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April 30, 2025
CENTRAL POINT, Ore – Black bears are waking from their winter slumber and hunger is driving them to town for an easy meal. Ashland residents: please don’t give bears a free lunch.
With a sense of smell about seven times greater than a bloodhound, bears zero in on the scent of unsecured garbage, dirty grills, bird feeders and pet food left outside. They stop at nothing to get at this food, causing property damage and breaking into homes and sheds.
Along with highly sensitive noses, bears are smart, learn fast, and have a memory bank full of information on where they got easy meals in the past. And those locations are where they head to first.
“Bears remember where they found food, including trash, and female bears teach their cubs. So now you have another generation of bears that seek unnatural foods and can become a safety risk to people and their pets,” said ODFW wildlife biologist Chris Shelton.
ODFW and the Ashland Police Department (APD) urge residents and visitors to be BearWise and remove these food sources. Many Ashland residents appreciate and value wildlife and can help keep wildlife wild.
Ashland Police Chief Tighe O’Meara says residents can take a few easy steps to not give bears a reason to come into city limits.
“Use bear resistant garbage cans and don’t put trash out until the day it gets picked up. Remove bird feeders in spring and fall, and feed pets indoors,” O’Meara said. “Everyone doing their part will help keep people and pets safer and wildlife wild.”
Bears that attack pets or show aggression or loss of wariness around people are a safety risk and are humanely euthanized. ODFW does not relocate habituated bears due to the danger it presents the individual bear, other bears in the release area (bears are highly mobile and often are territorial), or nearby residents or recreationists.
Last year, 137 cases of bear conflict were reported in Jackson County with 38 of those from inside Ashland city limits. Reports included aggressive actions, nuisance behaviors, and loss of wariness around people. Eight of these complaints were human safety concerns. Most reports resulted from bears accessing garbage, compost, bird seed and other types of food rewards.
To keep bears and people safe, follow these tips:
- Never feed or approach bears. Feeding bears, intentionally or accidentally, will cause them to associate people with food. It is also against the law in Oregon (ORS 496.730).
- Secure food, garbage, and recycling. Ensure trash and dumpsters are secure from bears by using commercially available garbage cans, metal bars over dumpsters, fully enclosed trash storage, or by storing garbage inside. Take trash out just before pick-up. Thoroughly wash trash cans to reduce smells. Food waste is one of the strongest attractants for black bears and allowing bears access could qualify as illegal feeding if appropriate steps are not taken to prevent the issue. Recology Ashland offers bear-resistant cans, call 541-482-1471.
- Remove bird feeders when bears are active. Birds have plenty of naturally available food sources during all seasons which is why some species migrate in winter. Bears can be food rewarded from bird seed and suet in feeders leading to habituation and food conditioning, destroyed birdfeeders, and public safety issues.
- Never leave pet food outdoors. This practice can easily attract bears and other wildlife, putting your pets and wildlife at risk.
- Clean and store grills after each use.
- Check your yard before letting pets out at night. Turn a porch light on and use a flashlight to check for bears before letting pets out in the dark
- Clean up fruit under fruit trees.
- Alert neighbors and ODFW to unusual bear activity (continued sightings during daylight hours, lack of wariness around people or pets, etc.).
If you encounter a bear:
- STOP: Never approach a bear at any time for any reason. If you see bear cubs, leave the area.
- GIVE IT SPACE: Give any bear you encounter a way to escape.
- STAY CALM: Do not run or make sudden movements. Face the bear and slowly back away.
- AVOID EYE CONTACT: Don’t make eye contact with the bear.
- DON’T RUN: It may encourage the bear to chase you.
- FIGHT BACK: In the unlikely event you are attacked, fight back, shout, be aggressive, use rocks, sticks and hands.
Report non-emergency bear activity in Ashland through the city’s bear reporting website or by calling ODFW directly at 541-826-8774.
Dial 911 if there is an immediate threat to human health and safety.
For more information on living with bears, click here.
ODFW photo: Ashland residents can take a few easy steps to discourage bears from coming into city limits.
Photo: Learn to live responsibly with bears: follow these tips from our partners at BearWise.
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| Contact: |
Chris Shelton, ODFW, 541-857-2405
Ashland Police Department, 541-482-5211 |
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