'Walking hibernation:' Bears are up and looking for meals; time to be 'bear wise' and secure property

Despite the never-ending winter weather we've been enduring, Spring is definitely here, and it is being heralded by the awakening of the bears.

Now is the time to be hyper-vigilant about securing your trash, keeping your car securely locked, and making sure your sliding glass doors aren't welcoming in any scavengers.

According to Raquel Martinez, urban wildlife coordinator with the Nevada Department of Wildlife, what the bears are currently going through is something called "walking hibernation" which will last for a few weeks.

"They’re pretty slow and groggy, and their metabolic activity is still relatively suppressed, so they actually eat more lightly than they would normally," Martinez said. "Depending on conditions, some bears will actually go back into hibernation too."

While the hills may not be singing with ripening berries for the bears to snack on, trash is not their only option.

During the walking hibernation phase, bears will typically eat old vegetation with roughage and fiber to help clear their digestive system out and get those body process up to speed again.

"Then when they’re metabolically up to speed again, they’ll go looking for something more substantial," Martinez said. "This time of year, that often looks like roots and budding grasses (which are starting to pop up), as well winterkill carrion (wildlife that didn’t survive the winter)."

But as we in Northern Nevada know, bears are opportunistic omnivores; they will eat what they can find and what is easily accessible. With the heavy snowpack in the mountains and even some foothills, this means bears will likely retreat to the lower elevations searching for their meals.

What's most important is to make sure your home does not look like a resource to a bear.

Here’s some important steps to take:

— Secure your garbage: 90% of bear calls are garbage related. Securing and bear proofing your trash is
the best thing you can do to deter bears and keep them wild.

— Waste Management and Douglas Disposal offers bear-resistant garbage cans that can be left out. You can request one by calling (775) 329-8822, (775) 343-7596 for Carson City, and (775) 782-5713 for Douglas Disposal. In the meantime, keep your non-bear-resistant garbage cans stored in a locked shed or garage and only put it out the morning of trash pickup.

— Be aware: Washoe County, Carson City, and Douglas County have garbage ordinances in place that require residents to secure their trash to prevent bears from accessing it. Failure to do so can result in fines. Repeated violations can be reported to the local code enforcement at (775) 328-6101 for Washoe County, (775) 887-2599 for C arson City, and 775-782-6214 for Douglas County.

— Remove bird feeders from dusk to dawn.

— Remove other attractants from your yard (fruit from fruit trees, pet food, clean dirty barbeques, trash, and all other food/scented items).

— Install electric fencing around beehives, chicken coops, or livestock. For more information click here: https://www.ndow.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Electric-Fencing-Purchas...
pamphlet.pdf

— As a precaution remove food, trash, and other scented items from vehicles. Keep vehicle windows up and doors locked when not in use.

— If you see bears near your home, scare them away: From an open window or safe distance, yell loudly and/or bang pots and pans to scare the bear away. Yelling things like “Hey bear!”, “Go bear!”, “Get out of here bear!” alerts those around you to what’s going on. You can also trigger your car alarm to try to scare them off as well. These methods can help “negatively condition” bears to humans and houses and teach them that it is not okay to enter these areas.

For more information, visit https://www.ndow.org/blog/living-with-bears/ or learn more with BearWise: https://bearwise.org/bear-safety-tips/keep-bears-out/ for more bear tips.

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