While it’s exciting to see a bear in the wild, it’s not so nice when one is at your campsite or destroying the grill on your patio at midnight.

“We’ve seen a significant increase in bear complaints this hot, dry summer, and most of them are due to improper storage of attractants like chicken feed and trash cans,” said Jason Husseman, wildlife biologist with Idaho Fish and Game in Salmon. “Bears are very opportunistic, and once they find a food reward, they’ll come back for more.”

Bears are constantly searching for food sources, spending up to 20 hours a day foraging. The enticing smell of garbage, barbecued food, pet food and other animal feed, compost and ripe fruit can quickly attract a foraging bear from miles away. Sometimes this leads them to unlikely places – like the city — especially in dry years like this one, when natural food sources are limited.

When bears come into town and find these food sources easily accessible, it often results in the bear becoming habituated to food and becoming accustomed to humans. This is a major problem and usually results in a bad outcome for the bear.

Idaho Fish and Game wants to remind people that most conflicts can be avoided by being extra careful with their food and garbage. The same caution applies to homeowners in bear country — and that essentially means most of Idaho.

Here are some simple preventative measures to minimize conflicts with bears.

Tips around the house/cottage:

• Keep your trash in bear-proof containers or an enclosed building.

• Empty and remove birdhouses during the summer months when songbirds seek food in the wild.

• Clear away fallen fruit. Rotting fruit attracts bears, raccoons and skunks.

• Feed your pets indoors or during daylight hours; do not leave pet food or food scraps outside your home or camp as this can attract bears, raccoons and skunks.

• Store grain for horses and livestock in enclosed stables.

• Store grills indoors.

Tips about the camp:

• Keep the camp clean. Store all food, garbage, and even toothpaste, soap, lotions, and bug spray in your car or RV. If storing food in a car isn’t possible, hang it in a tree 10 to 15 feet up, at least 300 feet from your campsite. Make sure the bag is at least 4 feet away from the tree trunk. Ideally, campers should carry a bear-proof food container to store their food.

• Never cook in or near a tent and do not store scented products in a tent.

• Don’t bury food scraps, pour cooking grease, or leave anything tasty on the ground or in the fire pit. Also, store grills or other smelly cooking equipment in your vehicle or in a locked, bear-proof container.

• Never leave food outside or in an unattended or improperly stored cooler. A cooler is not bear-proof. Remember that pet food can also attract bears to your campsite. Make sure you put away pet food safely after feeding your pet.

Black bears are usually shy and non-aggressive, but the likelihood of a bold bear hanging around your campsite may increase if a bear loses its fear of humans because it has learned to associate food with campsites. These bears can become a nuisance or even a threat. Additionally, capturing and relocating a bear does not always solve the problem, and when bears are habituated to human food, fish and game officials have no choice but to euthanize the bear to ensure public safety.

If a bear visits your campsite, make as much noise as possible, such as yelling, waving your arms, or banging pots and pans, to quickly scare the bear away. Be sure to give the bear enough space to easily escape the area.