Keep bears in the woods, put food out of paw’s reach Published July 28, 2011 By Luke Waack JBER Public Affairs JONIT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Brown and black bears live on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and improper handling of dog food, barbecue grills and grease traps, birdseed, dumpsters or any food or scent can bring them out of the woods and into the back yard. JBER residents and facility patrons must use proper trash disposal to prevent unnecessary contact with bears and avoid a fine, according to JBER wildlife and conservation officials. The bear issue is 95 percent a people problem, according to Jim Wendland, JBER Conservation Law Enforcement. "Once we take care of the attractants, the bears will move on," Wendland said. There have been two cases of tickets being issued to JBER residents for negligently feeding wildlife recently, Wendland said. "Leaving trash in their back yard and putting trash in the recycle bins and leaving the recycle bins out where the bears could easily get to them and get a free meal," Wendland said, "which in a couple instances caused damage to fences inside housing, where the bears broke fences down." Contact between humans and bears can result in harm to people and or bears, and that's what base residents should keep in mind when it comes to cleaning up yards and cars. "If they don't get a big reward, they won't come back," Wendland said. Because bears will enter housing areas searching for food, it's a good idea to check the yard visually, before going outside, according to Chuck Parsley, JBER wildlife biologist. "Situational awareness is a resident's biggest ally," Parsley said. "When hiking or fishing, anything that lets them know you're coming - a low grunt or an air horn would be best." The chance of a bear encounter increases this time of year because of salmon running in the creeks on base, Parsley said. Six-Mile Creek on base is a popular salmon fishing spot for people and bears, officials said. If anglers go to Six-Mile Creek, they should be aware bears are in the area, take bear spray and make lots of noise. Fishermen should put any leftover carcasses in dumpsters, not into base creeks or forested areas. Parsley educates the JBER public on how to be smart when it comes to bears at newcomer briefings and through community outreach, but sometimes the information doesn't sink in. People usually don't see a bear on base, even though the installation has populated areas next to bear habitat and wildlife corridors, Parsley said, but they are close and can easily get food at family residences who don't keep their yard free of bear attractants. "Bears are easily attracted to what people dismiss as a small amount of food, because they have great sniffers," Parsley said. "They can sniff things at long distances away, better than a dog." Parsley reminds people to pick up some not-so-obvious bear attractants; lunches in the car, spoiled bananas in the backseat, barbecue grills, bird seed, open garage doors, fish waste, food stuffs in the cooler. Don't put out bird seed, except in winter, Parsley said. Put trash out on the day of pick-up, not the night before. By keeping all potential attractants locked in the garage residents can keep the yard bear-free. "If we can keep the area clear of attractants, they will not become habituated or food-conditioned potentially, then they'll stay wild and leery of people," Parsley said. If people don't pick up after themselves and a bear can't give up looking for food in housing areas, conservation agents sometimes have to kill the animal, Wendland said. "We don't want to see the bears get put down," Wendland said. Along with policing up the yard, residents can properly close dumpsters, keeping bears out of them, Wendland said. People must close all lids and use locking devices where available, Wendland said. The most recent bear-proof dumpsters are already in place at some locations, including the Fam Camp. These dumpsters require two hands to open, which significantly decreases the chance of bear entry, if people properly close the lid. Wendland and Parsley are working to get as many new bear proof dumpsters on base as they can, but it takes time. Older dumpsters with sliding side doors are being fitted with locking pins, because bears have learned how to slide them open, Wendland said. It's a good idea to not have young children take trash out to the dumpster, because a bear might be inside if it wasn't properly secured, Wendland said. "We throw a rock at a dumpster before approaching, to see if a bear's head pops up," Wendland said. But regardless of how many bear proof dumpsters the base has installed, residents and patrons must always clean up bear attractants and make them impossible for a bear to reach, Wendland said, keeping people safe and bears wild.