Hungry bears hit Silver Valley

Shoshone County Sheriff Mitch Alexander is using social media to warn Silver Valley residents about black bears looking for food in multiple area cities.

On Wednesday around 9 p.m., Alexander wrote a status on his Facebook page discussing the issues his office and Shoshone County residents have been having with black bears. The status, which had been shared 589 times as of Thursday afternoon, mentions sightings in Pinehurst, Wallace and Silver Mountain.

"The weather has fouled up their berry supplies up high and they're coming into town hitting apple trees and barbecues," Alexander wrote. "Be careful of your bird feeders, barbecues, garbage, and other food items."

Alexander added a request for patience amongst residents contacting either his office or the Idaho Department of Fish and Game because of the bears. His deputies are not equipped with dart guns or bear cages, Alexander wrote, and Fish and Game employees are spread thin.

"Be safe," Alexander concluded.

Jim Hayden, a staff biologist with IDFG, told The Press Thursday that "berry failure" years occur every six or seven years.

"So we typically see bear activity at lower elevations just because there is a lack of food," Hayden said. "Bears are omnivores, so when a major source of food disappears they can access a diverse range of new food sources."

Unusually dry conditions have caused the failure to happen slightly earlier than normal, Hayden added. The biologist also mentioned that the problem is not universal, and that there are some full patches of berries in North Idaho forests.

IDFG recommends residents do two things - keep dog and cat food indoors, and place garbage cans in garages, or empty them more frequently - to prevent hungry bears from becoming unwelcome scavengers on their property.

"Those two things can make a big difference," Hayden said. "There are still going to be bears, but they will be less likely to cause problems."

Hayden also suggested removing bird feeders, particularly those with sunflower seeds in them, as a precautionary measure.