2024 bear safety and ecology education.pdf

Bear Safety and Ecology

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks

Chad White, Jack Morawczynski

Take a picture so you’ll know who to call

Jack Morawczynski Grizzly Bear Management Technician Cell: (406) 308-9914

GRIZZLY

BEARS

IN

MONTANA

Riparian corridors act as highways for grizzly bears allowing expedited range expansion

Home range of green bear:

4-year-old management male:

Movements through the seasons

Why do bears love waterways so much?

Bear Behavior and Safety

❖Bears could be found anywhere in MT. Common west of Billings

❖Always be considering bear presence and remain vigilant

❖ Avoiding conflict is easier than dealing with conflict

❖In an encounter, respond to bear behavior and body language, rather than species

❖Your behavior matters

❖Knowledge, awareness, and respect are key to safe encounters. Educate yourself as much as possible on bear behavior, ecology, and biology

❖Bears are not inherently dangerous or unstoppable

❖Always carry multiple defense options, know how to use them well, and practice often

Universal Message

• Tracks

• Digging

• Torn up logs

• Carcasses

• Daybeds

• Overturned rocks

• Scat

• Rub trees

Be aware of bear sign:

Black Bears

• Adapted to forested areas

• Tend to be less confrontational than grizzlies

• Great climbers

• Wary, but have ability to live near people

Grizzly Bears

• Adapted to open areas

• More likely to confront threats

• Powerful digging ability

• Less likely to be seen in populated areas

Grizzlies can climb too!

Primary Identifiers

• Paws (tracks)

• Claws

• Face and ear shape

• Color patterns (not coat color)

• Hump

Poor Identifiers:

Size Color

Two Main Reasons Bears Become Aggressive

• Defensive

• Predatory

Defensive-Protecting Resource

• Resource types:

-personal bubble-surprise

-food

-young or breeding partners

The presence of a carcass could mean a bear is nearby and may defend it’s claim

The bear perceives you as a threat!

-Your job is to remove the threat

Defensive

• Can largely be avoided by using human voice while hiking/walking and keeping wind at your back

• Do not run, fight back, or challenge

• Be submissive, avert face and eyes, talk calmly to bear

• Speak softly and be non-threatening

• Calmly back away while softly talking to the bear if it is stationary

• Stand your ground if bear is approaching

• Have bear spray ready and use it if the bear is within range

If the bear makes contact

• keep spraying, keep backpack on, lie face down, spread legs, cover neck, be quiet and don’t resist

• Black bear surprise attack could turn predatory.

Your response should adapt to bear behavior

• Be certain bear is long gone before moving

Defensive/Agitated Bear Signs

• Head hung and swaying

• Ears back

• Huffing, woofing, moans, blowing

• Jaw clacking

• Prehensile lips extended

• Swatting paws

• Hopping on front legs

• Bluff charge (head up/slower speed)

These are your warning signs!

Predatory

• Extremely rare

• Often younger inexperienced or older animals in desperation

• Often a product of habituation to humans and their food sources

• Behavior can turn predatory through time and experience

• Less common with grizzlies than black bears If the bear makes contact fight back!

Potentially predatory signals and trend:

-No stress sign, curious, focused intent, ears forward, head up, not scared of human, dominance testing nervous → relaxed→ confident →dangerous

General Responses to Behavior

Stress behavior: diffuse the threat, remain calm, speak softly and calmly, back away slowly, have bear spray or deterrent ready

*If attacked, do not fight back, play dead

Predatory behavior: make yourself large, stand your ground, make loud noise, use bear spray, rocks and sticks to change behavior

*If attacked, fight back using nearby objects if possible

Do’s and Don'ts

• Make human noise early and often

• Remain vigilant

• In an encounter-remain calm and determine body language/behavior-respond accordingly

• Never run

• Carry bear spray (2 lines of defense)

Conflict Prevention on the Farm: Grain

• Place tarps under loaders when transferring grain to prevent spills.

• Dispose of old grain through sanitation services, burning, or dumping away from people, buildings and livestock.

• Grain bin doors can be made more secure by adding hasps, adding bolt/carabiner to the latch- Welded bear resistant doors may be available provided by MFWP.

• Electric fencing can be placed around grain bins or electric mats in front of doors. Contact MFWP for assistance.

Complaint response (A single complaint often populates several fields)

Complaint type Number

Near people 20

Beehives ~20

Harvested grain 13

Property damage 12- plus all beehives

Poultry 12 turkeys killed in 2 events.

1 poultry feed/no birds.

1 BB/chicken coop

Cattle 7 confirmed with FWP

Goat 3 confirmed with FWP

Hunter carcass loss 4

Livestock feed 3

Encounter 2

Garbage 1

Fruit trees 1

Garden 1

Birdseed 1