Vol. 4, No. 23
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October 1, 2007
Nevada's Online State News Journal
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Bare Mountainsides
Bring Bear Intrusions
Black Bears Retake Lands
Taken By Developers
As more and larger developments are built along the spine of the Sierra Nevada and down its eastern slopes, as valley developments climb those eastern slopes to meet the others, one particular species is left out of the equation, and that species is making itself known this year. This is black bear country, and don't forget it. One hundred fifty years ago, it was also grizzly bear country, and wolves roamed these hills and valleys.
Because of a very dry winter and spring, grasses, berries, fruit and nut trees in the mountain country fared poorly, the food that bears need in order to survive. A bear wakes up from hibernation very hungry, and goes back into hibernation slightly hungry, and in between time spends most waking hours looking for food. Very intelligent, bears learn where food is, when there is food, and just how much energy it will have to exert to get that food. Today, many people living in bear country make it easy for Yogi and friends to find that food; they leave their garbage unprotected.
Bears, like humans, are omnivorous so human leftovers are top of the menu items, and if the extent of exertion is tipping over a little tin can to get the goodies, a bear will remember that for years. Black bears that have not become habituated will grow to around the 400-pound mark, but when garbage is introduced into their diets, they can add many pounds to that. One bear was found to be well over 650 pounds this year. Unfortunately, that bear was killed after becoming an aggressive house breaker.
The Nevada Department of Wildlife is one of the agencies that has its collective backs to the wall this year with bear complaints. In Washoe, Carson City, and Douglas Counties, there have been more than 600 bear complaints registered. Bears that get into garbage are not considered anything other than a wild animal doing its thing. It's the responsibility of the resident to keep the garbage away from the bears. The only time a bear is killed by Nevada officials is when it becomes an aggressive house breaker and endangers life.
Feeding a bear garbage is not doing the bear any favor according to NDOW officials, and because of the money they have had to spend this year trying to keep the bears and the people separated, they have begged communities and the state for laws forcing the use of bear proof garbage containers. One impediment to that has been the refusal of the refuse company to accept the use of the containers.
Biologist Carl Lackey said, if garbage collection day is Monday, don't put the garbage out Sunday night. Such a simple thing. Now, the garbage company, Waste Management has indicated that they will not only pick up garbage from bear proof containers, they will distribute them in bear country, a major step forward. Some people still have a hard time accepting the fact they have moved into the bear's backyard, not the other way around. The bear proof containers are made by BearSaver of southern California.
Cities and towns along the Sierra Nevada have had bear visitors from the day the first settler arrived, but the huge growth in developments moving higher and higher up the mountains puts people in the bear's habitat. Many people coming to northwest Nevada come from southern or northern California, have never lived in a rural setting, and feel it is the bear that is encroaching. According to Lackey, some serious education needs to be done before someone gets hurt. "People move in, plant fruit and apple trees, then call us because the bears and deer are eating their crops. You invited them. You offered a fine buffet. This isn't Los Angeles." Strong words, but necessary.
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