by Alan Davis, Clearwater Valley Bear Smart
It’s a wrap! For two years in a row, the Seeley Lake area avoided any significant bear events. The Clearwater Valley Bear Smart group sends a huge thank you to the community for supporting bear-smart efforts, calling it a “highly successful bear season.” Clearwater Valley Bear Smart had a busy year, and we truly appreciate everyone’s commitment to learning bear smart habits to successfully coexist with bears. We successfully partnered with organizations to host two bear fairs, table at the Seeley Lake Sunday market, purchase and deliver more than 60 bear-resistant containers to local residents who don’t take commercial service, and install a commercial bear-resistant trash enclosure.
Alan Davis handing out bear-resistant garbage cans
As the saying goes, it takes a village to make things happen, and we send a shout out to bear experts FWP’s Jamie Jonkel and the Blackfoot Challenge’s Eric Graham for their help at Bear Fairs and support to build an electrical containment facility at the Seeley Lake One Stop gas station and convenience store. This was particularly important because One Stop’s dumpster was being overfilled by people who mistakenly believed it was a public dumpster.
And one more special thanks to Carleen Gonder for lending her experience and expertise for social media posts on Clearwater Valley Bear Smart Facebook page. Check it out! (https://www.facebook.com/groups/580717550363690)
Several locals have shared their testimonials on the importance of bear smart efforts to minimize the likelihood of bear problems across the Clearwater Valley:
“We are very appreciative to have received our bear resistant garbage can! As a long time North Seeley resident, we have seen our share of grizzlies and black bears wander right through many times. I try not to leave out any food attractants in my cars or yard, and don’t use bird feeders and make regular dump runs. even doing all these things they still get curious. We have had a shed door ripped off, and many years ago, Ms. Rainy bear took the barbeque right off our deck and ran down the driveway with it. With the addition of the new bear resistant cans, it allows us to live with them in harmony and not in conflict. If we all do our part, it will save a lot of bears from being euthanized, relocated, or hit on the highway as they feed on roadside garbage. Thank you again FWP’s Jamie Jonkel, and Alan Davis for making this available to those without garbage pick-up service!” Sheila Murphy
“My wife and I began living on the Double Arrow Ranch in Seeley Lake seasonally in 2002. In 2016, we purchased our cabin on the Clearwater River just south of town, and it became our permanent home in 2018. After finding our trash strewn around the yard one fall morning, with nearby bear scat, a friend gave us our first bear-proof can. One day we discovered the can tipped over with many claw and bite marks on it, but the lid was intact and the trash was still safely contained inside. We were glad that we had that bear can, not only because we didn’t have to pick up a bunch of trash, but because we knew that there was at least one bear that didn’t become habituated to human food, which is good for both the bear and us humans. I prefer my encounters with bears to be with a camera in one hand and bear spray in the other. We are grateful to the Clearwater Valley Bear Smart organization for providing a new bear-resistant garbage can after the latch on our old can failed (a bear pointedly revealed this to us a few years ago by again spreading trash across our yard). We haven’t had any issues with trash since that time, although we have caught a couple of bears attempting a repeat offense we observed on a trail cam installed nearby. Bears will (hopefully) always be a part of the ecosystem we live in, and we need to do our part to allow us to co-exist peacefully. Securing garbage, pet and bird foods, and other bear attractants can go a long way toward making that vision a reality. Reaching out to experts like Alan Davis and Jamie Jonkel for information and assistance is a great way to get started, especially if you are new to this area.” Doc Welter
“We want to give a heartfelt thank-you to the Clearwater Valley Bear Smart team for building the bear-proof cage at One-Stop in Seeley Lake. This simple structure is saving bear lives and keeping our community safer. Because of your work, our bears can stay wild, safe, and away from danger. Your care and dedication mean more than words can say. Thank you for protecting our wildlife and our home.“ Tony Mann, Seeley Lake One Stop
The bears might be sleeping, but we aren’t. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions or suggestions for Clearwater Valley Bear Smart and its local coordinator, Alan Davis (406-439-2754) or balan.davis@outlook.com.