Bears Out And About In Grand Teton National Park

Bears across Wyoming's Teton County are becoming active with the spring transition. Adult male grizzly bears begin emerging from their winter dens in March, while females with young generally emerge between April and early May. March 19 marked the first confirmed grizzly bear sighting of the 2025 season in Grand Teton National Park. Bear Wise Jackson Hole reminds residents and visitors to secure attractants of any kind and be bear aware.

Seeing a bear in its natural habitat is an awe-inspiring experience. However, living and recreating in bear country requires awareness and actions to keep bears wild and people safe. As the grizzly bear population expanded within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, bears dispersed across their historical range but also in proximity to more populated areas. All of Teton County is now in occupied grizzly bear habitat.

Last year was a challenging year for the human-bear interface in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Wyoming Game and Fish Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife staff responded to at least 168 human-bear conflicts in Teton County and the Town of Jackson, which is twice the long-term average.

Grand Teton National Park experienced a surge of incidents involving black bears, particularly around lakeshore areas, resulting in an above-average year of management actions. Similarly, the Bridger-Teton National Forest saw an increase in black bear activity around the Teton Pass trail system outside of Wilson. Wyoming Game and Fish Department and National Park Service staff lethally removed nine bears in this corner of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem last year, in addition to conducting numerous relocations and intensive hazing operations. Unsecured garbage in residential areas and unattended backpacks in the park remain the overwhelming cause of these conflicts.

Bears can be attracted to anything associated with human or domestic animal foods, including coolers, cooking equipment, bird feeders, and pet dishes when they are easily accessible. By properly storing these attractants, people can help to ensure that a bear does not obtain a food reward. Once a bear becomes conditioned to human foods, the bear is likely to exhibit increasingly bold behavior, which increases risks to the bear and humans and limits management options. Whether you have lived in Teton County for decades or are visiting for a day, please do your part to help prevent human-bear conflicts.

If you are visiting public lands, such as a national park or national forest:

• Never leave your food unattended unless it is properly secured.
• Keep a clean camp and adhere to all food storage orders. Store all attractants, including coolers, cooking gear, pet food, and toiletries, inside a bear-resistant food locker (i.e. bear box) or a hard-sided vehicle with the windows rolled up.
• Properly store garbage until you can deposit it into a bear-resistant dumpster.
• Do not eat or cook in your tent, and never keep food or other scented items in your tent.
• Please respect all wildlife closure areas.
• If you see a bear, give it space. Always stay at least 100 yards away. If you choose to watch the bear, use a spotting scope, binoculars, or telephoto lens to maintain an appropriate distance. Park in designated areas, and never block travel lanes. Follow the directions of staff in places where bears are sighted. 

If you are exploring the backcountry:

• Be alert and aware of your surroundings. Avoid wearing earbuds.
• Make noise, especially in areas with limited visibility or when sound is muffled (e.g., near streams or when it is windy).
• Carry bear spray, know how to use it, and keep it readily accessible.
• Hike in groups of three or more people.
• Do not run. Back away slowly if you encounter a bear. 

As interagency partners, Bear Wise Jackson Hole will continue its collective efforts to proactively prevent conflicts between bears and people across Teton County. Bear Wise Jackson Hole is a partnership between the Wyoming Game & Fish Department, Grand Teton National Park, Bridger-Teton National Forest, Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Teton County, and Town of Jackson. Established in 2006, its mission is to ‘keep bears wild and people safe’ by minimizing bears’ access to unnatural attractants and educating residents and visitors about human-bear conflict prevention.