Bears travel throughout Montana using their noses to find natural and non-natural food resource. While bears look for a diversity of food to eat, garbage is one of the highest points of conflict between people and bears.

Non-natural food resource: Garbage, bird seed, pet food, barbeque grills, compost, fruit trees, chickens and other small livestock (chickens to cows) and their feed, crops, beehives, dead and buried animals, and salt licks. These can attract bears to your property.

Natural food sources: Wild berries, grasses, insects, wildlife carcasses, pine nuts, fish, and much more. Be aware of your environment where bears might be feeding.

Keep bear attractants such as, garbage, dog food, and chicken feed in bear-resistant containers or inside a secured building, including firm doors and windows.

Call your private trash pickup service to inquire about bear-resistant trash cans. They can also be found at several hardware stores. In the Flathead Reservation, call your private trash pickup service, or, if you self-haul, call the Tribes CSKT NRD-Division of Fish, Wildlife office at 406-883-2888 (Monday-Thursday). For a list of bear-resistant products, check igbconline.org.

Install an electric fence around attractants, including your chicken coop, calving grounds, carcass piles, beehives, and compost. These are proven to be effective with bears.

Build electric fencing around fruit trees, or pick up fruit before it ripens, and let it ripen in a secure place. If you can’t pick or use all your fruit, check out Flathead Fruit Gleaning or Mission Valley Fruit Gleaning Facebook pages for a local fruit-picking group.

Feed birds when bears are hibernating. This is usually from November through March, but dates will vary depending on the weather on any given year.

Properly dispose of carcasses by contacting Flathead County Solid Waste at 406-758-5910.

Properly clean barbecue grills or burn off all greasy residue before you are finished.

Carry bear spray in an accessible location on you at all times, and know how to use it. Each person should carry a full can of EPA-certified bear spray, make sure it is not expired. Bear spray is an effective, nonlethal bear deterrent. It is important you know how to use it before you have to use it.

Stay alert and be ready to deploy bear spray in limited when hearing or visibility is limited.

Watch for bear sign like tracks, scat, scratch marks, bear hair, overturned rocks, and bear feeding sites.

Travel in groups and make noise. Loud noise is a simple, effective way to alert bears of your presence… Talk, yell, rock and roll ballads, showtunes, or classic old country tear jerkers.

Keep dogs on a leash to prevent spooking and triggering a chase from a bear.

Slow down when biking or running to avoid surprising a bear.

Avoid recreating at dawn and dusk when bears are most active.

Learn about bear activity before you go. Check out information at trail heads, visitors centers, and social media before you hike or hunt in an area.

Avoid camping near bear signs - tracks or scat.

Do not leave scented items in your tent, such as food, sunscreen, and toothpaste.

Cook and store any food and odorous items at least 100 yards away from your tent. Dispose of garbage in provided containers. Otherwise, take it with you and dispose of it properly. Never burn or bury your garbage.

Properly store food, garbage, pet food, and anything with a scent:

• in a bear box, IGBC-certified bear resistant containers, locked car, hard-sided camper, or horse trailer. Coolers and plastic storage boxes are not bear resistant.

• Suspend 10 feet up and 4 feet out from a vertical support like a tree.

Hunters, who move quietly, should be extra vigilant in bear country. If retrieving meat from a kill site, have a clear view of their surroundings at all times.

Bear spray is a highly effective, non-lethal deterrent, as it temporarily incapacitates a bear when sprayed properly. Always recreate with each person carrying a full can of EPA-certified bear spray and make sure it is not expired.

Keep the safety lock on unless you think you may need to discharge the spray. While outdoors, practice taking the lock off quickly so it’s second nature.

If you need to discharge your bear spray, remove the safety and spray before the bear reaches you so that it runs into the cloud of spray, about 2-3 seconds or until the bear is affected. Point slightly downwards, as a charging bear will be low to the ground.