This is the time of year for humans to take simple steps or extra precautions to protect their black bear neighbors by strapping down trash cans, picking fruit from trees in yards, keeping bird feeders in storage or attaching metal siding to stop up spaces under decks.

Right now, bears are in hyperphagia, eating as much as possible to prepare for winter hibernation, and denning season is just around the corner, said Christy Bubenheim, lead educator for nonprofit Keep Bears Wild-Steamboat, during a community presentation Tuesday at Library Hall in Steamboat Springs.

Bubenheim teaches residents how to deter bears from eating human-based foods and instead continue to eat natural resources so that bears and their cubs do not learn bad habits and become habituated to people.

A common place for bears to want to den is under a deck near the warmth of a hot tub, so Bubenheim recommends attaching a sheet of metal roofing material or corrugated tin to block openings under decks and porches. Plywood is not the best long-term solution because black bears may eventually chew or claw through thin wood, said Bubenheim, who also has 18 years of experience working for Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Bubenheim shared new techniques and insights after spending the previous week in Kalispell, Montana, attending the seventh international Human-Bear Conflicts Workshop. The event brought together researchers, wildlife managers, conservationists and community leaders to discuss strategies for reducing human-bear conflicts.

This year’s theme was “Changing the Narrative of Human-Bear Conflicts” that focused on shifting perspectives, improving coexistence strategies and implementing innovative solutions to mitigate conflicts.

The local bear educator said experts recommend that community and media members avoid using the words nuisance, problem or conflict bears, because bears are acting according to their natural instincts and get into conflicts when humans are not proactive to protect them. Hyping the fear factor about bears is not beneficial in help community members learn how to proactively adapt their human habits to coexist with bears.

“We are trying to get the community to take ownership,” said Bubenheim, noting that Colorado became an official BearWise state in the spring.

Some additional tips from Keep Bears Wild are to ensure trash is not put in recycling bins, not feed pets or store pet food outdoors and make sure commercial dumpsters have metal lids (not plastic lids) that stay securely latched. She said residents can call the Steamboat city code enforcement number at 970-879-1144 to inform staff of bear ordinance violations or challenges.

Residents should lock vehicle doors, close all vehicle windows, close garage doors and lock first floor home windows. When bears get into a vehicle due to a smell attractant, the door may close behind them and trap them inside leading to even more damage that insurance companies may or may not cover, Bubenheim said.

Since black bears are smart and adaptable, Bubenheim recommends rotating bear deterrent devices when they lose effectiveness. For a trash can area, loud and scary motion-sensor Halloween decorations can work, and motion-sensor activated bright solar lighting or loud noise devices can help.

Keep Bears Wild – Steamboat has four electric-powered unwelcome mats made by Bear-ier Solutions to loan to place on the ground near trash enclosures or other spaces where bears need to be taught to stay away. The educator showed the audience how the shock mats work safely in videos she has taken of bears in Steamboat. Bubenheim said the mats worked so well for one restauranteur in Steamboat in front of a trash enclosure that the business owner purchased a mat.

The educator said while the natural tendency of humans is to admire and take photos and videos from a safe distance of bears, the next step must be to definitively scare away the bears by using an air horn, banging pots and pans and yelling, or setting off a car alarm with the key remote.

The BearWise organization notes that bears are curious and will follow their powerful noses to just about anything with an odor and may investigate anything they have learned can yield a food reward. Colorado is home to an estimated 17,000 to 20,000 black bears.

BearWise.org is managed by a team of North American bear biologists and communications professionals and is a program of the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. The organization provides a wide variety of resources and free specific handouts to help, such as the tip sheets Six At-Home BearWise Basics, BearWise Vacation Tips and Scare the Bear: Why and How to Safely Haze a Bear.

BearWise was developed by state agency bear biologists to ensure no matter where people live or travel, they receive consistent messages about coexisting with bears. Bubenheim said that steady education is an advantage to Routt County that draws many visitors and second-home owners.

More information is available via Facebook.com/groups/keepbearswild, CPW.state.co.us/species/black-bear, Steamboatsprings.net/959/Bears and BearSmart.org.