Watch out for roaming bears: How to avoid trouble on your summer outings

SANTA FE (AP) — It's that time of year when bears are looking for food and roaming around, both in parks and in recently developed areas that still attract wildlife.

Already this season, a Montana man was severely injured in Yellowstone National Park in a grizzly attack. A string of black bear sightings and encounters in Washington's Puget Sound area led to one bear being trapped and relocated, while two others- one near a school, the other headed for some homes — had to be shot to death.

In New Mexico, a hiker in the Sandia Mountains near Albuquerque encountered a bear that briefly chased him in early May. Another bear wandered into a Rio Rancho clinic May 18 when he triggered the building's automatic doors.

A dog needed stitches after a run-in in a yard with a bear in Asheville, N.C. The number of bear sightings and incidents in Western North Carolina is about 43% higher than average this year, partly due to a drought and a late freeze that killed off some of the spring plants bears eat. In Tennessee, authorities chased a black bear that showed up in Knoxville's entertainment district before capturing it and releasing it in a forest.

Wildlife experts say it's all part of a long-term trend, fueled by growth and development nationwide in the once empty, rural areas that black bears call home.

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Here are some tips on avoiding bears if you're spending time outdoors this summer.

If you're camping or hiking in bear country, store food and toiletries — toothpaste, sunscreen, etc. — in bear-proof containers when possible, but otherwise suspend food, coolers and garbage from a tree at least 10 feet off the ground and 4 feet out from the tree trunk. Store your food some distance from where you sleep. Hikers are advised to carry bear spray and make noise so as not to surprise bears.

"Bear attacks are rare, but whenever you come across a bear, it's very important not to run, no matter how scared you may be," said New Mexico Department of Game and Fish conservation officer Darrell Cole. "Running may prompt a bear to give chase, and you cannot outrun a bear."

Game and Fish officials advise stopping and backing away slowly, facing the bear but avoiding direct eye contact, which the animal may consider a threat. If a bear attacks, fight back with anything at hand — rocks, sticks, binoculars, bare hands — aiming for the animal's nose and eyes. Other tips:

• Make yourself appear large by holding out your jacket.

• Pick up any small children so they don't run.

• If the bear hasn't seen you, slowly move away, making a noise so the bear knows you're there.

• Give the bear plenty of room to escape so it doesn't feel threatened or trapped. If you're on a trail, step off to the downhill side and slowly move away.

• Never get between a mother bear and her cubs.