One of the exciting things about visiting your National Forests is the opportunity to view wildlife on a different and sometimes personal level. These animals are not in the zoo behind bars, so there are a few simple things that you need to remember to keep yourself, your property and the animals safe while you enjoy watching these critters in their natural habitat. The key thing to remember is that all animals in the wild are just that, WILD. Though some animals may appear friendly and tame, all wildlife can be unpredictable and even the cutest little squirrel can bite you. Never feed animals! It's not good for them and can put you in harms way.
BEARS Of all the forest animals you are likely to see, the black bear is probably the most exciting. Black bears can be brown, blonde, cinnamon or black. Bears are omnivores (they eat everything), but their diet is 80 to 90 percent vegetation. Bears consider odorous products to be food (like toothpaste and suntan oil), and they can recognize food and food containers by sight and smell. Bears will usually visit the trash dumpsters to forage for food, but they will visit your campsite if you don't' take precaution of storing your food properly. Keep your food stored in the trunk of your car. If you don't have a trunk, lock it up inside the vehicle and cover it with a blanket, towel or clothing. Make sure the windows are rolled up tight so bears can't smell your food then get a claw-hold and pull out your window. If you don't have a vehicle, use a "bear-resistant" canister, available at local sporting good stores and at the Mammoth Lakes Welcom Center / Ranger Station. Bears won't usually bother you while you are eating or cooking, but always clean up your camp of food and trash promptly after meals. Tents are not smell-proof or bear-proof, therefore you shouldn't store food inside them.
Feeding bears, while potentially hazardous to people, is also detrimental to bears. Our food may not provide them with enough of the right calories to sustain them through winter. In their search for food, bears can become aggressive towards people. Eventually, the "problem" bear may have to be destroyed. A fed bear is a dead bear. Is it the bear that's the problem or the people that have been feeding it? Fortunately, there are solutions. The Inyo National Forest is in the process of retrofitting trash dumpsters to make them bear-resistant, and eventually, all dumpsters will be bear resistant. Bear-proof food storage lockers are gradually being installed in campgrounds. Where lockers aren't available, proper food storage by campers is critical. The Inyo National Forest has adopted regulations, and campers can be cited if they fail to store their food properly. It may take a long time, but the goal is to "teach" bears that humans are not an opportunity for a free and easy lunch, and that they should stick with the natural forage of berries, roots and plants.
The residents of the Town of Mammoth Lakes have always tried to co-exist with neighboring wildlife, sometimes not very successfully. A prime example is our black bear population. A few years ago, black bears were all over town, thriving on our garbage in open dumpsters, lumbering down Main Street in broad daylight, inviting themselves into cars and kitchens, and living in abandoned buildings. Bears were being trained to expect food around humans and were becoming more and more bold in looking for it. "Problem" bears were being relocated and even killed in an attempt to combat the growing problems with these brazen bears. That was, until Steve Searles became involved.
Searles, a 20-year resident of Mammoth Lakes, has spent years interacting with bears, first as a hunter and trapper and now as the Wildlife Management Officer for the Town of Mammoth Lakes. Founder of Bear Affairs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the nonlethal management of bears, Searles has developed the most successful nonlethal system of managing bears and deterring them from becoming "problem" bears.
Searles' theory is that "bears are easier to train than humans and should be trained to fear us and stay out of sight whenever we're around." With the help of the Mammoth Lakes Police Department, he utilizes nonlethal rubber pellets, pepper spray, screamers, bangers and bean-bag rounds to drive the bears back into the woods so they can live like the wild animals that they are. Searles has also used techniques to become the "alpha-male" bear and teach bears to respect him and his territory. In addition, dumpsters throughout town are being replaced with new bear-resistant dumpsters, and residents and tourists alike are taught to use proper food and garbage storage to decrease the temptation of easy food for bears. Searles' efforts have been recognized globally, and he has worked with local governments in Lake Tahoe, New Jersey and Canada to implement similar nonlethal methods in dealing with their bear problems. Searles has also joined with the Humane Society of the United States in creating a joint initiative to conduct a nationwide outreach on nonlethal methods in dealing with problem bears. To date, since the implementation of Searles' nonlethal methods, not one bear has been killed due to threat to human life or property in the Town of Mammoth Lakes.
"Living with Bears" Tips
Never feed or approach a bear-avoid all contact with bears.
Keep your dog leashed or close to you at all times.
Never store food in tents or cars.
Bears will break into campsites and cars even for small amounts of food.
Keep all food in a sealed container away from your campsite or car.
Keep all garbage locked in a bear-proof container. Clean containers often with bleach or ammonia.
Do not leave pet food outside overnight.
Do not leave windows in the kitchen open near food or garbage.
Make plenty of noise when hiking, and do not hike alone.
Never get between a female bear and her cubs.
Carry protection in case you meet an aggressive bear. Carry noisemakers and pepper spray or bear spray.
If you encounter a bear, do not run. Slowly back off, and allow room for the bear to pass. Remember, you are more likely to be struck by lightning than to be attacked by a bear.
MARMOTS The yellow-bellied marmot is the largest member of the squirrel family. Marmots can be found from the alpine zone down to approximately 7,000 feet and tend to live among rock slides and ledges instead of in dirt burrows, like their cousin, the groundhog. They eat flowers, grass and other green foliage. Marmots hibernate during the winter so they must gain all their weight during the short summer growing season or they can die of starvation while hibernating. Marmots often can be seen at high-elevation meadows, lying on top of boulders, basking in the warm summer sun.
MOUNTAIN LIONS The mountain lion is one of North America's largest cats, averaging 7-8 feet long. Lions are solitary creatures that prey upon large animals such as mule deer, elk and bighorn sheep but survive on small animals as well. California's mountain lion population is estimated at 4,000-6,000. As with any wild animal, hikers and visitors should use caution while exploring trails and surrounding areas. While it is actually rare to see a mountain lion in the Sierra, sightings and encounters occur every year and should be reported immediately to local authorities.
MULE DEER Mule deer are characteristic to the Sierra Nevada and are usually a dark gray-brown, with a small white rump patch and a small, black-tipped tail. Mule deer migrate to higher elevations in spring and summer, and to lower ranges in fall and winter. Motorist should take caution, as mule deer are plentiful in the Sierras and often venture onto roadways.
TULE ELK The smallest of North America's elk, the tule elk is included on the endangered species list. Weighing up to 700 pounds, elk bulls and cows have reddish summer coats with darker head and legs and can stand 4-5 feet tall. Only males have antlers, which are grown in the spring and shed each year after mating season.
Gold prospectors almost wiped out the tule elk in the 1840's, but its numbers have now increased to over 900, mainly because of three reserves in California's chaparral region. Tule elk can be spotted at lower elevations along the Owens River, near Big Pine and Bishop.
WILD MUSTANGS The American mustang is more accurately termed the "feral horse". Feral horses are those whose ancestors were domestic horses that were freed or escaped form early explorers, native tribes, ranches, cavalry, and etc. to become free-roaming herds all across the United States. Currently there is only an estimated 42,000 mustangs still free roaming on public lands in the Western United States. Locally, wild mustangs roam the open valleys of California's Eastern Sierra and Nevada.
BIGHORN SHEEP The Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep are a unique form of bighorn found only in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. These short, stocky animals live in some of the most remote and rugged regions of the Eastern Sierra. Sierra Nevada bighorn are rarer than the Florida panther or the California condor. They are clearly one of the most endangered mammals of North America. Mountain lions, humans and domestic sheep introduced into their mountain range are thought to be the primary causes for their rapid decline. To date, it is estimated that only about 170 adults are living in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Bighorn sheep have been spotted locally at Rock Creek Canyon and along Tioga Pass road west of Lee Vining.
BIRDS Over 300 species of birds call the Sierra Nevada home. Valley floors, alpine forest, streams and mountain lakes are all host to abundant wildlife and ideal for birding. Be sure to stop by the Mammoth Lakes Welcome Center for local tips and list of recent sightings.
CHICKAREES The chickaree of Douglas squirrel lives in the dense, higher elevation forest of Mono County. This reddish-gray or brownish-gray squirrel makes its home in the canopies of trees and is one of the noisier squirrels with a large selection of calls and trills. Look for chickarees stockpiling conifer cones at the base of trees for the upcoming winter, as the chickarees do not hibernate during winter months.
COYOTES The coyote is a member of the dog family and is native to California. It is similar in size and shape to a medium-sized domestic dog, but its tail is round and bushy. Coyotes found in the mountains can weigh up to 50 pounds and have thicker, silkier fur than their desert counterparts. Coyotes are very adaptive, exist on a varied diet and can be found in both wild and, occasionally, suburban areas. They survive on small rodents, fruits and vegetation. Coyotes are not your average dogs - they are not to be messed with. They are smart, and they learn quickly. Coyotes can be dangerous and should never be fed or approached by humans.
PINE MARTEN Pine martens are small, rare members of the weasel family. Their fur is soft and thick, varying in color from pale buff or yellow to reddish or dark brown, and they have long, bushy tails. The animals' throats are pale buff; their tails and legs are black. Mostly active at night, pine martens are excellent climbers and will pursue prey, such as red squirrels or chipmunks, up a tree and may climb trees to avoid danger. They're solitary but curious animals. In winter, long hairs grow between the toe pads on pine martens' feet to deep the feet warm and enable them to travel on snow.
Of all the forest animals you are likely to see, the black bear is probably the most exciting. Black bears can be brown, blonde, cinnamon or black. Bears are omnivores (they eat everything), but their diet is 80 to 90 percent vegetation. Bears consider odorous products to be food (like toothpaste and suntan oil), and they can recognize food and food containers by sight and smell. Bears will usually visit the trash dumpsters to forage for food, but they will visit your campsite if you don't' take precaution of storing your food properly. Keep your food stored in the trunk of your car. If you don't have a trunk, lock it up inside the vehicle and cover it with a blanket, towel or clothing. Make sure the windows are rolled up tight so bears can't smell your food then get a claw-hold and pull out your window. If you don't have a vehicle, use a "bear-resistant" canister, available at local sporting good stores and at the Mammoth Lakes Welcom Center / Ranger Station. Bears won't usually bother you while you are eating or cooking, but always clean up your camp of food and trash promptly after meals. Tents are not smell-proof or bear-proof, therefore you shouldn't store food inside them.
MULE DEER
WILD MUSTANGS
