It’s bear season in the Northwest – they are raising their young and are on the prowl for anything they can eat.
Greg Mueller snapped an amazing photo of two large bears in his back yard near the Hood Canal Bridge. The bears were wandering through in the middle of the afternoon Saturday - at 1 p.m.
More photos sent in by a Snoqualmie viewer show a bear wandering a back yard on Saturday.
“This big guy found his way into our back yard this afternoon I'm not sure if he was wanting to jump on the trampoline or not,” the photographer wrote.
Another photo, taken on Friday in Sammamish, shows a large bear ambling along a road and a deer running right in front of it.
“The bear didn't even bat an eye!” the photographer wrote.
Send us your bear photos. Visit our Your News page and upload them directly.
The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife says the number one reason for confrontations between bears and humans, (95 percent of the calls to offices) is irresponsibility on the part of people: Access to trash, pet food, bird feeders, and improper storage of food while camping make up the majority of the calls.
Bears will spend a lot of time and energy digging under, breaking down, or crawling over barriers to get food, including garbage. If you have a pickup service, put garbage out shortly before the truck arrives - not the night before. If you’re leaving several days before pickup, haul your garbage to a dump. If necessary, frequently haul your garbage to a dumpsite to avoid odors.
Keep garbage cans with tight-fitting lids in a shed, garage, or fenced area. Spray garbage cans and dumpsters regularly with disinfectants to reduce odors. Keep fish parts and meat waste in your freezer until they can be disposed of properly.
If you come in close contact with a bear:
- Stay calm and avoid direct eye contact, which could elicit a charge. Try to stay upwind and identify yourself as a human by standing up, talking and waving your hands above your head.
- Do not approach the bear, particularly if cubs are present. Give the bear plenty of room.
- If you cannot safely move away from the bear, and the animal does not flee, try to scare it away by clapping your hands or yelling.
- If the bear attacks, fight back aggressively. As a last resort, should the attack continue, protect yourself by curling into a ball or lying on the ground on your stomach and playing dead.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife responds to cougar and bear sightings when there is a threat to public safety or property. If it is an emergency, dial 911.
If you encounter a cougar or black bear problem, and it is not an emergency, contact the nearest regional Department of Fish and Wildlife office between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. In King County, the number to call is (425)775-1311.
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