WENATCHEE — Black bears in Chelan and Okanogan counties appear to be staying in lower elevations and raiding more garbage cans and bird feeders than usual this spring and summer, state officials say.

STORY TOOLS

State Department of Fish and Wildlife officers in Okanogan County killed one black bear outside Tonasket last week because it repeatedly tried to get into a garage and did not appear afraid of humans, said Capt. Chris Anderson, who oversees wildlife enforcement in North Central Washington.

He said in other incidents, residents have chased off bears, or wildlife officers have trapped and removed them.

Officers in Chelan County are responding to between five and 10 calls a week, and those in Okanogan County are getting between two and five calls a week from people reporting bear problems, he said.

"It's not so much a bear problem as it is a people problem," Anderson said. "People aren't taking care of their garbage."

He said the agency typically sees a spike in bear complaints in the spring, because bears come out of hibernation and are looking to quickly put on weight. They find an easy food source in people's garbage, bird feeders or pet food dishes.

He said he's not sure how many more calls they're getting, but calls are up, probably because heavy snowpack and a cool spring kept berries from ripening, and may still be keeping bears from accessing higher elevations.

He said officers will live-trap a bear, mark it with an ear tag and move it to a remote location if it's been frequenting a residence or campground.

"If they come back a second time and are acting more aggressive, we euthanize it," he said.

Complaints about black bears are up 10 to 15 percent in northern Puget Sound, said Wildlife Capt. Bill Hebner, who heads that region's wildlife enforcement activities. He said calls are also up in other parts of Eastern Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula.

In Chelan County, the bulk of the calls have been from the Leavenworth area and west to Stevens Pass, Anderson said. Complaints in Okanogan County have come from several areas. Officers are currently trying to trap a bear in Edelweiss, a housing development in the Mazama area, he said.

Anderson said there have been no serious encounters, but bears have caused property damage, such as ruining bird feeders and overturning trash bins.

K.C. Mehaffey: 997-2512

mehaffey@wenworld.com