Clearwater Valley Bear Smart delivered 24 bear resistant trash cans to residents of Dogtown in Seeley Lake.
Trash is something we all have to deal with and living in the Seeley Lake area can be a bit challenging with hungry bears as neighbors. That's why Clearwater Valley Bear Smart has been trying to help local citizens better manage their garbage and avoid bear conflicts.
Wrapping up a successful Bear Fair in June, Alan Davis, the Clearwater Valley Bear Smart Coordinator, and Jamie Jonkel, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Bear Management Specialist, delivered 24 bear resistant garbage containers to residents of Dogtown. We are thankful to the Blackfoot Challenge, Defenders of Wildlife and Lolo National Forest for donating these trash containers and for their support. Clearwater Valley Bear Smart is conducting a pilot program to test local demand for bear resistant garbage containers and to see how effective they are in reducing bear problems in the Seeley Lake area. Davis will be following up and monitoring the utilization of these containers.
As with any bear resistant container, it is only as effective as it is utilized. Things to keep in mind to ensure the garbage container works well for you: do not overfill the trash can so that it can close and keep the area around the container free from garbage and other bear attractants.
Clearwater Valley Bear Smart would like to remind area residents that with this dry, hot weather and its possible impact on local berry production, bears could begin moving into lower elevations. This potentially creates an increase in local bear problems in the area. Please keep your homes and surrounding areas free from bear attractants, such as garbage, bird feeders and pet and domestic livestock food.
We want to hear from the community about your concerns and questions about living with bears. If you are interested in learning more about our pilot program or how to obtain a bear resistant trash container, please reach out to Davis at cvbearsmart@gmail.com. At this time we cannot guarantee you a trash receptacle, but we can help you solve problems.
Reader Comments(1)
Bearbreaker writes:
Have been using bear resistant container like these for over a decade and can vouch for their value. If you have a dog, including a sack of their excrement (fancy word required to get through language censors) on top of any good smelling trash makes them virtually fail proof. While bears have tipped neighbor’s can that is completely adjacent intermittently, mine has been ignored. You can benefit from Dogtown’s traditional moniker and send the bears packing.
07/31/2024, 4:36 pm