09/01/2026
Multiple black bears have been receiving food rewards recently from unsecured garbage in Teton Valley neighborhoods (South Leigh Creek, Mountain Drive, and Packsaddle).
Bears have been seen entering homes and garages, frequenting porches, pushing on doors and screens, climbing balconies, and eating out of non-bear-resistant garbage cans.
The Sheriff’s Office has been in communication with the Idaho Fish and Game and considers this an exigent public safety issue.
If you live in Teton Valley and see a bear in your neighborhood, DON’T WAIT, contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately (208) 776-8200.
To help protect your household and discourage bears from becoming habituated to human food sources, residents are strongly encouraged to follow these steps:
-Use a bear‑resistant trash can and make sure it’s latched and stored properly.
-Do not tamper with latches, prop cans open, or overfill them. If you do not have a bear‑resistant can, or if you have more trash than will fit, keep all garbage secured inside a garage or building until the morning of pickup.
-Feed pets indoors.
-Do not store coolers, refrigerators, or freezers outside.
-Remove bird feeders from April through mid‑November.
-If a bear has already visited your property and found food, take these steps immediately. The bear will likely return a few times, but if it finds no food, it will eventually move on.
Keeping our residents safe depends on strictly eliminating all human food sources from neighborhoods. Your immediate cooperation and rapid reporting of bear sightings are critical to protecting both the community and local wildlife.
Idaho Fish and Game has advised that this is primarily a black bear issue at the moment, however this could quickly become a grizzly issue as well.
To report a bear issue, call the Teton County Sheriff’s Office (208) 776-8200.
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