Experts share human-bear conflict prevention measures

MISSOULA — After reporting on a bear being shot following raiding a chicken coop in the Sixmile, MTN is following up on ways to prevent human-bear conflicts.

“Leaving these food items out, such as garbage or chicken feed or dog feed, in a way, it’s like leaving thousand-dollar bills out. And then being quite surprised when someone comes in their backyard and steals a couple thousand dollar bills off the clothes line,” Jamie Jonkel of Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Bear Management Team said.

(WATCH: Experts share human-bear conflict prevention measures)

Experts share human-bear conflict prevention measures

Jonkel has studied bears for years. He follows trends that impact them and puts out a monthly newsletter.

“In the month of May, we’ve had more black bear issues than we had all of last year,” Jonkel shared. “This year, something isn’t quite right. The bears are telling us that they’re a little hungry. So, we’ve had just a ton of bears near home sites.â€

Jonkel says to avoid conflicts, humans need to adjust to bears as the animals have for us.

“We are gobbling up all the habitat. Western Montana has just grown tremendously in the last 10 years,” Jonkel stated.

Jonkel says electric fences deter bears, as well as other animals.

“When the bear comes in to investigate like a chicken coop, it averse conditions itself by getting a shock. So, electric fence is a self educating tool bears teach themselves not to do certain things,” Jonkel explained.

“It hurts but it does not injure. But, if you touch it, you’ll remember and you’ll not do it again,” Defenders of Wildlife Program Associate Russ Talmo told MTN.

Talmo helps people protect their livestock and other attractants, like fruit trees, by putting up fences throughout the Northern Rockies.

“The program’s been running for 17 years and this year we’ll hit our 800th electric fence project,” Talmo detailed. “We prefer that to be a proactive process people can get in front of it before they have a conflict.”

Talmo notes Defenders of Wildlife has a cost share program of 50% up to 500 dollars for people looking to build any sort of fence.

“This is as simple as an electric fence gets you can set this thing up in 15 minutes. It is wildly effective if used correctly. With these type of fences you need to make sure they’re pulled tight,” Talmo said, mentioning his own electric fence surrounding his chicken coop.

Both Talmo and Jonkel say conflict prevention can be simple and is a responsible way to coexist in bear country.

“We need to change too,” Jonkel stated.

“It's just a matter of trying to keep bears wild, keep them out of the things that we have, and not be the source that’s drawing them into conflict,” Talmo added.

To learn more about fencing, click here.