Los Padres BEAR Aware

10/06/2026

Not good news. 🦝

Los Angeles County public health officials have launched an investigation after confirming the first rabies-positive raccoon detection in more than 50 years.

In a news release, the Department of Public Health said that the raccoon was found in the backyard of a Westlake Village home and that it "appeared sick but not aggressive towards people." Officials said one dog was exposed to the raccoon, but it was up to date on rabies vaccination and has since been quarantined and is doing well.

Four people were also possibly exposed and were receiving follow-up for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis.

10/05/2026

Minimize your impact!
Reduce your human related attractants you've chosen to bring into the forest! If you choose to move to the forest, accept the risks to what you bring in!

10/04/2026

🐻 + BEAR ATTRACTANTS + 🐻
- Any SCENTED ITEMS - fruity / flowery air fresheners, soaps, laundry detergent, scented cleaners, shampoo, conditioner, toiletries, candles, even citronella candles, etc. ✔️ Pick up an item, smell it - is it scented?
- WATER features - bird baths, fountains, tubs of water, etc.
- DECOR - Decor by your door? The bear has no idea if it’s real or not. The bear will approach your door, porch or deck to check it out. bird houses (bears eat bird eggs & birds), Pumpkins, Flowers, wreaths (w berries, corn, fake fruit, eggs, flowers, etc), really take a hard look at your outside decor items.
- SPILLS on decks, patios, garage floors, outdoor cushions, outdoor furniture… you may not smell it but the Bear does. Clean all services with HOT water in a bucket - scrub, not mop, the surface.
- Any BIRD related items - nectar, seed, suet, peanuts, etc. No birdfeeding of any kind is allowed in PMC year round 24/7. Peanut oil & Sunflower oil absorb into railings, deck wood, cushions, etc. It is in your best interest not to do it. If you have bird fed in the past with nectar, seed, suet or peanuts you should scrub (not mop) your deck & railings with Hot water and soap.
- REFRIGERATOR / FREEZER in a garage, shed or crawlspace. Even empty they still smell like food. When they’re trapped in a small space taking in air and spewing that air back into the garage/shed air… It smells like food. When it’s hot the refrigerator and freezer kicks on more often making it smell even more. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of WHEN it will be found by a Bear.
- BBQ - clean the Grease trap, grills, cover, and burn off grease for 10 minutes after cooking.
- PET Food. It’s in your best interest to Never feed pet food outside because the grease absorbs into the deck wood, too. Pet food must be supervised per the PMCPOA rules, any leftover food must be put inside immediately after pet stops eating it. No pet food can be outside at any time unsupervised.
- DELIVERY ITEMS - Be cautious with Pet food, food, tea, anything scented that is delivered to your home sitting on your deck / porch, because the Bears will smell and remove packages.
- DOG P**P - bears will consume dog p**p. Dogs do not digest all of their food. Make sure you are regularly cleaning your yard.
- BABY / KIDS - Kids car seats should be clean frequently especially underneath them. Kids drip fruit juice - everywhere - car seats, decks, carpet, homes, etc. Just because you can’t see it, does not mean that a Bear cannot smell it.  So many baby & kids items are scented… be sure to check your vehicles & decks often.
- FOOD, beverages, recycles. No recycles are allowed outside.
No food or beverage is allowed outside unsupervised.
- TRASH - No trash is allowed outside.

FENCES & GATES - Bears can climb trees. Bears can climb any kind of fence. Fences & deck gates do not stop bears. Fences & deck gates are often broken when a bear climbs over them. Bears can climb stairs. The worst bear vs. dog incidents have happened in fenced areas (dog death & injury).  If a Bear is inside a ‘fenced enclosure’ - your dog has no escape.

Always supervise dogs outside 24/7.

In addition to Bears, we have coyote, bobcats, Mountain Lions, raccoons, skunk, rattlesnakes, fox, birds of prey, etc

10/01/2026

Protect your CHEWY Deliveries…. and any SCENTED deliveries!
Tea, protein powder, scented air fresheners, food / pet food, candles, etc.
🐻 It is your obligation to protect deliveries so they are NOT consumed by bears or other wildlife. Once food is outside on your property, it is your responsibility to retrieve it from your deck or porch.
7.04 Food May not be left outside a dwelling.
7.07 Food left outside unattended is considered feeding wildlife.
📦 You can always have a friend or neighbor retrieve your packages for you.
📦 You can opt to have packages delivered to the PMC post office that contain food or scented items.
📦 You can make yourself available for when your packages arrive to bring them inside when they’re delivered.
🐻 It takes ANY bear less than 10 seconds to cover your entire property.
Always protect any food outside of your house!
🐻 photo was taken in Pine Mountain Club, CA 93222.

09/28/2026

All people present, ontributing to the eventual death of the bear.  Nothing about this is cute or funny.  Pretty sad that people filmed it rather than hazing the Bear.

09/27/2026

Pine Mountain Club 🐻
PMCPOA - RULES REGARDING WILDLIFE - Article 7.
Please take a moment to read the most current PMCPOA Association Rules - Rules Regarding Wildlife.
You can save the image to photos if you need to enlarge it or to keep it to read later! 🦊 🐿️ 🦨🐻 🦝 🐦

09/23/2026

🐻 Human behavior results in the death of bears over & over.

Not managing attractants properly.
Not looking for bears as you drive in areas with bears.
Not locking & closing open windows in rooms you’re no longer in.
Not keeping a clean & unscented home.
Not cleaning your deck & railings after a Bear visit.
Not locking vehicle doors 24/7.
Not removing attractants & cleaning vehicles.
Not locking home doors 24/7.
On & on…

Every time a Bear consumes human related food / pet food indirectly or directly, a Bear is fed. You don’t have to be a ‘bear feeder’ - feeding on purpose - to be a detriment to a Bear. Bears consume excessively more food entering homes every season, than they can ever get from direct “Bear feeders”. Both indirect feeding (oops) and direct feeding eventually contributes to the death of a Bear.

Rotten teeth, damaged teeth from car door handles & biting wood, crossing the roads to get to houses with water features / fruit trees / other attractants, plastic in their intestines, bears struck by cars, bears killed after getting trapped in unchecked vacation homes… on & on.

The one thing in common is a human.

Do the right thing every day for bears when you choose to live in a nearby forested area with wildlife. Never feed wildlife.

Don’t be part of the problem in the human & Bear equation.
Yogi for decades has exclaimed “Be smarter than the average Bear”!

🐻

09/21/2026

☑ Check - GOT ACORNS? Oak Trees?
If you have a nut producing tree, be extra sure that human related attractants are removed from the yard. Many Oak Trees are filled with Acorns right now. Black bears are eating nuts and acorns to try and gain weight before winter comes! Acorn production can influence reproduction rates, survival, movement, and overall health of the bear.
Black bears will return to the same trees every year. Black bears are very good at climbing trees. If you see a bear in a tree, leave it be. Give it space and patience and it will eventually leave!

09/19/2026

🐻 💩 Coprophagia is the practice of eating stool (f***s).
We have had a few reports recently of BEARS eating dog 💩 p**p. Bears usually do this because not all dog food has digested. We have always recommended that homes with dogs keep their lot clean, including removing dog p**p on a regular basis, if not daily. Yes, dog p**p is in attractant. Frequent cleaning of your deck helps eliminate smells from your dog. We typically see bears in Pine Mountain Club, engaging in coprophagia late August into the fall. Bears need to put on weight to prepare for winter/torpor. This fall feeding process is called hyperphagia.

🐻 💩 🐶 🐻 💩 🐩 🐻 💩 🐕

09/18/2026

Bear & Coyote