WILDLIFE — The summer camping season is kicking into high gear, putting more people out among wildlife, including bears.

The Grizzly Bear Outreach Project offers basic tips to help campers avoid attracting bears, which can be dangerous to people and destructive to their camping gear. 

Worse, a bear that finds value — notably food — in raiding camps almost surely will become a repeat offender that ultimately will have to be killed.

Click “continue reading” to refresh your memory on tips that come from years of case studies: 

WILDLIFE — About the time four grizzly bears were documented by remote trail cams in northern Stevens County last week, other grizzlies were getting into big trouble just over the border in in British Columbia.

Conservation officers in the West Kootenay destroyed three grizzly bears in less than a week after the bears devoured eight sheep grazing on a ranch near Edgewood, B.C., north of Castlegar.

The three bears were coming out of hibernation and got a taste for sheep, the conservation officers said.

A fourth was relocated after chasing an ostrich, which died. But since the grizzly didn't feed on the bird, the bear was trapped and taken to the Granby Wilderness area near Grand Forks, B.C.

Read on for details about the B.C bears in this May 10 story by CBC News.

The video above shows one of the Stevens County bears.

WILDLIFE — This period when bears are emerging from dens and snow still prevents them from dispersing to the high country is prime time for conflicts with humans who live in rural areas.

Bottom line: the bears are hungry. Eliminate food sources that might lure them into trouble, and most conflicts can be avoided.

Following are tips for people who live in bear country from the Grizzly Bear Outreach Project:

At your home or ranch

• Do not leave human food outside where bears can find it.
• Store garbage indoors or in bear-resistant garbage cans and do not put garbage out until shortly before the pick-up service arrives.
• Keep barbecue grills clean and free from grease.  Store them inside, if possible.
• Make sure that bird feeders, birdseed, suet, and hummingbird mixes are not accessible to a bear.
• Keep pets inside at night, if possible.
• Remember: If bears have gotten into your garbage or livestock feed, remove the attractant immediately.  Repeated use of a site by bears is much harder to stop than a single instance.

WILDLIFE WATCHING — Wildlife officials say they are getting reports of grizzly bear sightings at lower elevations east of Yellowstone National Park.

In response, the Shoshone and Bridger-Teton national forests have placed food storage regulations into effect.

Adult male grizzly bears typically start to show activity this time of year.

Females with cubs don’t generally emerge until late April or early May.

From grizzly bears to fly fishing, several interesting outdoors related programs are scheduled tonight in Spokane, plus one biggie for anglers in Sandpoint.

It's too bad people have to choose just one to attend.  Here's a sampling of the lineup:

• Fly fishing film helps anglers “Connect” with steelhead.
• 'Grizzly Manifesto” author to speak at Gonzaga.
• Bhutan trekking slide show funds opposition to Mt. Spokane ski area expansion.
• Lake Pend Oreille “state of the lake” fisheries presentation tonight.

WILDLIFE — The snow that piled up all over the region today caused trouble for a lot of humans, but wolves are in their element — grizzly bears, too, even the ones that aren't hibernating.

Washington photographers captured these photos of a wolf and a grizzly bear during today's storm.

Can you guess where each of the photos was made?

Answer will be posted later on the S-R Facebook page.

Or click below on “continue reading” and I'll spill the beans.