Lake City Friends of the Bears
Solutions
Remove Attractants
• Secure your trash using a bear proof container, or store inside a secured building. Freeze your smelly trash until pick up day.
• Put your trash out on the morning of pick up in a bear resistant container.
• Discontinue bird feeding from April-Nov.
• Feed dogs and cats inside.
• Store pet food inside your home or a secured garage. Bears have been known to break into garages with weak aluminum overhead doors.
• Clean BBQ grills with ammonia & water after each use.
• Use an ammonia & water mix spray to cut down on odors inside trash containers at least once a week.
• Keep all doors secured, and lower windows shut tight.
• Use food lockers at campsites or use a bear hang to store you food while camping.
• Cook at least 200 ft away from tents and sleeping areas and never bring food into your tent, or sleep in the clothes you cooked in.
• Keep all doors secured, and lower windows shut tight even in the day time.
• Never leave food, wrappers, animal feed, or trash in your vehicle.
• Bears are attracted to motor oil and petroleum products. Please secure these items the way you would any other attractant.
Bird Feeders
Bears love birdseed, and some studies have shown that over 80% of human-bear conflicts can be traced back to the bears first encounter with a bird feeder.
This is why we highly recommend discontinuing the feeding of birds from April through November. Use hanging flower baskets instead of seed to attract birds.
Even if you bring in your feeders at night, unless they are 10 feet off the ground and 6 feet from any climbable structure, bears will find a way to get to them and will be attracted to hulls and spillage.
Bear Proof Feeders
Avid bird watchers in the Lake City area who do not want to stop feeding during the summer months can install these bear proof bird feeders.
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Attract birds with bird baths, and flowers.
Trash Containers
You can purchase the metal bear proof container on wheels for $575 which includes sales tax. We purchased these carts from CCI in Canon City and are selling at cost.
Other companies:
Bear Proof Inc. - Silt, CO
Issenberg Design - Ridgeway, CO
Bear Guard - Tahoe City, CA
Bear Necessities - Canmore, ALB
BearSaver - Ontario, CA
Chickens
The best way to protect your chickens is with an electric fence. Tractor Supply in Gunnison has everything you need to install one around your coop for about $100. You can also price shop on Smile.Amazon.com and amazon will donate 2 cents on every dollar you spend to Lake City Friends of the Bears when you choose us as your charity, it costs you nothing!

Raising chickens can be a rewarding hobby, just make sure they're protected from bears. Bears LOVE eating chickens!
Store feed in secure enclosures, and be careful about casting feed on the ground around the outside of your coop.
Shock Mats
Safe, effective bear shock mats are easily constructed from materials available from Feed or Farm and Ranch supply stores. A properly constructed, installed and maintained electrified unwelcome mat will delivers a short, non-lethal, deterring shock when the bear steps on it. Construction time is 1-2 hours depending on how handy you are.
The Cannibal Grill in Lake City installed 3 last fall with outstanding results! All materials can be purchased at ACE Hardware in Gunnison for around $185 total.
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Beehives
The Colorado Parks and Wildlife site has a wonderful online brochure on how to build an electric fence around beehives.
Protect your hive with an electrified enclosure!
Composting
A properly maintained compost bin should not produce smells that attract bears. Compost actively and correctly or not at all.
Do NOT add meat, fish, dairy, or grease to your bin...ever! During high bear activity times, do not add sweet smelling things (fruits and veggies), especially melon rinds and berries. Also, do not add cooked foods.
Download the complete "GardenSmart" reference sheet.
Hungry for more? We suggest you visit:
Bear Spray
Bear Spray has demonstrated success in fending off charging and attacking bears and preventing, or reducing injury to the person and animal involved.
It's important to know that Bear Spray is different from personal defense pepper spray. Know what to look for by reading this informational fact sheet.
In an ideal situation no wind is present and you are able to use your bear spray when the charging bear is 30-60 feet away. This will allow the bear to meet the expanding cloud at about 25ft and give it enough time to feel the effects of the bear spray and divert its charge.
We use Counter Assault Bear Deterrent Spray which you can order on Amazon, or get directly from us! We have Counter Assault available for sale $33 which includes sales tax. The 8.2 ox can comes with a Spray Holster which makes it easy and always within reach for hikers, hunters, campers and homeowners living in bear country.
Make Bears Feel Unwelcome
If you see a bear in your yard or house do him a big favor by yelling, barking, or making lots of loud obnoxious noise, but do it at a safe distance.
If a bear gets into your home, make sure you don't block the way he came in. Never trap or corner a bear. A bear will usually exit the same way he came in. Give him other exits and space by opening other doors or low windows. If the bear will not leave, call 911 or the Gunnison dispatch office.