Standards for Bear-Resistant Structures in Bear Country

Conflicts between humans and bears are bad for humans and bad for bears. They lead to property damage, frustration, anger, ruined vacations, and dead bears. With these easy to implement suggestions*, most human-bear conflict can be prevented:

Home:

• Close and lock all doors and windows when you are out of the house or in bed.
• If you are going to leave a window open, leave an upstairs window open that doesn’t have easy access for a bear, but remember that bears climb. Trees, stairs, and railings all make great ladders for bears.
• Consider installing grates or bars on the outside of accessible windows so they can be left open without worry.
• Hang curtains over windows that have view of the kitchen, pantry, or garbage.
• Replace lever-style door handles with classic round knobs that bears can’t open.
• Make sure that all doors open out rather than in.
• Remember that locking a screen door won’t keep bears out.
• Lock pet doors at night so bears cubs (or adults) don’t use them.
• Lock cellar doors and install sturdy metal grates over cellars.
• Never keep bear attractants on a porch or other unsecured room.

• Invest in a strong wooden door. Regular garage doors are not bear-proof.
• Keep garage and shed doors closed at all times.
• If your shed is made of flimsy or lightweight wood, retrofit it, or do not store bear attractants (food, garbage, sweet hay, bird food, antifreeze) there.
• If you are building a new home, build it away from climbing trees and thick natural cover that bears hide in when accessing homes.

• If you store your trash outside, invest in a bear-proof dumpster or garbage can.
• If you store your trash inside, keep it in a secured building with sturdy walls and doors. Do not store it in a flimsy shed or a shed with a flimsy door. Take it outside the morning of collection.
• Regularly wash your garbage containers with ammonia to cut down on odors.
• Treat recycling the same way that you treat garbage.

• Plant ornamental rather than fruit-bearing trees. If you must plant fruit-bearing trees, plant them far from your home.

• Bird food is high in calories. At night, bring feeders inside. During the day, hang feeders out of reach. Use a millet-free mix that is less attractive to bears and don’t use suet, peanut butter, or grease to feed birds during the summer.
• Feed your pets indoors.