Bears aggressive, or are residents overreacting?

PROVO — Fact: Black bears live in Utah.

And sometimes, they wander out of the mountains to search for food, a place to call their own, or out of sheer curiosity.

But just because they're seen doesn't mean they should be shot, officials say.

"There's a fine line between being in danger and someone thinking that they might be, because they've seen a bear for the first time," said John Fairchild, regional supervisor for the Division of Wildlife Resources.

Fairchild's office is still reviewing two different bear shootings last weekend, before they forward the cases to the Utah County Attorney's Office for review.

"If (the bears) were acting aggressively and these people feared for their safety, it would be the call of the Utah County attorney to determine that a crime wasn't committed," he said.

Friday, a young male black bear wandered into campsites near the Balsam campground in Hobble Creek Canyon. After the bear bit into a cooler, the campground host shot it.

On Saturday evening, the Fourth of July, several families were barbecuing up the south fork of Provo Canyon when a 180-pound bear wandered into a cabin backyard, said DWR law enforcement officer Chad Bettridge.

The cabin owner threw some wood at the bear then fired a few warning shots to try and scare him away.

Bettridge said the bear scrambled up the hill behind the house for a little while, but then came back down, so the cabin owner shot it.

"In both incidents, the young male bears that were killed were just headed down to where they could smell food," Bettridge said. "They weren't smart enough to know they weren't supposed to be there."

The bear in Provo's canyon did a "false charge" and barked a few times, Bettridge said, as if to prove its manliness. And while it's understandably scary, officials want individuals to call for assistance, rather than just shoot.

"There's various things we can do to get the bear out of the area," Bettridge said. "We didn't get a chance to in this situation."

Utah's black bears are protected wildlife and interested hunters must apply for a permit. There's a spring and a fall season with 26 total permits issued, Fairchild said.

The bear shot in Provo Canyon was not the same bear seen a few weeks earlier on the Provo River Trail near Bridal Veil Falls, Fairchild said. That bear is still being monitored and has not returned or shown any signs of aggression.

Officials say if a bear does comes close to civilization, be loud, make yourself look big and let the bear know "you're not food," Fairchild said. Don't try to run away.

When the bear loses interest in you, get away and quickly call the authorities.

"Our last resort is putting down a bear," Fairchild said. "We do have the capability of tranquilizing them and moving them."

For more information on bear safety, visit wildlife.utah.gov/bear/bear_safety.php

E-mail: sisraelsen@desnews.com