured and handled by researchers, and after each capture, the bear went on his way to do the business of being a bear. In fact, when this grizzly attacked Mr. Henderson, the bear was also just doing what bears do. He did not intend to eat Mr. Henderson. He just wanted Mr. Henderson to stay away from the moose carcass he had claimed as his own. Both Tim and the bear were unlucky. During better days, they likely might never have met. What brought the two together can be a focal point for discussions on how we as communities might avoid bear and human conflicts. My objective is to prevent these types of close encounters in the future. However, the Idaho Department of Fish and Game cannot achieve this objective without the support of individuals and communities. This community issue requires community solutions. Here are some things individuals and communities can do to avoid a human bear conflict: ¥ Use bear resistant garbage containers. Keep a clean neighborhood. ¥ Don't bait bears to houses and neighborhoods. Store pet food and livestock feed out of reach of bears. Don't feed birds or other wildlife when bears are active. Locate and eliminate bear attractants such as dead livestock or wildlife near homes. ¥ Alert the Idaho Fish and Game Department or the sheriff whenever a perceived bear threat exists. ¥ Communicate with your neighbors. Organize local committees to promote bear smart communities. Establish phone trees to inform residents when a bear has been seen in the neighborhood. Talk to your neighbors about bear attractants. ¥ Be vigilant and be smart. If you live in bear habitat, watch for bears and bear sign. Carry bear pepper spray when you travel in bear country. ¥ Know what to do when you encounter a bear. It is noteworthy that the Teton County sheriff, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service communicated frequently to determine an agreed upon course of action. A number of options were considered. Residents from Teton, Fremont and Clark counties should not construe from our decision to destroy the bear that this will always be the case. In fact, we will review each future situation on a case by case basis and comply with the Final Conservation Strategy for the Grizzly Bear in the Greater Yellowstone Area (March 2007). The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has a number of public outreach products to help people learn about bear safety. We are eager to meet with groups who wish to explore opportunities to implement bear aware programs and avoid bear conflicts. Ask for our free brochures titled, "Living in Bear Country" and "Hunting in Bear Country." A great resource for more information can also be found at: http://www.centerforwildlifeinformation.org/BeBearAware/bebearaware.html I would like to thank Teton County Sheriff Cooke and his deputies for their assistance and patience as we jointly formulated our response. Thank you Rick Phillips and the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team for advice and assistance with the bear capture. I appreciate the quick response and support from our Conservation Officers. Finally, I would like to thank all those who helped us determine a course of action. We value your perspectives and input. These incidents are challenging for all parties. Our best hope for avoiding them in the future is to continue to work together at the local community level and take precautions to keep bears and people apart. For more information, contact the Idaho Department of Fish and Game at 208-525-7290.