Idaho Black Bear Breaks Into a House, Here’s How to Avoid That…

A few months ago, we wrote about a large bear spotted in Blaine County walking through neighborhoods and going through garbage, and apparently there are even more bear sightings happening around the Boise area, and in some cases the bears are actually breaking into resident homes.

A recent article from KTVB says, “In a majority of cases, the conflicts stem from human behavior more than the bears' behavior. Bears tend to only go out of their way when it involves an easy meal.”

And a recent warning from the Idaho Department of Fish and Game states, “With fall approaching, Idaho’s black bears are on the move and preparing for denning season, seeking out and gobbling up food to help them pack on the pounds.”

Here are the highlighted steps to help prevent these kinds of human/bear encounters...

• Remove bird feeders between April and mid-November.
• Feed pets inside.
• Get a bear-resistant trash can and use it only as directed; do not tamper with latches, prop them open, or overfill them. If you do not have a bear-resistant can, or if there is too much trash to fit in the can, keep it in a garage until the morning of pickup.
• Do not keep coolers, refrigerators, or freezers outside.
• If a bear has already visited your place and found food, take the above steps right away. The bear will likely pay you a couple more visits, but if it finds no food, it will eventually move on.

Boise County Residents can report bear problems to Nampa Fish and Game location at 208-465-8465