Bears start with their big food

A Ring camera captured video of this bear inspecting grapes at a house north of Genoa early on October 20th.

While there is no confirmation of wolves in Hope Valley, there is definitely at least one bear in Genoa.

A bear foraged for fruit around 2 a.m. Oct. 20 in Nevada’s oldest city, a reminder that it’s time to put away the calories to prepare for hibernation and that residents need to secure their trash.

The usual locations for bear conflicts in Douglas County have been the Lake Tahoe Basin, but bears have also been spotted in the Carson Valley.

In many of these conflicts, bears end up in people’s trash.

“Black bears suffer from hyperphagia, or a condition in which they consume 20,000 to 24,000 calories per day to build fat reserves so they can survive the winter months,” said Jamie Roice-Gomes, spokeswoman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife. “The easiest and quickest way to meet these calorie needs is to consume human food from unsecured dumpsters.”

While there are not significantly fewer bears in the mountains, the number of bears struck by vehicles has decreased significantly in the last three years.

Roice-Gomes said there have been 17 so far this year. That is likely to be significantly fewer than the 46 bears killed in 2021.

The California Department of Fish and Game is trying to confirm the sighting of four wolves in early October.

The department installed trail cameras and howlers to try to detect wolves in the area.

“There was no DNA confirmation,” said Alpine spokesman JT Chevallier. “They were trying to find wolf droppings and hair.”

That effort is still ongoing, Chevallier said Tuesday.

Here are some tips to reduce conflict between people and bears:

· Secure your trash and use a bear-proof dumpster. Washoe and Carson residents can contact Waste Management for a container and Douglas County residents can contact Douglas Disposal & Recycling Services

· Remove attractants from your yard, including bird feeders, pet food, trash, and any other food or scented items

· Keep grills clean and stored in a garage or shed when not in use

· Keep doors and windows closed and locked when the home is not occupied

· Never feed or approach bears