Several Blaine residents have recently reported seeing a mother black bear and her offspring wandering around Giles Road, just north of Custer. The sightings come after a black bear and two cubs were seen around Blaine and Custer last year.
Three people living near Giles Road took to the social media app Nextdoor to report their recent black bear sightings within the past week. At least four reports include a mother black bear and two young bears on Delta Line Road; a mother bear and young bear, both tagged, outside of a home on Giles Road; and a mother bear in Giles Pond. One neighbor also told The Northern Light they had seen two young bears a couple of months ago in the area.
Becky Elder, a community outreach manager at Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), wrote in an email to The Northern Light that the department is aware of the bears traveling in the area. WDFW received one report, on May 10, of an adult female and a yearling, a young bear between the ages of one and two years old, on Forest Road in Blaine. The yearling is presumed to be last year’s offspring, Elder wrote.
Late last summer, a mother black bear and two cubs traveled from Maple Falls to Blaine and Custer, with about 30 reports marking their trail.
“We cannot confirm they are the same, but it is quite possible since they seem to have similar shaped and colored ear tags to the ones described from last year,” Elder wrote.
Elder previously said it’s not uncommon to see black bears in northwest Whatcom County, but it’s not a place where they’re frequently observed. WDFW tried to set a few traps in 2023 to assess the bears.
WDFW didn’t track last year’s bears, which Elder said likely traveled into Canada, the North Cascades or a forested location away from homes. Bears that have a predictable food source such as garbage may emerge throughout the winter, but the department didn’t receive any reports of bears in the Blaine or Custer area then.
With only one report to WDFW, the department does not plan to set traps. However, Elder said if the bears remain in the area and continue relying on human food, then WDFW may attempt to trap the bears. Rehabilitation is only used for young bears as relocation is less successful when adult bears are habituated to non-natural food, Elder said.
“At present, since it was only one sighting and no negative human interactions have occurred, we are hopeful they continue to move on and do not focus on human attractants,” Elder wrote.
Bears will stay in one area as long as they can secure food, Elder wrote. People can deter bears from the area by securing non-natural food sources, such as garbage cans, bird feeders and pet food.
“Some people are tempted to feed bears or allow them to forage on their lawn or landscaping, thinking they are helping the bears. This can be especially true when people see female bears (sows) with their young (cubs),” Elder wrote. “The truth is, wildlife don’t need our help, and feeding wildlife can cause more harm than good.”
