There's a bear

The cold night air cut through my long-handle underwear like bare skin sliding on ice crystals as I jumped from my sleeping bag and ran toward the commotion. It was mid-October in our backcountry hunting camp, when the crack of a rifle broke the night's silence. "There's a bear in my tent," was the next thing I heard. As I sprinted to the aid of my friend, strange emotion coursed though my system. Why was the bear here and what had we done to invite it here? I have been in hunting camps for a week or two every year and never once had we had a bear in the camp. Several times we had seen them in the surrounding mountains, but in camp and in a tent, this was a first. After the gunshot and seeing half a dozen half-naked men running at it, the wide-eyed bear ran for safer ground. After things had calmed down we rehashed the night's events and came to the conclusion that the bear problem was our fault. While investigating the scene we discovered our makeshift food cache, a tin garbage can with the next days lunches in it, had been vandalized. At the front of the cook tent, candy bar wrappers, half-eaten sandwiches and soda pop cans, showed the site of the bear's feast. The hungry bear building up fat for the long winter found a camp with plenty of food and just decided to stop in for a bite. Bears entering tents and homes are becoming a common story for Idaho residents as housing developments are constructed in traditional wildlife habitat. In the summer and fall when food for bears is plentiful, few bears ever come into contact with people. On dry, hot years when natural food is scarce the problem intensifies. One of the problem areas for black bear in the Magic Valley Region are the mountain valleys of the Wood River drainage. Black bear in people's yards, houses, or area campgrounds are commonly reported to Idaho Department of Fish and Game employees. To help people prepare for the summer and fall season in bear country, Fish and Game offers a few tips to make the year safe and fun: - Minimize odors and the availability of food rewards at your campsite, in the yard, or around your community. - Put out garbage on the day of pick up, not the night before. Store in sturdy buildings or place in an approved bear resistant trash receptacle. - Do not leave pet food out. Hang bird feeders out of reach of bears. - Keep barbecues clean and grease free. - Pick all ripe fruit from the tree and surrounding grounds as soon as possible. - Vegetable gardens and compost piles may attract bears. Do not put meat and other pungent scraps in compost piles. Add lime to reduce odors and accelerate decomposition. - Electric fence is an effective way to keep bears out of orchards, gardens, compost piles and beehives. Safety tips when camping or hiking: - Always keep a clean camp. In campgrounds, store food in locked cars, food storage lock-boxes, or up in the air between two trees about 100 yards from the campsite. - If picking a wilderness campsite, find one away from berry patches, spawning streams, or animal trails. - Keep a flashlight and bear pepper spray readily available. - Don't throw food waste into the fire pit, pack it out or place it in a trashcan. - Let bears know you're in the area when hiking. - Hike in groups and keep young children close at hand. Bears by nature are wary and usually detect your presence and flee - unless the bear has been conditioned to people and their food. If you encounter a bear, back away slowly or take an alternate route. If one approaches, never run, remain calm and slowly back away. If a black bear attacks, it is suggested to fight back using everything in your power; rocks, sticks, your fists, or registered bear pepper spray.