Bear too late for treats

When the big fellow in the fur coat came trick or treating at Betty Brinson's door early Thursday, he probably didn't realize he'd missed Halloween.

Bears aren't known for reading calendars, but they are known for being mighty hungry this time of year as they try to store up fat for the winter's hibernation.

This bruin came over the five-foot fence at Brinson's Combs Canyon Road home about 4:30 a.m. and discovered the trash dumpster was nearly empty. As the bear tried to ram its way to the bottom of the tapered container, the dumpster pounded against the front door.

To Brinson, watching from the inside with her two teenaged sons, it looked and sounded like the hungry critter was trying to break in.

"He knocked it into the door hard we could see the door bulging. No less than five times he rammed it into the door," Brinson said several hours later. "I was so scared my stomach was hurting. It still hurts."

Brinson said the disposal company had emptied the large, wheeled trash container Wednesday, so there wasn't much garbage in it, and she believes the bear was angry at the slim pickings.

"He had been here Monday, about the same time, too. He just comes right over that big fence," Brinson said.

"We were watching him through our big front windows, just a couple feet from him, and then he looked at us for a full minute. I turned the porch light on and it startled him and he went back over the fence."

Sons Jade, 15, and Hughston, 13, had been awakened by the commotion and, as they watched the the door heave, Jade was forming a defense plan.

"He told me later he was going to go to the kitchen to get a big knife if the bear broke the door down," Brinson said.

Once the bear headed back to the mountains, Brinson called 911 and deputies patrolled the area with spotlights over the next few hours, looking for the ursine prowler.

Come daylight, Brinson checked the front door, found it had been loosened on its hinges and called her handyman to reinforce it.

Bear encounters along the Sierra foothills are nothing new, but reports increased about a year ago when a relatively dry year followed several wet ones. An estimated 250 to 300 bears were living in the foothills between Verdi and Sweetwater Summit and many foothills residents reported yards, garages and even homes invaded by bears looking for food.

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The Nevada Division of Wildlife publishes a brochure, "Living in Bear Country? Live with the Responsibility," with a warning that Nevada's black bears are powerful animals capable of injuring or killing humans, though black bear attacks on humans are rare.

The brochure says human-caused natural attractions - garbage, bird feeders, camp food, fruit trees, barbecue grills or bee hives - are the most common reason for conflicts between bears and humans.

The brochure offers several tips for people living or recreating in bear habitat:

-- Keep a close watch on children while they are outdoors and teach them what to do if they encounter a bear.

--While hiking in bear habitat, make plenty of noise to avoid a surprise encounter.

-- Spray or pour ammonia in and around garbage cans and avoid placing aromatic waste such as bacon grease or spoiled foods in garbage cans.

-- Wait until the morning of pickup to place garbage outside.

-- Use bear-proof garbage containers available through commercial dealers. Dumpsters with lockable metal lids work well, as do trash can enclosures made of chain link fencing or 2 by 4 framing.

-- Keep pet food cleaned up and secluded.

-- Clean barbecue grills after use.

-- When camping, be sure to use bear-proof food containers, cook away from camp and never store food in your tent, even if you are camping in your back yard.

-- Use electrical fencing combined with a tall metal or wooden fence to protect orchards, beehives and livestock. Constant harassment with scare devices, loud noises or dogs will sometimes work.

-- The feeding of any wildlife, even birds, may inadvertently attract bears.

If you encounter a bear, the brochure advises:

-- Never attempt to feed or approach a bear. Given plenty of room to pass by, it usually will.

-- If a black bear approaches you, don't run. Make eye contact and try to make yourself look bigger by waving your arms and yelling. You should back away slowly, keeping the bear in sight. If you have children along, pick them up and put them on your shoulders. Remember, you cannot outrun a black bear. They are extremely fast.

-- Warning signs of an attack include glaring at you from the corner of their eyes, ears laid back, smacking of jaws and stomping of front feet. If a bear attacks, fight back with anything available. Throwing rocks or hitting a bear with large sticks has been effective in some cases. Carry bear pepper spray and know how to use it.