{"id":19676,"date":"2025-06-30T10:31:34","date_gmt":"2025-06-30T17:31:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/?p=19676"},"modified":"2025-06-30T10:31:34","modified_gmt":"2025-06-30T17:31:34","slug":"be-bear-aware-over-long-holiday-weekend-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/2025\/06\/30\/be-bear-aware-over-long-holiday-weekend-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Be \u201cbear aware\u201d over  long holiday weekend\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>NEWS RELEASE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>June 30, 2025 <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PHOENIX \u2014 With a long holiday weekend right around the corner, the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is reminding campers, hikers and other outdoor recreationists to be \u201cbear aware.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While bears are typically shy and tend to avoid humans, their excellent sense of smell can be problematic for both the animals and humans. AZGFD officials advise those living or visiting in bear country to remove or block access to trash, food or other attractants (such as pet food or bird seed). Unfortunately, a fed bear is a dead bear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIf a bear becomes habituated to getting food from trash cans and other human sources, it\u2019s only a matter of time before it loses its fear of humans and begins to actively search out human food sources,\u201d said Larry Phoenix, AZGFD\u2019s regional supervisor in Flagstaff. \u201cAt that point, the bear becomes a threat to public safety.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some tips to avoid attracting bears:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When camping<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep food and attractants secured and inaccessible to bears. Do not keep food in a tent.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don&#8217;t burn left-over food or trash on the grill.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set up a campsite away from places where bears might forage for food, such as creeks, rivers and other bodies of water.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>When hiking<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Don\u2019t wear scented lotions or perfumes.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make noise or hike in groups.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hiking with a pet? Keep it on a leash at all times.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>In case of a bear encounter<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do NOT run.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Back away slowly while maintaining eye contact with the bear.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Make yourself look bigger than you are by flaunting your arms or pulling your shirt\/jacket up higher than your head.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Throw items and yell at the bear.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If attacked, fight back.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Bear sightings in areas where there is human activity should be reported to AZGFD by calling 623-236-7201. For questions, or to obtain a brochure on living with bears, visit<a href=\"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/wildlife\/livingwith\/\"> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/wildlife-conservation\/living-with-wildlife\/\"><strong>www.azgfd.com\/wildlife-conservation\/living-with-wildlife\/<\/strong><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.azgfd.com\/wildlife\/livingwith\/\">.&nbsp;<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AZGFD also has produced a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=GUF7tXcEFHQ\"><strong>video<\/strong><\/a> on how to be \u201cbear aware.\u201d<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>AZGFD advises those living in or visiting bear country to secure all trash, food and other attractants. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":7306,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19676","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-main-site"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Be \u201cbear aware\u201d over long holiday weekend\u00a0 - Arizona Game &amp; 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