Debbie McDonald
Photo: BearWise
Yes, there are a few bears that wander through High Prairie. A neighbor stops by now and then to tell us of their bear sightings, and years ago at night a bear was on our hillside close to the house (my brave old dog kept between me and the bear, barking an alert). One year a bear crossed the highway mid-morning in front of my car, and bear tracks in the snow were common another year. This year on April 29th our wildlife camera caught a bear meandering down the driveway in the middle of the night.
Every bear sighting is exciting, but it helps to know what to anticipate throughout the year and how to react to the situation. Bearwise.org has a website developed by state agency bear biologists, and BearWise® is a national education and outreach program of the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. You can subscribe to their monthly email with a ton of information.
Earlier this summer the email summarized what bears, as well as their cubs, are doing in the month of May, with links to expanded information. For example, we are reminded that bears have great food memories and, if they found food or your garbage cans accessible last year, they’ll return to check it out this year. (I’ve read that bears can smell their favorite food up to 7 miles away!) Cubs are learning basic skills and mother bears will leave cubs unattended (but NOT abandoned, don’t touch) to travel up to two miles foraging for food.
Here’s a link to the newsletter – https://bearwise.org/what-bears-do-in-may/?mc_cid=b5453b5e72&mc_eid=483bf30b2b. Fun information and a good reminder to put away any bear snacks before they come back and raid your property.