I read the story about bear “unwelcome mats” made from carpet tack strips (Herald, July 28), and thought it worth a comment. The injury a carpet tack strip does to bears’ feet amounts to unscientific wildlife harassment; it is hard to believe that the Bear Smart organization condones such a scheme.
Bears are thought to have the best sense of smell of any animal; better than dogs and far, far better than people. Bears scavenge and hunt through smell, not sight. If a bear seems to be looking through a window, it is not. It is smelling through the window. If a bear stands at a window or snuffles at a door it is because it smells something on the other side. Trying to discourage bears with tack strips is far less effective than making sure your place doesn’t smell attractive to bears.
I’m no bear expert, but I know that bears are intelligent and, over time they have learned that houses and cars often contain food – that’s why they come around, smelling for food. Eliminate the smells, and you won’t have to eliminate the bears, but stick tiny nails in their feet, and the bears will retaliate.
If you live in bear country, practice bear-wise housekeeping: clean up your kitchen before you sleep, store your food in sealable containers, keep your indoor trash in a can, make sure that your outside decks and steps are free of smelly attractants.
Eliminate the smells and you won’t have to eliminate the bears.
John Griffiths
Durango
