The US Fish and Wildlife Service has issued a cautionary statement for those spending any time outdoors to be watchful for grizzly bears emerging now from hibernation.
Spokesman Joe Szuzwalak says as grizzly bears begin to emerge from their dens this spring in search of food, the public to needs to remain vigilant and take proactive actions to avoid bear conflicts. Male grizzly bears tend to emerge from their dens in March and April, and females with cubs typically appear in April and May.
Szuzwalak says residents and visitors in Montana, Wyoming, northeast Washington, and northern and eastern Idaho should assume that grizzly bears may be present and work to avoid conflicts – avoiding a conflict is always easier than dealing with one.
Residents should secure attractants – anything with an odor such as compost, trash, dog food, livestock food, birdseed, or beehives. Of course, people should always carry bear spray when they are recreating in the out-of-doors and know how to use it.
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