SPRING IN BEAR COUNTRY As weather gets warmer and wildlife return to the valley, there will be a noticeable increase in preventable human-bear conflicts occurring within the Flathead Indian Reservation. The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribal Wildlife Management Program wants to remind residents that bears will be seeking easily available sources of food. While unsecured garbage is the #1 cause of black-bear conflicts, there are other easily-overlooked attractants that could be drawing bears into your yard or on your porch. Including but not limited to: pet food, bird feeders, livestock feed, grain, fruit trees, and uncleaned barbecue grills. Bears can quickly become food-conditioned, causing them to act too familiar near residential homes and human dwellings and leading to bears to seek out human sources of food, rather than eating natural foods. This behavior ultimately leads to bears being lethally removed from the population because of these interactions with unsecured human food and waste. Bear resistant garbage cans are one of the easiest way to prevent bears from getting a free meal. For Flathead Reservation residents who self-haul their garbage to container sites, we offer one Kodiak Bear Resistant Garbage Can per household for lease with a one-time payment of $20. If Republic Services picks up your trash, Kodiak cans can be leased for a small additional fee to your usual garbage hauling bill. Keeping your garbage inside the house or garage until the morning of garbage pick-up, or making weekly trips to the dump are both very helpful strategies to reduce bear-garbage conflicts. Although they may seem safe, sheds do not serve as a secure place to store trash or feed, as bears can damage a shed if they smell food inside. Bringing bird feeders and pet food inside during the night and putting them out in the morning, or avoid feeding birds altogether during the summer months are also helpful actions that can be taken to reduce conflict in bear country. Store livestock feed in secure, enclosed structure or behind electrified fencing. Be sure to clean BBQ grills regularly and clean grease traps after use to reduce residual smells of cooked food. It is also very important as a resident in bear country to discourage bears from becoming comfortable being in yards or near human dwellings. We love to see wildlife making their way through our property and often take pictures and videos of bears on our porches, however the proper response is to haze the bear as quickly as possible. Open a window and yell, bang pots and pans, blow an air horn, spray them with bear spray, or make some loud, audible noise to alert and scare the bear away as soon as possible. The Wildlife Program offers access to air horns, motion activated noise devices (Critter Gitters), and battery-operated radios that are all tools that can be used to prevent bears from being habituated to human presence. We also offer reduced-cost access to bear spray, where anyone who has purchased a CSKT Reservation Recreation permit can buy a can of bear spray for $20. Why can't we just trap and move all problem bears? On the surface this seems like a good solution, however, it is only a temporary solution to a deeper issue. Removing one bear that has learned this behavior may resolve the issue momentarily, but if the attractant is not removed or secured, new bears (sometimes even only hours later) will find that same food source and learn the same behavior. The better long- term solution is be to prevent a bear's first encounter with attractants and secure garbage, chickens and small livestock (sheep, goats, pigs). CSKT 406-675-2700 cskt.org 42487 Complex Blvd., Pablo, MT 59855 CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI ENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION 215594 SPRING IN BEAR COUNTRY As weather gets warmer and wildlife return to the valley , there will be a noticeable increase in preventable human - bear conflicts occurring within the Flathead Indian Reservation . The Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribal Wildlife Management Program wants to remind residents that bears will be seeking easily available sources of food . While unsecured garbage is the # 1 cause of black - bear conflicts , there are other easily - overlooked attractants that could be drawing bears into your yard or on your porch . Including but not limited to : pet food , bird feeders , livestock feed , grain , fruit trees , and uncleaned barbecue grills . Bears can quickly become food - conditioned , causing them to act too familiar near residential homes and human dwellings and leading to bears to seek out human sources of food , rather than eating natural foods . This behavior ultimately leads to bears being lethally removed from the population because of these interactions with unsecured human food and waste . Bear resistant garbage cans are one of the easiest way to prevent bears from getting a free meal . For Flathead Reservation residents who self - haul their garbage to container sites , we offer one Kodiak Bear Resistant Garbage Can per household for lease with a one - time payment of $ 20 . If Republic Services picks up your trash , Kodiak cans can be leased for a small additional fee to your usual garbage hauling bill . Keeping your garbage inside the house or garage until the morning of garbage pick - up , or making weekly trips to the dump are both very helpful strategies to reduce bear - garbage conflicts . Although they may seem safe , sheds do not serve as a secure place to store trash or feed , as bears can damage a shed if they smell food inside . Bringing bird feeders and pet food inside during the night and putting them out in the morning , or avoid feeding birds altogether during the summer months are also helpful actions that can be taken to reduce conflict in bear country . Store livestock feed in secure , enclosed structure or behind electrified fencing . Be sure to clean BBQ grills regularly and clean grease traps after use to reduce residual smells of cooked food . It is also very important as a resident in bear country to discourage bears from becoming comfortable being in yards or near human dwellings . We love to see wildlife making their way through our property and often take pictures and videos of bears on our porches , however the proper response is to haze the bear as quickly as possible . Open a window and yell , bang pots and pans , blow an air horn , spray them with bear spray , or make some loud , audible noise to alert and scare the bear away as soon as possible . The Wildlife Program offers access to air horns , motion activated noise devices ( Critter Gitters ) , and battery - operated radios that are all tools that can be used to prevent bears from being habituated to human presence . We also offer reduced - cost access to bear spray , where anyone who has purchased a CSKT Reservation Recreation permit can buy a can of bear spray for $ 20 . Why can't we just trap and move all problem bears ? On the surface this seems like a good solution , however , it is only a temporary solution to a deeper issue . Removing one bear that has learned this behavior may resolve the issue momentarily , but if the attractant is not removed or secured , new bears ( sometimes even only hours later ) will find that same food source and learn the same behavior . The better long- term solution is be to prevent a bear's first encounter with attractants and secure garbage , chickens and small livestock ( sheep , goats , pigs ) . CSKT 406-675-2700 cskt.org 42487 Complex Blvd. , Pablo , MT 59855 CONFEDERATED SALISH AND KOOTENAI ENAI TRIBES OF THE FLATHEAD RESERVATION 215594