It’s that time of year, bears have come out of their dens in Northwest Wyoming. They're hungry, and on the move. Last summer, several hungry black bears found food around homes in Teton County. Wyoming Game and Fish Bear Management Officer Mark Bruscino said, “During a year with poor natural foods, we had well over 200 conflicts in the county, primarily with black bears.”

Teton County Resident Melissa Harrison remembered, “In back yards they were getting in bird feeders. They were dumping over trash cans. It really became a safety issue, a personal property issue as well.” Harrison says one of the hot spots for bear conflicts was Teton Village, where new homes are being built in the forest on a mountainside.

Teton County isn’t just an area of ski resorts and tourist attractions. It’s one of the hot new places to live in the U.S. Harrison explained, “We have a lot of new residents who don’t understand what it means to live in bear country or live with wildlife in our back yard.” So, the Teton County commissioners voted to impose prevention regulations in areas where conflicts have occurred. Garbage must be stored in bearproof containers, and bird feeders must be placed out of bears reach.

Harrsion explained, “If you hang a bird feeder, while bears are active, between April and November you should hang it ten feet high, and four feet from any structure that a bear can climb on.”

Game and Fish Bear Management Specialist Mark Bruscino applauds the new regulations, saying they will protect the public, and reduce the worst part of his job. Bruscino said, “Removing means killing them, or sending them to a zoo, but most zoos don’t want them. That’s the worst, and for a bear manager, that’s what we work toward trying to prevent.”

Park County, Wyoming recently rejected proposed food storage regulations.