Get Bear Smart at Home

Making sure your home and yard aren’t a draw for bears is an essential part of making your community safe for both bears and people.

Throughout this menu section, we go into detail about how to keep yourself, your property, and bears safe, but here are some main things you can do:

• Keep your home bear attractant free. A few of the most common attractants (smelly items that draw a bear to an area) around houses are garbage, birdfeeders, fruit trees, chickens, barbeques, and pet food. Make sure these items are either locked in a hard-sided building or in a bear-resistant container or enclosure.

• Once attractants are cleaned up, further discourage bears from hanging around on your property by using bear deterrents, like motion-sensitive alarms and other devices.

• Prevent bear break-ins. Bears can and will climb through open windows and doors in search of food. Keep doors and windows locked when you’re away. If you’re home and know a bear is in the area, keep the house closed. The same goes for vehicles—keep them locked.

• If you encounter a bear in your neighborhood, remain calm. Give the bear plenty of space and an easy escape route. Call your local conservation or wildlife officer to report your bear sighting.

• Keep the whole neighborhood safe by encouraging your neighbors to follow these steps, too. Better yet, start a Bear Smart Community initiative in your neighborhood.