Don’t Feed the Bears & More

Black Bear

Calif. Code of Regulations 251.3 – “Prohibits feeding of big game mammals.” Punishable by $1,000 fine and/or 6 months in jail or both!

Black Bear Not Happy
Above: This bear is more overt in its display of aggression.

Someone lacking in brain power has been reported to be feeding the bears up in Sugarloaf. I have one thing to say, “STOP IT!”

It is a proven fact that habituated animals get into trouble with humans–by losing their fear, biting, scratching, and attacking. Do you remember the kid who was grabbed out of a tent at one of the camps by a Black Bear? Food was the attractant.

If that is not a big enough deterrent, feeding wildlife is officially a BAD idea. It is against the law.

Here is an older release from theCalifornia Department of Fish & Game.

Need some posters for your neighborhood…visit the Keep Me Wild area of the Fish & Game Department’s website.

Here are a few bear safety hints:

* Never feed a bear – People should never feed bears, even unintentionally. It is also against the law (several local ordinances also cite people for feeding bears).

* Remove or contain all bear attractants – Bear attractants include pet food and anything smelly or edible, especially garbage. Bears are also attracted to bee hives, orchards and gardens. Occasionally, livestock are killed and eaten. Keep barbecue grills clean, pick up fallen tree fruit, and put away pet food and bird feeders at night. Encourage your neighbors to participate as well.

* Never approach a bear – Most black bears will avoid a confrontation if given the chance. If a bear encounter occurs, make sure to give the animal enough space to escape. Most human injuries associated with black bears occur when a bear is approached. If a black bear approaches, try to demonstrate that you may be a danger to it. Make yourself larger, stand up, raise your arms and open your jacket. Yell, bang pots and pans or whatever objects you may have that will create a commotion.

* Do not run from a bear – Running away from a black bear may stimulate its instinct to chase. No human will be able to outrun a bear. Instead, stand and face the animal. Make eye contact, but don’t stare. If you have small children with you, pick them up so they can’t run away or panic.

In case you are curious, here are some bear attack accounts from Alaska.

Sailboat Story
Okay, the story on the sailboat is that it was blown off of its mooring in the strong gusts of wind. Just around the bend is Windy Point–why the name? Because reports of gusts of up to 100mph have been reported.

Rumor has it that not only was the sailboat beat up by the wind, but also the new Sierra Belle and other boats were wind captives down at the dam. I heard that the Sierra Belle had a large number of passengers on board during the experience.

How can the Grizzlysay nothing happens around here? (They are NEVER going to live that down.)



Thank you for reading this post. You can now Leave A Comment (0) or Leave A Trackback.

Post Info

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 12th, 2007 and is filed under Mountain Lake Resort.

You can follow any responses to this entry through the Comments Feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Previous Post: »
Next Post: »

Read More

Related Reading:

Comments are closed.