Keeping Wildlife Wild in Mono County
Mono County's breathtaking and mountainous landscape is 95% public land and includes national forests, congressionally-designated wilderness, state parks, countless lakes and rivers, alpine meadows, and wetlands. Naturally (pun intended), this is a haven for wildlife! Black bears, mule deer, coyotes, mountain lions, wild mustangs, skunks, marmots, porcupines, eagles, sage grouse, rainbow trout and many other species make their home here in California's Eastern Sierra.
The opportunities to spot wild animals are abundant in Mono County, and that's both exciting and potentially dangerous -- for us and for them! Learning how to behave respectfully around wildlife will help ensure both their protection and ours.
Here are 10 simple ways to help wildlife stay wild:
1. Keep your distance. Never approach wild animals, even if they seem unafraid or curious. "Bambi" and "Yogi Bear" are obviously fictitious characters but many people every year are injured by startled animals that may give the impression of being docile, "cute" and accustomed to humans. Stay back (100 feet or 3 bus lengths for deer/smaller animals, and 110 yards or 10 bus lengths for bears) and to get a better view, please use binoculars. Your "too-close-for-comfort" presence could trigger a wild animal to react aggressively, potentially resulting in injury and leading the animal to be destroyed. Don't let your selfie end a wild animal's life.
2. For the love of nature, slow down. According to the Eastern Sierra Land Trust, an average of 150 deer are killed each year by vehicles in Mono County alone. Bears and coyotes and smaller animals also fall victim to speeding vehicles. Please obey all speed limits and keep your eyes peeled for animals while driving. If you see deer crossing signs (or other animal crossing signs), you are in a migratory area or documented habitat for these animals. Watch the roadside and shoulder carefully for movement and the glow of eyes, especially in the early morning hours at dawn, and at dusk. Should you spot a deer venturing onto the road in the distance, slow down safely. There are almost always more following!
3. Don't feed the animals. Never ever feed wild animals, birds or fish. Human food is a hazard for wildlife as it contains ingredients that wild animals often cannot digest. Wild critters may also become dependent on "people food" to the point of losing the instinctual ability to feed themselves in the wild. Some can become aggressive in their habituation to being fed, which leads them down the path to being destroyed -- the maxim "A fed bear is a dead bear" is sadly often true.
4. Store food safely when camping or backpacking. Use bear-proof canisters when overnighting in the backcountry. In an established campground or day-use picnic area, please use the metal bear-proof boxes to store all food (including pet food). Do not keep food or toiletries in your tent! If you must store food in a vehicle, ensure the food is sealed in airtight containers and stowed in your trunk. Your vehicle's locked doors will not always keep out a bear who smells food (or other scents such as toothpaste) inside. Safe food storage also keeps other critters away like squirrels, mice, raccoons and marmots. Dispose of all garbage and food waste in the disposal bins at campgrounds and please clean your campsite thoroughly. If you are camping, backpacking or enjoying any type of recreation in undeveloped, natural areas, please pack out every piece of garbage and all food scraps with you.
5. Don't imitate bird songs or animal noises. Vocalizations cause instinctive responses in birds and animals, particularly with respect to the presence of predators or danger. This will then distract wildlife from their natural activities in the moment -- perhaps defending themselves and their nests or dens from real predators, keeping them from hunting or gathering food or even from returning to the area to feed their babies. Any human disturbance we create impacts the ability of wildlife to survive in their natural habitat.
6. Avoid encounters of the wild kind. Try to not be out hiking in the early morning and at dusk. These are the hours you will most likely meet wildlife so it's best to avoid this time frame. If you are hiking in the dusk/dawn hours, talk loudly, sing or carry a bear bell. Bears and other wild animals don't appreciate surprises so it's best to let them know you are in the vicinity.
7. Don't wear ear-buds while hiking. While it can be nice to listen to your playlist out on the trail, you don't want to miss telltale animal sounds around you. Cracking branches or huffing, grunting noises are an important heads-up that a large animal is nearby.
8. Keep dogs on leash. Protect your four-legged family member from wildlife encounters by keeping Fido on a leash. Free-roaming dogs can get into a mess of trouble with coyotes or bears, and can terrify deer, rabbits, marmots -- and skunks, (and trust us, it's a very long drive home with a skunked dog in the car). Provoked animals are dangerous animals so please ensure your pup is in your physical control at all times.
9. Always keep your small children close at hand. When venturing out in nature with young kids, make sure they are always within arm’s reach. Should you see a bear (or mountain lion or coyote), pick up your small children immediately and back away slowly, keeping eyes on the animal.
10. Never make a wild animal comfortable with human contact. If you encounter a black bear in a developed recreation area or a campground, speak loudly and clap your hands to try and encourage it to leave, (obviously from a safe distance). If you are with others, stand together to create a larger presence, although never corner or circle any wild animal. Wild animals should never be made to feel okay or comfortable around people -- this unnatural familiarity or habituation may lead to aggression, injury to people, and possibly the animal's destruction.
A few more words about California's black bears:
The only bear species in California is the black bear (Ursus americanus californiensis), regardless of its color which ranges from brown, cinnamon, black or blonde. Are California black bears dangerous? The answer is yes, potentially – all wild animals can be dangerous! However, wild animals almost always have a healthy aversion to humans and do their best to avoid any encounters. There have been only seven reports of bear attacks in California in the past 20 years, and not a single death documented by California Department of Fish & Wildlife. Regardless, it is important to exercise an abundance of caution when in bear territory.
If you encounter a bear, never run or never turn your back on it. Keeping an eye on the bear at all times, quietly retreat in the direction from which you came to a safe distance. If there are cubs with Mama, be extra-cautious and leave the vicinity to give them their space and the time to move on.
If a bear bluff-charges or approaches you, stand tall and wave your arms and try to become as big and loud a presence as possible. Carry bear spray and know how to use it (read the instructions carefully in advance; note that bear spray is prohibited in Yosemite National Park). The same goes for an encounter with a mountain lion, although this is an extremely rare occurrence. Should a mountain lion or bear approach you or charge, you want to be seen as a threat, not prey!
For more information regarding bear or mountain lion encounters, please check out these National Park Service website pages: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/bears/safety.htm and https://www.nps.gov/pore/planyourvisit/yoursafety_mountainlions.htm.
If your encounter with wildlife is an emergency, call 9-1-1. To report other wildlife issues or concerns in Mono County, please contact the California Department of Fish & Wildlife, Bishop Field Office at (760) 872-1171.
We know that everyone who loves the natural world wants to do the right thing, and our wildlife friends rely on it. From all the beautiful wild critters who live in Mono County, thank you for helping to keep them wild and safe in their home.
