Berry shortage tough for bears

COEUR d'ALENE - This time last year, life was easier for the region's black bears.

There was a bumper crop of mountain berries, and the furry beasts didn't have to go far to find those tiny, purple treats they savor just as much as humans do.

"Last year, the bears were just sitting in the huckleberry crop getting fat," said Idaho Fish and Game wildlife biologist Wayne Wakkinen.

Things are different this year, and the bears have been on the move looking for easy-to-reach sources of highly concentrated calories.

They've been showing up in Kootenai County homeowners' yards and even on a porch or two, looking for something to munch on.

"If you look at past years, the number of black bear complaints are definitely an indicator of the huckleberry crop," Wakkinen said.

One of the worst years for the huckleberry crop was 1997, he said.

"We had black bear problems all summer long, just one after another that year," Wakkinen said.

It's not quite like that this year. Looking at the crop himself, Wakkinen said it's not a great year, but not a complete bust.

"When I talk to people picking, they say it's kind of spotty and they have to look pretty hard," he said.

Malcolm Dell, an Orofino resident and one of the founders of the Idaho-based International Wild Huckleberry Foundation, said the lack of any significant snowfall last winter is what's hurting this year's berry crop and making the bears work harder for their food. The snow pack protects the plants, he said.

"Then, that late frost like we had in June, that's just a killer," Dell said.

Wakkinen said his agency's conservation officer in Clark Fork isn't seeing many berries at all, especially in the Lightning Creek drainage area.

"It might be that he's going to have some black bear problems there," Wakkinen said.

As the days get shorter, the bears become more and more focused on getting as many calories as they can, and when there are no berries to be found, their travels often lead them into residential areas.

If the animals don't find any tasty treats, they keep moving - no harm, no foul.

"But once a bear becomes habituated to being around people, especially if it becomes food-conditioned, and thinks people mean food, then you've got a problem bear," Wakkinen said.

Prevention is the best defense, he said, by making sure there are no bear delicacies available on your property.

Black sunflower seeds, the type people often put out for wild birds, are especially appealing to bears.

"They're high in calories, and easy to get at," Wakkinen said. "When you think of it from a concentrated calorie standpoint, it makes sense."

Hungry bears are also attracted to compost piles, barbecues, the sugar water in hummingbird feeders, garbage cans and pet food left out on decks and patios - items that Wakkinen said should all be secured.

Another problem is looming as harvest season approaches - fruit tree fallout.

"As plums and apples get ripe and drop to the ground, you should keep them picked up," Wakkinen said.

What to do if you come face-to-face with a black bear in your yard?

"The best course of action is to keep yourself safe, and certainly we're going to be interested in hearing about it. If a bear's on your deck, you're talking about a human safety issue," Wakkinen said.

He suggests to people who have seen bears on their property or near their homes that they keep some bear pepper spray around.

"It's a good safety precaution, and it's an effective repellent," Wakkinen said. "It's relatively more effective than a handgun."