Bear Season Arrives To Grand Teton National Park

Bears across Teton County, Wyoming, including those in Grand Teton National Park, are becoming active now that spring has arrived. Adult male grizzly bears begin emerging from their winter dens in March, while females with young generally emerge between April and early May. Both residents and visitors should secure attractants of any kind and be bear aware.

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. Grand Teton sits adjacent to Yellowstone National Park’s southern border.

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.

According to Bear Wise Jackson Hole, if you are visiting public lands, such as a national park or national forest:

• Keep a clean camp and adhere to all food storage orders. Store all attractants, including coolers, cooking gear, pet dishes, and toiletries, inside a bear-resistant food locker (i.e. bear box) or a hard-sided vehicle with the windows rolled up, when not in immediate use or attended to, day or night.
• Secure 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.