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Show Page 12 The Ogden Valley news Volume XIX Issue VI July 1, 2011 Black Bears—What tonever dofireif ayou meet one Recreation Updates on the Uintawarning shot—aim for the center of the bear and keep firing until it is Wasatch-Cache National Forest dead. Notify the Utah Division of Wildlife Forest Service officials continue to remind Spring Hollow, Lodge and Lewis M. Turner Black bears usually avoid contact with people, but encounters in Utah’s woods and mountains are not uncommon. If you encounter a bear, follow these tips offered by the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. l Stand Your Ground – Never back up, lie down, or play dead. Stay calm and give the bear a chance to leave. Prepare to use your bear spray or another deterrent. l Don’t Run Away or Climb a Tree – Black bears are excellent climbers and can run up to 35 mph—you cannot outclimb or outrun them. l Know Bear Behavior – If a bear stands up, grunts, woofs, moans, or makes other sounds, it’s not being aggressive. These are the ways a bear gets a better look or smell and expresses its interests. If a bear attacks: l Use Bear Spray – Then leave the area. Studies have shown bear spray to be 92 percent successful in deterring bear attacks. l Shoot to Kill – If you use a firearm, BEAR SIGHTINGS cont. on page 12 Resources immediately. Always Fight Back – And never give up! People have successfully defended themselves with almost anything: rocks, sticks, backpacks, water bottles, and even their hands and feet. How Much Do You Know About Black Bears? l Black bears aren’t always black—their color can vary from white to black and every shade of brown. l Meat makes up less than 10 percent of a typical black bear’s diet, and much of that is from scavenged carcasses and insects. The rest of its diet is typically nuts, berries, grasses and other plants. l Black bears can live 25 years or more in the wild. l A typical female black bear weighs 120 to 150 pounds, while an average male is 180 to 300 pounds. The largest male on record weighed 880 pound. l visitors to exercise caution while recreating. Forest visitors need to adhere to road closure signage or blockades. Travelers should not attempt to cross roads where water is flowing across. Parents should keep children and pets away from rivers, streams, and riverbanks. Fast-moving rivers and streams are extremely powerful and dangerous. Mountain streams will continue to run high through June. Swift, cold rivers and streams pose a serious safety hazard. Forest officials caution people to be very careful. Given the unusual weather and the potential for flooding and slides, conditions can change hourly. Please call local Forest Service offices for conditions before embarking for sites on the Forest or visit <http://fs.usda.gov/uwcnf> campgrounds in Logan Canyon, Friendship and Spring campgrounds located in Left Hand Fork of Blacksmith Fork. Picnic and day use area closures: 2nd Dam Picnic Area closed due to flooding, Gus Lind day use area closed due to flooding. Roads open: Left Hand Fork of the Blacksmith Fork open to an area just before Gray Cliff Spring; High Creek, Green, and Card Canyons; Temple Fork Road open the first 4 miles before Mud Flat; Providence to the quarry. Roads and trails closed due to wet and muddy conditions and flooding: Mahogany Road (Pole Hollow Road) (Forest Service Road #150) Cowley Canyon Road (Forest Road #047) West Hodges Road (Forest Service Road #174) Temple Fork Sawmill Road (Forest Service Road #165) Spawn Creek Trailhead Worm Fence ATV Trail (Forest Service Trail #142) Smithfield Canyon Road (Forest Service Road #049) Millville Peak Road (Forest Road #168) Twin Creek Roads (Forest Service Road #005) Temple Fork Road (Forest Service Road #007) Dip Hollow-Long Hollow Road (Forest Service Road #056) Marie Springs Road (Forest Service Road #147) Left Hand Fork 4X4 Road (Forest Service Road #231) ally associated with the smells. By doing a few simple things, you can cut those smells down. SALT LAKE RANGER DISTRICT bear was trying . . . wanting to cross the road. And that will greatly reduce the chance that a Campgrounds open: Jordan Pines, They watched it for about a minute or two bear visits your camp or cabin: Spruces, and Tanners Flat before it wandered up the hillside. Greg is just Roads and trails closed due to wet and sick because he had his camera in the car, but l Don’t leave food out. Instead, lock your muddy conditions: Little Cottonwood Creek said he was so stunned at seeing a bear in the food and coolers inside your vehicle. You Trail (#1001), Farmington Canyon Road canyon that he didn’t think about it until it was can also suspend them at least 12 feet high (#80007), Ward Canyon Road (#80177), and too late. Greg has also taken a lot of slack from between two trees, so bears can’t reach them. South Willow Canyon Road. Campgrounds Taylor about Greg telling him that it was prob- l You can also store your food in a bear-proof and picnic areas will remain closed until further ably just a dog!” container. But remember that most contain- notice due to high water. Bear Sightings have also been reported ers, including plastic food coolers, are NOT near Lewis Grove (near the Indian Trail trailbear proof. Various sporting goods stores HEBER-KAMAS RANGER DISTRICT head), and south of Pineview Reservoir in the and outdoors stores sell containers that are Campgrounds open: Aspen Grove, Huntsville area. bear proof. Current Creek, Lodgepole, Pine Valley Group, From Northern Utah to points down south, l Don’t scatter garbage, food scraps and fat Ponderosa Group, Renegade, Shady Dell, people are seeing bears across Utah right now . drippings around your campsite. And don’t Smith Morehouse, Soapstone, Solider Creek, . . and in places they’ve never seen them before. leave them in your fire pit, either. Instead, Strawberry Bay, and Yellow Pine. Mirror Lake “I have lived in the canyon for 40 years,” place them in an airtight container, lock Highway is open from Kamas to milepost 20. All higher elevation roads are still closed says Keith Rounkles, who owns the Oaks resthem securely in the trunk of your car or due to snow and wet and muddy conditions. Roads and trails closed due to wet and taurant in Ogden Canyon, “and this is the first inside your trailer, and take them home with muddy conditions: time [I’ve heard of people seeing bears].” you. If bear-proof garbage cans are avail- Squaw Creek Road (Forest Road #110) SPANISH FORK RANGER DISTRICT Kevin Bunnell, mammals program coordiable in your campground, you can also leave Campgrounds open: All campgrounds are Trout Creek Road (Forest Road #084) nator for the Division of Wildlife Resources, them in the cans. open. Tut Creek Road (Forest Road #082) says there are two reasons for the sightings. l After you’re done cooking and eating, immeRoads open: Halls Fork, Pole Heaven and First, June is the time of the year when mother diately clean your cooking grills. And also The Strawberry Boardwalk Trail (Forest Left Fork of Hobble Creek (there is a washout bears kick their one-year-old cubs out on their clean anything used to prepare, eat, or clean Service Trail #308) located 1 mile from the trailhead) are open to North Fork of Bryants Fork own because the breeding season is starting. up food. ATV’s, Nebo Loop on the north side is open to The young bears, out on their own for the first l Don’t keep any food in the area where you’re South Fork Bryants Fork Blackhawk Campground, and the Nebo Loop time, tend to wander as they search for an area South Fork of the Provo sleeping. on the south side is open to the junction with to call their own. l Cook away from your tent or sleeping area. South Fork of the Weber Salt Creek Road. Second, the incredible amount of snowAnd don’t sleep in the clothes you wore Mudd Flat fall Utah has received is a factor. “The bears while cooking or the clothes you wore while Gardner Fork EVANSTON AND MT. VIEW RANGER would prefer to be in meadows higher in the cleaning fish. Leave those clothes at your Hoyts Peak DISTRICTS: mountains right now,” Bunnell says, “but cooking area, along with utensils, rags and Cedar Hollow Campgrounds open: Stillwater, Christmas the snow has closed many of these areas off. anything else used to prepare, cook, eat or Upper Setting Road (Forest Service Road #034) Meadows and Beaver View are open, but you That’s forcing the bears to look for food at clean up food. Or, better yet, seal the items must boil the water. Meeks Cabin (Meeks lower elevations.” inside a vehicle or in a bear-proof container. OGDEN RANGER DISTRICT Cabin Reservoir is ice free), Stateline, Bridger, Most of the bears are eating grass right l If you’re camping in the backcountry, hang Campgrounds open: Anderson Cove, and Hoop Lake campgrounds are open—water now. But Bunnell says bears aren’t shy at all your food and the clothes you used while Lower and Upper Meadows and Willows and fees. Bear River Ranger Station is open about eating the same food people eat. And cooking between two trees and at least 12 campgrounds are open with water and fees. Thursday through Monday, from 8:00 a.m. to that can lead to a tragic outcome—usually for feet off the ground. South Fork and Perception Park campgrounds noon and 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. the bear. l Don’t bring items with you that have a strong are open with water and fees, some campsites “When a bear begins to lose its fear of odor. Bears have extremely sensitive noses. are not available due to standing water. PLEASANT GROVE RANGER DISTRICT people,” Bunnell says, “we have a dangerous Anything that has a strong smell, including Campgrounds open: Little Mill, Granite situation on our hands; a wild animal that’s deodorant, perfume and certain soaps, could Flat, and Hope campgrounds are open. Roads and trails closed: All trails in the more likely to act aggressively towards people. draw a bear to your campsite. Roads open: Silver Lake Flat Road is open, Wheeler Creek Complex will remain closed “In these situations,” he says, “we some- l Never feed a bear. but not accessible by passenger cars. Cascade until further notice due to saturated soils that times have to trap and euthanize the bear to Springs is accessible from the Solider Hollow/ Bear Safety Tips are causing unstable soil conditions. keep people safe.” Midway side only. More tips on how to stay safe in bear counFortunately, Bunnell says, doing five simple Roads closed: Alpine Loop, Timpooneke, things will lessen the chance that a black bear try, including what to do if you encounter a bear LOGAN RANGER DISTRICT while hiking, are available at <http://go.usa. Campgrounds open: Box Elder North Fork 085 to Dutchman Flat over to Snake visits your campsite or cabin area this year: Campground located by the town of Mantua, Creek, Schaffer Fork, and Squaw Peak. l Store your scented items, such as deodorants gov/WDW> and tooth paste, and your food. Don’t leave You’ll Be Helping Others Too your food and scented items where a bear Bunnell says if you follow these rules, can get them. you’ll not only help yourself, you’ll help other l Keep your campsite or cabin area clean. people too. Don’t toss food scraps and other trash around. He says a bear may not visit your campsite l Don’t keep any food in the same area where while you’re there. But the food you leave out you’re sleeping. Send payment with mailing address to: and the litter you leave behind could bring a l If an item has a strong smell to it, you should bear to that same area after you leave. And that probably leave it at home. could create a serious problem for people who he gden alley ews l Never feed a bear. camp in the area after you. P O BOX 130, EDEN UT 84310 Bunnell says bears are usually attracted to Photo courtesy of the Utah Division of people by strong smells and the food that’s usu- Wildlife Resources. Subscriptions available for out of area residents at $18.00 annually. T O V n |