Where can you find bears in Oregon? (Portland, Gresham: 2014, rental)

[Metlakatla]

Originally Posted by Laura77

Oh I absolutely agree. The last thing I want to do is get close to them because I love them so much I would never want to do anything to put them in harm's way. You can view wildlife from a safe and responsible distance, which is all I'm really interested in.

Whereabouts in coastal Oregon do you live?

I live in Florence. We've been inundated with newcomers of the out-of-state retiree persuasion lately who are absolutely terrified of the bears and are convinced that they are one step away from being viciously attacked by "predatory wildlife!!!"

Alaska has a lot of bear-viewing platforms, but I'm not aware of any in Oregon.

I think the only time most people who live in Oregon actually see a bear is when the animal comes onto their property, and that's often the result of unsecured trash and other bear attractants. They also prefer to stick around heavily wooded areas that don't provide much visibility.

[Laura77]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

I live in Florence. We've been inundated with newcomers of the out-of-state retiree persuasion lately who are absolutely terrified of the bears and are convinced that they are one step away from being viciously attacked by "predatory wildlife!!!"

Alaska has a lot of bear-viewing platforms, but I'm not aware of any in Oregon.

I think the only time most people who live in Oregon actually see a bear is when the animal comes onto their property, and that's often the result of unsecured trash and other bear attractants. They also prefer to stick around heavily wooded areas that don't provide much visibility.

Yup. I've heard this from everyone once they discover my intense love for all things bear. I think they're just really misunderstood. They don't want to be bothered just as much as people don't want to be bothered by them. Bear attacks only really happen when they're startled, scared, threatened, or haven't gained enough weight for winter- but even in this scenario don't go hunting humans.
I do wish people were more educated and serious about conservation (actual conservation, not just claiming it while also killing animals... What???). Everyone would be in a much safer position.

Shoot, maybe I need to be looking at Alaska lol although... I absolutely cannot imagine driving all the way through Canada with two huge dogs in tow who will howl the whole way lol (Siberian husky and Alaskan malamute).

[hikernut]

Originally Posted by Laura77

Shoot, maybe I need to be looking at Alaska lol although... I absolutely cannot imagine driving all the way through Canada with two huge dogs in tow who will howl the whole way lol (Siberian husky and Alaskan malamute).

If you want to see bears, Alaska the place to be. I've visited twice for a total of about six weeks. I saw more bears on those two trips than I've seen every other place I've lived (including three years in Oregon) and visited.

With that said, I don't think I'd want to live permanently in Alaska. Winters are long and dark.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

It won't help you if you live in Portland, but there is a herd of Bighorn Sheep that lives in the Columbia Gorge. Sometimes they are on the hills next to the highway, so any time you have a reason to be driving the gorge, keep half an eye on the scenery and maybe you will get lucky and see them.


I lived in Kings Valley for a couple of years and I could go out hiking and on my way home, see bear tracks where a bear had crossed the trail after I'd passed the spot. I saw lots of tracks, but never saw a bear.

[Everdeen]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Do you live on the Oregon coast?

Oregon Fish & Wildlife does not typically relocate bears; it doesn't really work. Standard procedure at Fish & Wildlife is to euthanize them.

I was told by a neighbor that it would not be euthanized. When I see the guy from up the hill who originally told me about the bear, I'll have to ask him.



I hope he got that part of the story wrong. The bears don't cause any problems and, as you know, are pretty skittish around humans.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by Metlakatla

Do you live on the Oregon coast?

Oregon Fish & Wildlife does not typically relocate bears; it doesn't really work. Standard procedure at Fish & Wildlife is to euthanize them.

They tell the public that the bears are relocated. I believe that if they would tell the truth and say the bears get euthanized maybe some of the Disney talking animal fans would stop feeding them if they knew they were setting the bear up to be killed.

[Everdeen]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

They tell the public that the bears are relocated. I believe that if they would tell the truth and say the bears get euthanized maybe some of the Disney talking animal fans would stop feeding them if they knew they were setting the bear up to be killed.

I think Metlakatla is correct, though. I went on ODFW website and did a little reading. I did come across this story https://www.dfw.state.or.us/news/2019/06_Jun/061319.asp


If they post when they have to euthanize a bear, I think that would be best. Especially for the bears. People need to know that their own behavior can be a death sentence for the bear.

[ejisme]

Laura-77: another lower-48 place to look for bears would be outside/around the edges of Missoula, MT. https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1.../3147448_zpid/ It's a pretty green area, but not as dense of undergrowth as the Oregon forests, so you can see things better (and be seen by wildlife). You'd also be fairly close to Glacier NP to the north, and the Bob Marshal Wilderness area to the east. Missoula, of course, isn't as big a city as Portland and its metro area, so doesn't have the same level of services and entertainment, and is at least a solid days drive to the beach. The winter is much more severe than Portland's too, but also a bit drier. It's still one of the wetter areas of Montana though.

In Portland, to see bears you'll probably need to bait them, which isn't exactly an ethical thing to do. You'll also need to live on the east or west fringes of Portland. Sandy would be a good west-side choice as you mentioned, maybe Estacada or Molalla (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/3...68020801_zpid/). You might look at Forest Grove, Hillsborough, or maybe McMinnville on the West side (https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1...84744341_zpid/). Bonus, both these properties I listed left there pool tables behind, lol.

You'd have to be on the edges of those towns, but also those edges are pretty nice places to live. It would be quite a commute into Portland proper, but all those towns have Home Depots and hospitals in them or nearby.

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by Everdeen

I was told by a neighbor that it would not be euthanized. When I see the guy from up the hill who originally told me about the bear, I'll have to ask him.



I hope he got that part of the story wrong. The bears don't cause any problems and, as you know, are pretty skittish around humans.

Oregonians seem to freak out when they see bears and shoot them. In other states people manage to coexist with them, but not here. If you want to see bears go to Glacier National Park. There are more bears then people, and there are a lot of people there.

[Driver 47]

Originally Posted by Laura77

Where is it that you live? Turns out I can't afford areas like Fairview. I can afford Troutdale and Gresham but I'm really not sure what those areas are like lol

I'l actually up in NH, but bears are a common issue in rural areas all over the country. In some areas they're more of a nuisance than an attraction. They liked to get into my garbage cans until I wised up and put the cans in the garage.