Fruit trees, like unsecured garbage carts are a food attractant that can draw in and keep bears in neighborhoods.

One local report came from a middle-school student who captured a picture of the small bear near the Wood River Middle School on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024.

Decision to trap and relocate

Once on-scene, Fish and Game staff determined the young bear was in good physical condition and the probability of it being able to survive on its own were good, meaning it was a good candidate for relocation. 

While the young bear has shown a tendency to seek out human food sources, the hope is that it has not become fully food conditioned. 

Using a baited cage trap, staff were able to capture the yearling bear and transport it to the regional office in Jerome for relocation outside the area of the Wood River Valley, away from fruit and garbage attractants.

Free ride to eastern Idaho

After being transported to the regional office in Jerome, wildlife staff were able to find a more suitable area for release in eastern Idaho. 

Wildlife biologists from the Southeast Region took possession of the bear on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024, and then released the bear east of Pocatello in the Caribou National Forest.

Bears in the Wood River Valley 2024

The Magic Valley Region has been extremely busy with black bear calls coming in from the Wood River Valley. Since early August. The region has received well over 80 calls, which is merely a fraction of bear sightings over the last few months.

In 2024, Fish and Game has relocated two black bears to other areas of the state and transported one bear cub to a licensed bear rehabilitation center. No bears have been euthanized in the Wood River Valley since 2022.

Residents are reminded that to keep bears wild, all food attractants must be kept out of reach of black bears, meaning garbage secured in a garage or shed, pet food, BBQ grills, bird feeders and fruit picked from the tree or regularly picked up off the ground and disposed of properly. 

For more information about how to keep Idaho bears wild, call your local Fish and Game office or visit the Wood River Valley Wildlife Smart Communities website.