Bear caught after encounter

LAVA HOT SPRINGS - A quiet weekend in the country turned into a wildlife adventure for one Pocatello couple.

Rick Cornforth and partner Deb Haun were spending the weekend of July 14 at their vacation property at Lava Ranch in Smith's Canyon when their dog, Char, came face to face with a black bear.

''I heard her yelp twice,'' Haun said.

Cornforth also heard the 74-pound Great Dane-cross and got outside just in time to see the bear run into nearby woods. Char limped back to him, her hip ripped open. It required 45 stitches to close.

Cornforth said other residents in the area had reported a bear, but it was his first encounter with the animal. ''We knew there were cougars because people have seen them, and we knew there were wolves because I found a print on my property. I suspected there might be bears,'' he said.

Cornforth said he takes precautions to avoid attracting animals, including carrying his trash away when he leaves Lava Ranch, and he thinks the heat brought the bear in.

''It's been really hot. I think the bear was either thirsty or hungry,'' he said.

Cornforth and Haun took the injured dog to a veterinarian in Pocatello. He notified the Bannock County Sheriff's Office which referred him to Idaho Fish and Game. An officer responded immediately.

"They were very professional. I was really impressed by the way they handled it," Cornforth said.

Fish and Game officers hauled a culvert trap to the property on July 16 and the 175-pound bear was captured later that night, said biologist Corey Class.

The animal's age was estimated to be about three years. He was tranquilized, eartagged and transported to a remote location.

''He's miles away from humans,'' he said, but Class would not disclose the actual location. ''The bear was moved as much for its safety as the safety of residents. It's kind of a question of who is in whose back yard.''

Class said most likely, the curious dog approached the black bear.

''I think the encounter was brief,'' he said. ''Dogs are curious by nature and bears are hunted with hounds. They associate dogs with bad things.''

Prior to the dog encounter, the bear had been getting into improperly stored items in the Lava Ranch area.

Class said along with garbage, bears can be attracted to cooking oil, utensils and even soap. ''They'll go after strong smells outside,'' he said. ''You have to take precautions when you live in bear country.''

He advised tent campers not to sleep in clothing they cooked in, and make sure food items are stored in air-tight containers.

Class said the fact that the Lava Ranch black bear retreated from Cornforth was a good sign.

''Obviously he's still afraid of humans,'' he said. ''I wouldn't call him a problem bear.''

But Fish and Game officials urge outdoor enthusiasts to be aware that there are bears in the region.

Class said if you see a black bear at a distance, turn and walk away, and never get between a sow and her cub. If you have a close encounter with a bear, Class said make noise, wave your arms and try to make yourself appear bigger than you are.

''We don't want to have remove a bear every time someone sees one,'' he said. ''They belong here.''

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