09/16/2026
BEARS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD - WHAT TO KNOW AND DO:
Multiple black bears have been receiving food rewards recently from unsecured garbage in Teton Valley neighborhoods.
A lack of natural food sources has brought bears down into the valleys as they search far and wide for alternative food sources.
Bears have been seen entering homes and garages, frequenting porches, pushing on doors and screens, climbing balconies, and eating out of non-bear-resistant garbage cans.
The Teton County Sheriff’s Office has been in communication with the Idaho Fish and Game and considers this an exigent public safety issue.
Following the steps below helps protect both you and the bears:
Get a bear-resistant trash can and use it properly; don’t tamper with latches, prop them open, or overfill them. If you don’t have a bear-resistant can or if there is too much trash to fit in the can, keep it in a garage until the morning of pickup.
Keep grills and BBQs clean of food and grease. Store in a secured building when not in use.
Feed pets inside; do not leave out pet food, bird feeders and bird seed, or livestock feed.
Do not keep coolers, refrigerators, or freezers outside.
Remove bird feeders between April and mid-November.
Bears are attracted to fruit-bearing trees and bushes, gardens, and compost piles. Install electric fencing. Pick fruit immediately when ripe.
If a bear has already visited your place and found food or acted aggressively, report it immediately by calling the Sheriff's office at (208) 776-8200 or the Fish and Game office (208) 525-7290. If it is an emergency, call 911.
Keeping people safe depends on strictly eliminating all bear attractants from around your home and neighborhood. Your immediate cooperation and rapid reporting of bear sightings are critical to protecting both the community and local wildlife.
