WILDLIFE -- Bonner County logged 770 complaints about bears last year -- 740 more than any other county in Idaho.

Question is: Does North Idaho have a bear problem, or a problem with human habits in bear country?

Explore the issue while sipping a brew on Thursday during a free after-work presentation starting at 5:30 p.m. at Ivano’s Wine and Martini Bar in Sandpoint. 

“Bears and Beers – Living with Wildlife,” a talk on coexisting peacefully with bears and other wildlife will be presented by Becky Haag, Idaho Department of Fish and Game environmental biologist.

Haag will discuss the current status of bears in the area and give tips on how to bear-proof homes and campsites.

This is the first in a series of Idaho Conservation League’s After Hours discussions.  Info: (208) 265-9565.

Read on for more about North Idaho bears.
 

The northern Idaho Panhandle has an abundance of bears thriving in prime bear habitat.

The area also has an ever-increasing human population.

That's a recipe for increasing people-bear interactions.

When people unintentionally or intentionally attract bears with bird feeders, dog food, treats or garbage, they're not helping them to survive - instead, they may be sealing their fate.

“We want to decrease human/wildlife conflicts and keep bears and folks out of trouble,” said Haag, who is working to raise awareness about bears locally.

Though black bears are prolific in our area, grizzly bears are still struggling. Only 30 to 40 grizzly bears live in the Selkirk Mountains of Bonner and Boundary counties. Grizzly bears are currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the Selkirk and the Cabinet Mountains.