“In any case, particularly if you live in a place like the Boise Foothills, it’s wise to prepare for the possibility that black bears could venture into your community looking to score an easy meal, and to proactively make your neighborhood less attractive to bears,” Walrath added. “If homeowners make changes to their behavior before a bear becomes habituated to human food sources, it almost always results in better outcomes for both people in their community and the bear.”

Almost all cases of bear conflict are linked to human behavior – namely, careless handling of food and garbage. With thousands of campers, anglers, hikers, and soon-to-be hunters venturing outdoors, Idaho Fish and Game wants to remind people that most conflicts can be avoided by being extra mindful of their food and garbage.  The same cautions apply to homeowners in bear country – which essentially means most of Idaho, including the Treasure Valley.

"Ultimately, its all of our collective responsibility to ensure that our wildlife remains wild," Walrath added.

Conflicts happen when bears score an easy meal in town

Heading into the winter, black bears can pack on as much as 30 pounds per week and add about 4-5 inches of body fat prior to denning. To do that, they need to consume around 20,000 calories per day, so bears are continually on the hunt for food that’s high in protein and fat. Sometimes, that brings them to unlikely places when natural food sources are limited.

In urban areas like Boise, food for black bears is largely limited to human-related sources such as pet food, bird feeders, and fruit trees in backyards, and of course, garbage cans and dumpsters.

When bears find their way into town and find those food sources readily available, it often leads to a bear that is food-conditioned and habituated to humans, which creates a significant public safety concern, particularly in a heavily-populated city like Boise.