GRANITE FALLS — Local police and wildlife officers are reminding people not to accidentally attract bears with garbage, bird feeders or pet food after a black bear was spotted in a residential area last week and shot by a hunter on private property.
Officers from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife found that the bear was legally hunted and there were no violations related to the shooting. They also concluded that, despite some contradictory reports, the animal had not been behaving unusually aggressively.
“Rumors started to abound the way rumors do,” said Capt. Alan Myers with the regional Fish and Wildlife office. “There were reports that the bear was aggressive and chasing kids and animals. Our officers did not find that was the case.”
A property owner in the area gave permission for a hunter with proper tags to shoot the bear, Myers said. It is bear season.
Officials get reports each year of bears, usually black bears, being seen near homes. The animals generally are drawn there in spring or fall when they’re trying to fatten up, Myers said. People unwittingly leave out bear buffets like bird feeders, pet food, untended gardens and easy-to-access garbage cans filled with waste.
“Don’t worry about feeding the birds,” he said. “They’ll get fed just fine on their own but you’ll attract bears, especially in this country. They don’t like hanging out with us, but they do like the easy sources of food we leave out.”
The bear was spotted Thursday morning near the Lake Alyson subdivision off Menzel Lake Road south of town, said Mike McQuoid, an officer with the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Black bear attacks are extremely rare, he said, but people still should be cautious, especially in the fall.
“Occasionally when they’re looking for wild food sources they stumble upon human food sources,” McQuoid said. “If you were going to go to sleep for four months, you’d be in a hurry to get as much food in your belly as possible, too.”
The department received a report about the bear at about 7:30 a.m. and the animal was shot around 10 a.m. the same day.
Myers advised people to call police or the Department of Fish and Wildlife if they see a bear in the area. Bears shouldn’t be approached for any reason. People shouldn’t try to chase them off, corner them or snap a close-up photo, Myers said. A black bear is likely to leave if people make enough noise to let the animal know it is in human territory. People should stay inside if they see a bear near their home or, if they are outside, retreat into a house or vehicle to call authorities.
“If you see a bear in a residential area, it’s something we’re keen to take care of,” Myers said.
Bears searching for food can be “in direct conflict with our communities and people,” Granite Falls police said in a statement on Facebook.
They urged people to be safe with guns. Aside from hunting, shooting should be a last resort in a bear encounter.
“Please do not attempt to dispatch a bear in your neighborhood unless it presents an imminent danger to you or others,” police said in the statement.
Granite Falls is not the only place where bears have been wandering lately. McQuoid spent Friday morning near Oso trying to track down a pair of black bear cubs left orphaned after their mother was hit by a car. If the cubs are found, they’ll be taken to a wildlife center and released when they are older and better able to survive on their own.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
