Pack Up Your Pic-A-Nics, Yogi’s Back

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The shadowy figure captured in this photo would love to make a mess of your garbage. [Photo credit: Amy Woolace]

Fortuna residents in the area(s) of Hillside Drive and Penny and Shady Lanes, have been noticing their garbage being strewn about during the evening hours.  Most recently, an entire garbage can was shredded and later found in the wooded area behind a home.  A concerned neighbor put up a trail cam and caught the culprit; a bear.  Residents of 9th Street as well as out on Palmer Blvd. have recently reported similar bear sightings.

In December of 2015, neighbors in this same area also reporting seeing a mountain lion and dealing with the aftermath of several family pets missing.

Department of Fish and Wildlife classifies public safety wildlife incidents into three categories (below is copied from the CDFW site):

  • A. Type Green (sighting)
    A report (confirmed or unconfirmed) of an observation that is perceived by the public to be a public safety wildlife problem. The mere presence of the wildlife species does not in itself constitute a threat.
  • B. Type Yellow (threat)
    A report where the presence of the public safety wildlife is confirmed by a field investigation and the responding person (law enforcement officer or Department employee) perceives the animal to be an imminent threat to public health or safety. Imminent threat means there is a likelihood of human injury based on the totality of the circumstances.
  • C. Type Red (attack)
    An attack by a public safety wildlife species on a human resulting in physical contact, injury, or death.

Department of Fish and Game has several tips to keep you, your property, and the bear, safe during this time of year. Most importantly, is taking away the temptation of bear fast food (i.e. garbage cans and other refuse). Keeping your garbage cans safely secured in the garage until garbage pick up is a great way to remove a bear dinner.  Also, pick up fallen, ripe fruit from any fruit trees on your property.  Please see their site for other tips or call the CDFW Eureka Office – Region 1 at (707) 445-6493.

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11 Comments
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Humanityfirst
Guest
Humanityfirst
7 years ago

Sure hope and pray people and their animals stay safe from the roaming wildlife.

T. Jackson
Guest
T. Jackson
7 years ago

Just a friendly note; We all live IN a forest. (Remember?) Bears live here too. Have for tens of thousands of years. Leave them alone, and they will leave you alone.

michele
Guest
michele
7 years ago

Currently the only threat is to people’s wallet. Haha, replacing garbage cans could be costly if they are repeatedly being destroyed.

Guest
Guest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  michele

Try a metal garbage can. Many years living among bears taught me they love soft plastic. Kinda like a dentabone to a dog. I’ve seen ’em steal plastic gas cans from timber fallers when their backs were turned. If ya really want to have some fun, put a metal can on a pallet and hook an electric fencer to it and stay up and watch the show. If you do it on garbage day, don’t forget to unhook it unless you are a very big tipper.

hmm
Guest
hmm
7 years ago

Time to start acting like we live in bear country. That means securing your trash.

judi
Guest
7 years ago

Sure hope and pray wildlife and their animals stay safe from the roaming people.

🙂

Dumboldt
Guest
Dumboldt
7 years ago
Reply to  judi

Ain’t that the “dog-gone” truth!

gunther
Guest
gunther
7 years ago

Good reminder. Do not feed the bears, even unintentionally.

Kato
Guest
Kato
7 years ago

One easy preventative is washing your food wrappers/containers before chucking them in the can. And separating out food waste for compost. Eliminate the temptation! We had a big bruin come by our place ONCE and open cans, obviously out of habit. He found nothing with even a trace of taste. The SECOND time he came, I got a picture of him sitting in front of the cans just contemplating if it would be worth it again… then he left without so much as a sniff.

Shawn
Guest
Shawn
7 years ago

Fish and wildlife are so full of shit. It’s always a non threat until something or someone is hurt or killed. If all they were in charge of were mosquitos we wouldn’t have any!

Shawn
Guest
Shawn
7 years ago

Deal with them the right way. ONCE!