• Click here for a pdf version of the Bear Safe guide (225KB pdf).

• Or, call toll free for your free Bear Safe guide, click here.

• Click here for the Washington Bear Safe poster (107kb pdf).

• Click here for the Idaho, Wyoming, Montana Bear Safe poster (81kb pdf).

• Click here for a list of brief tips for living and recreating in bear country (taken from the Bear Safe poster).

"The western States have seen enormous human development over the last one hundred years. Development that makes one stop and think. Areas that might be considered 'frontier land' can still be found, but they do not compare to the vast tracks of untouched wilderness that existed 200 years ago. Now, without the luxury of unlimited space and resources we must learn to share our remaining wilderness. Bears are an integral part of that wilderness - the soul of the west. Without them there is no sense of 'wild'. They simultaneously evoke wonder and fear in the minds of people who spend time near them. As humans, we need to ensure that these creatures remain in their rightful dwelling, in a manner that is consistent with human needs. It is possible, and it is upto us to be resourceful and determined in finding a way to peaceful and mutually-beneficial co-existence with bears." Chris Morgan Executive Director, IWM

A black bear's home range often includes areas frequented by humans (Photograph courtesy of John Serrao)

B E A R   S A F E

Bear Safe is a program of educational activities designed to reduce conflicts between bears and humans by fostering an understanding of bears and an acceptance of them as a desired part of our wilderness.

The 'Bear Safe Washington' program began in 1999 with funding from  WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals). This program of slide presentations, seminars, information brochure development and media activities was designed to raise awareness of bear issues in Washington State.

We have approximately 25,000 black bears in Washington State and an estimated 30 grizzly bears in the Selkirk and Cascade Mountains. We also have some frightening human encroachment statistics (Washington State's human population is currently around 6 million). The interests of bears and humans do not always correspond - people feel threatened by bears, and bears feel threatened by people. This does not have to be the case. The 'Bear Safe' program spreads information about how to co-exist with bears so that neither party loses out.

'Bear Safe' helps those people who live among bears, and also those people who visit bear country on a recreational basis - our products offer advice on everything from making your home bear safe to camping sensitively and wisely in the backcountry. 

We initially produced 23,000 Bear Safe guides with funding from WSPA (see below for your free copy). The guides proved to be so popular that we printed an additional 30,000 Bear Safe guides in 2001 with funding from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, US Forest Service and the Northwest Trek Foundation. The third version of the guide will be available from early 2004 thanks to additional contributions from Washington State Parks, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Northwest Ecosystem Alliance, and Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle. 

In December 2003 we expanded our range of Bear Safe educational materials to include the Bear Safe poster. This is available as a Washington State version, or a more generic version for use in other lower 48 states that still support grizzly bears (Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana). Some of the posters are laminated for outdoor use, and others feature a 'tear off' section with information about living, hiking and camping in bear country. The posters measure 16.5 inches x 23 inches, but you can download an 8.5 X 11 version here. The tips below have been provided for easy access.

Tips for living, hiking and camping in bear country

At home:

Once a bear locates a source of food, it will return repeatedly and may become a nuisance. So, make potential food items unavailable to bears: these include garbage, food scraps, compost, barbecue grease, bird feed, pet food, and fruit.

When hiking:

Enjoy the experience of watching bears from a safe distance.

Learn about bear sign: overturned rocks, broken-up logs, scat (droppings), clawed trees and diggings are all indicators of bear activity.

Don’t allow your dog to run free—it may lead a bear back to you.

Never feed a bear. Never approach a bear. A fed bear is a dead bear.

At your campsite:

Keep a clean camp that is free from odors. Avoid areas that have been used by bears.

Store food, garbage, cooking gear and other odorous items properly. Lock these items in your car trunk if available, or cache them suspended from a branch or between two trees (15 feet from the ground, 5 feet from any tree trunk).

Separate sleeping and cooking/food storage areas by 100 yards. Never cook or store food in your tent.

Never leave food unattended. Never bury garbage—it may be dug up by a bear.

Pick up a free copy of the Bear Safe Washington guide—available from many ranger stations, visitor centers and other Washington outlets (web version available at: www.insightwildlife.com).

Insight Wildlife Management: www.insightwildlife.com

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA): www.wspa-usa.com ● 1-800-542-BEAR

The North Cascades Grizzly Bear Outreach Project (GBOP): www.bearinfo.org

Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee: www.fs.fed.us/r1/wildlife/igbc/index.htm

T H A N K  Y O U 

We would like to express our enormous appreciation to the following organizations and individuals for supporting the Bear Safe program over the last few years:

World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) (www.wspa.org.uk)
US Fish and Wildlife Service
The National Park Service
US Forest Service
Northwest Trek Foundation (www.nwtrek.org)
L. & A. Umbrello
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife
Washington State Parks
Woodland park Zoo, Seattle
Northwest Ecosystem Alliance

Many thanks to the following photographers who kindly donated their wonderful images for use in the Bear Safe guides and posters:

Alan Carey/Photo Researchers, Inc.
Daniel J. Cox (www.naturalexposures.com)
Brad Garfield (www.bradgarfield.com)
John Hechtel
Wayne Lynch
Michael Madel
Chris Morgan
Mark Newman/EARTH IMAGES
Joey Olivieri
John Serrao (Tel: 570 894 9791)
Scott Stonum
Jeff Vanuga
Kennan Ward (www.kennanward.com)(www.grizzlyden.com)
Chris Weston

Thank you also to the many organizations that are helping us to distribute the Bear Safe guides and posters around Washington, North America, and the world.

Insight Wildlife Management, Inc. 
PO Box 28656, Bellingham, Washington State, 98228-0656, USA
email: insight@insightwildlife.com
tel: USA (360) 734 6060
fax: (360) 734 0800