• Bird feeders can be a major attractant for bears, luring them close to homes and onto porches.
• Avoid feeding birds during bear active season (March to December 1st). If bears are still not denned in your area by December 1st, please wait to put out bird feeders.
• Bird feeders may still attract bears and can lead to human-bear conflicts.
• Consider using birdhouses, birdbaths, and native vegetation as alternatives.
• If you decide to still hang bird feeders, hang at least 10 feet up and 10 feet out from anything bears can climb.
• Five Valleys Audubon: Feeding birds responsibly
• BearWise Basics: Remove Birdfeeders

Fruit Trees

• Bears are attracted to ripe domestic fruits, which can lead to conflicts with people.
• Pick fruit as soon as it ripens. Remove any fruit on the ground. Think about organizing a neighborhood fruit gleaning effort where neighbors help neighbors get fruit harvested and off the ground.
• Store picked fruit inside a secure building, garage, or shed.
• Consider using properly constructed electric fencing around ripening fruit trees to keep bears away.
• Avoid planting fruit trees. There are many options that do not attract bears.

Flower Gardens

• Bears are omnivorous and will eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.
• Do not use blood meal in your garden.
• Consider using properly constructed electric fencing to keep bears away from gardens.

Compost Piles

• If you must have a compost pile, enclose it with bear-resistant electric fencing.
• Avoid putting meat, fish, melon rinds, and other pungent scraps in the pile.
• Compost only leaves and grass, not kitchen scraps.
• Keep the pile aerated and properly turned and add lime to promote decomposition and reduce odor.
• Do not use blood meal.
• If you have compost pick-up, contact your pick-up provider for a bear-resistant compost container and do not place the container out until the morning of pick-up

Grills

• Burn off food particles on your grill after each use.
• Clean grills thoroughly after each use.
• BearWise Basic: Clean and Store Grills

Coolers

• Secure coolers in a bear-resistant manner (e.g., in a car, home, shed, or camper) and avoid leaving them where bears can access them.
• Check food storage orders at campgrounds you visit to comply with regulations.
• Consider purchasing a bear-resistant cooler. Note that these may require locks for added security.

Vehicles

• Do not leave trash, groceries, or animal feed/pet food in your vehicle, as bears can pry open doors and break windows to access food and other attractants.
• Close garage doors

Chickens and Livestock

• Chickens and livestock are a major attractant for bears leading to potentially dangerous human-bear conflicts, loss of livestock and bear mortalities.
• The best option in bear country is to install bear-resistant electric fencing to protect your investment.
• Electric fencing can be a great option to protect 4-H and FFA animals.
• Dispose of carcasses properly, electrify boneyards, or move carcasses away from people, buildings, and other livestock.
• Contact your local FWP bear manager to ask about electric fencing options and check out our section on electric fencing!

Pet Food and Livestock Feed

• Ideally, feed pets inside.
• If pets are outside, feed only during the day and only the amount they eat in a single feeding.
• Bring in bowls at night and clean up spilled or uneaten food.
• Store feed in a bear-resistant secure building, garage, or shed.
• Please do not feed wildlife. It is illegal to provide supplemental feed to game animals in Montana.
• FWP: Living with Wildlife Tips
• Montana Code 87-6-216

Tips for Securing Garbage

• Bears are attracted to garbage due to their strong sense of smell.
• Unsecured garbage can lead to human-bear conflicts in residential areas.
• Use bear-resistant garbage containers. Even these should be stored in a secure location when possible and put out the morning of pickup.
• Keep all garbage and recycling in a secure building or garage.
• Put garbage out only on the day of pick-up to minimize bear access.
• Some areas, like Missoula, have regulations against leaving garbage and other attractants available to bears. Check out our Bear Smart Missoula page for more information about the regulations in Missoula.

Contact your local waste hauler for bear-resistant garbage containment options.

• Grizzly Disposal
• Bitterroot Disposal
• Republic Services