Wild Trails & Tall Tales

- by Roland Cheek

 

BEARS AND PEOPLE--CHANGES IN THE WIND

A confused grizzly bear trapped in the heart of Flathead Valley, near the sprawling commercial airport. A family of grizzlies filmed grazing on lawns and toying with hummingbird feeders in the Many Lakes area. Two youthful grizzly siblings trapped from an apple orchard near Bigfork. An adult male removed from the Foothills area. Other grizzly bears ranging into the valley from the Swan Range. A grizzly family group west of Flathead Lake, near Lakeside. What does it all mean?

Aside from a poor 1995 high country huckleberry crop, it means grizzly bears are re-occupying habitat they ranged during pre-settlement days. Meanwhile, that habitat is being inexorably taken by Homo sapiens seeking a quality life amid rural wildlife abundance. That, in turn, means grizzly bears and Mr. and Mrs. Montana are on a collision course. At least that's the way it seems. But the way the confrontation plays out may be different.

Bears, according to radio monitoring, begin with swift nocturnal forays into human domain. This past season the animals found abundant naturally-occurring service and hawthorn berries, rose hips and wetlands tubers amid lowlands. And hey! here's a weed and brush-choked abandoned apple orchard with ripe fruit just a-hanging.

It was easy enough to make a transition from isolated orchards to a fruit tree growing inside a picket fence; then a garbage can, and wow! corn thrown out to feed deer. Next, a platform rich with songbirds' sunflower seeds could be pushed over or smashed flat. Then it was sugar water in hummingbird feeders hung under porch overhangs. Soon, some bears felt comfortable grazing lawn clover or nosing through compost piles while in plain view under vapor yard lights. A few even abandoned their normal nocturnal foraging.

Surprising numbers of humans demonstrated tolerance. After all, Ursus arctos horribilis--at least amid some circles--represent proof of the highest quality lifestyle amid the wildest of wildlife....

Such a tolerance scale among humans and bears seems unthinkable to one of the region's old-timers remembering when relations were markedly different. But how long can it continue?

Down near Ovando, one homeowner took the "watchable wildlife" idea so much to heart he actually fed black bears (up to 12 was video recorded for his viewing pleasure). Neighbors complained. The man pointed out to responding game wardens that he broke no law.

However, a neighbor wound up with a food-conditioned bear in his garage. He shot same. Wardens at last got through to the bear-feeding landowner by pointing out he risked civil litigation from neighbors less than enamored by someone developing nuisance bears.

But corn scattered for deer might also be corn for bears. What about homeowners who have unsecured garbage? For that matter, isn't hummingbird feeders like candy dispensers to bears? Might not sunflower seeds in an accessible place attract grizzlies?

Next year will certainly see a better huckleberry crop, but future failure will come. Meanwhile, bears and humans will continue to encroach, one upon the other. Can both co-exist?

I don't know. But I do know this: it is we who must change the most.

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