| Black Bears are common throughout the Wind River Range.
Although a Grizzly encounter is possible, it is unlikely. Grizzly habitat
is typically to the north and east of the Pinedale area. Black Bears are
not as aggressive as Grizzly Bears and most often want to avoid you. The
Pinedale Ranger District has a pamphlet which describes the physical differences
between Grizzly and Black Bears which can help you know which type of bear
you may be dealing with.
Tips to help prevent unpleasant
bear encounters:
- Learn to tell the difference between
a black bear and a grizzly bear.
- Choose a campsite free of fresh
bear signs.
- A bear's sense of smell is hundreds
of times keener than a human's. Keep a clean camp. When in campgrounds,
leave food items locked in car trunks, hard-sided trailers or bear resistant
containers (coolers, packpacks, wooden boxes and tents are not bear resistant!).
When backpacking, hang food, garbage and other bear attractants well away
from your sleeping area (100 yards )
- Store food very high in a tree
(at least 10-15 feet high and 4 feet from the tree trunk). Pick a tree
away from your camp. Under no circumstances should you store food in your
tent or leave food in it.
- If you are above tree line, store
attractants in doubled plastic bags, as high and as far from your camp
as practical. Remember that things like toothpaste, cosmetics, deodorant,
canned foods & beverages, pet food, horse pellets and animal carcasses
care also bear attractants.
- Cook meals away from your sleeping
area. Do not sleep in or near the clothes you have handled food in. Always
keep a clean camp and wash all utensils after eating. Either burn garbage
or hang it with other bear attractants. Do not bury garbage!
- As you hike in forested areas,
talk with your partner(s) or make some sort of noise. Bears do not like
surprises!
- Do not try to feed or approach
bears, ever! Avoid coming between a mother bear and her cubs. Keep pets
from harassing bears. Dogs and bears do not mix!
- Report any bear encounters to the
Game & Fish Department or US Forest Service, no matter how insignificant.
A fed bear is a dead
bear!
When people do not store their food and garbage properly, a bear will
quickly learn that this is an easy meal. Once a bear has become habituated
to human food, it loses it's fear of humans. Bears that seek food at campsites
may be removed from the area or destroyed. The bear in this photograph
was shot and killed after it entered a camp where food and garbage were
improperly stored. You can prevent scenes like this from happening by storing
food and garbage correctly while camping.
More useful web sites with bear information:
http://www.udap.com/safety.htm
(good info on bear safety)
http://www.nps.gov/yell/nature/animals/bear/infopaper/info1.html
(Yellowstone National Park)
http://www.montana.com/rattlesnake/ (Good
graphics for black & grizzly bear)
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