Bear update

This week's paper (our local newspaper only comes out twice a week) had an article about the bears in our area. It seems they are more active and aggressive this year than any year before.

Newport News-Times: Posted: Jul 18, 2008 - 07:26:10 PDT


Problem bears killed in Florence, Yachats


An aggressive bear broke into this attached garage north of Yachats looking for food. Wildlife officials are attempting to catch the bear. (Courtesy photo)

Human feeding of bears and a suspected poor berry crop are blamed for the worst-ever year for bear damage in the Florence and Yachats area in memory.

Within the past week, six bears have been killed in the Florence and Yachats areas, bringing the year's total to 12.

Four of the bears were public safety risks due to their behavior. One broke through a kitchen window looking for food, and another charged - growling and snarling - into a backyard toward a homeowner. The other two bears killed tried to break into the same goat pen where a goat was killed last week.


All bears killed were repeatedly seen in the daytime, and did not show wariness of people, indicating they had come to associate people with food and were now habituated. While attacks are rare, habituated bears are often the ones involved in attacks on people.

Of course, all this brought out all my co-workers "bear stories" at lunch yesterday. Two of them have friends who raise hunting dogs. They have gone out with them when they hunted bears with the dogs. Some scary stuff. I guess training a dog to hunt bigger game - bears and cougars - can bring in some really good money - IF you are good at it. Quite an interesting lunch-time.