Bear sightings in Hobble Creek Canyon prompt warnings and campground closures

SPRINGVILLE — A bear scare in Hobble Creek Canyon Sunday night prompted authorities to post warnings and shut down a campground.

There's trouble in bear country and the trouble is that people live there too, on the outskirts of Springville.

"We're in their territory," said long-time canyon resident Carole Oldroyd. "They live here; we encroached."

A small bear, or perhaps two or three different ones, have been making regular house-calls. Cabin owners have been on edge the past few days.

"There's a bit of, you know, anxiety about the whole thing," said Paul Houtz, who was visiting a family cabin when it was visited twice by a bear. "It was kind of awesome though, in an awesome way," Houtz said.

Over Memorial Day weekend, Houtz and other family members were outside their cabin both times when the bear approached.

"At first when I saw it I thought it was a dog," Houtz said, "a mangy looking dog. And I did a double take, like, whoa! That's a bear."

Family members took refuge in the cabin and watched in amazement as the bear examined a cooking grill on an outside deck.

"We're looking out the windows watching," Houtz said. "And he came right up face-to-face, put his paws up on the woodpile, put his nose up on the windows. We were looking face-to-face right at the bear."

Such encounters have been happening a bit too often and bit too close for comfort for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources. After at least two more bear visits this weekend, wildlife officials posted warning signs in the area near the Hobble Creek Golf Course.

They also advised Springville officials to close city-owned Kelly's Grove campground. Campers and picnickers began leaving the area when a city official closed the gates after the dinner hour on Sunday evening.

At the same time, wildlife officers placed a bear-trap behind one of the cabins. They tried the same tactic in the same spot without success early last week. "We've already tried once and we'll try it again for another week and see what we can get," said Scott Root of the Division of Wildlife Resources.

The agency also called in a houndsman who uses dogs to track down problem bears.