•    It's now a law in Aspen to have your trash secured in a wildlife-resistant container on day of pick up. For more information visit, www.aspenbears.com

•    Don’t leave any garbage near your house or deck.

•    Never Feed the Bears! A fed bear is a dead bear.

•    Do not leave pet food or dishes outdoors at night.

•    Be sure your doors are solid wood or metal and you install good quality round door knobs that bears cannot easily push or pull open.

•    Keep garage doors and windows closed and locked at night and when you aren’t home. Screens are not bear-proof.

•    Clean up and store your outdoor grills after use. Bears will destroy a BBQ that has even the slightest scent of      food.

•    Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in your compost pile.

•    If you must have a compost pile, enclose it with electric fencing. Keep it aerated and properly turned. Add lime to promote decomposition and reduce odor.

•    Brush Original scent Pine-Sol on window and door casing to mask food odors coming from inside. Place open pans of Pine-Sol in garages to mask garbage or food in freezers.

•    If your house is not your primary residence (vacation home or vacant rental) remove all food when the house is unoccupied. Bears can smell spices, teas, pasta and other foods and they will use their incredible force to get to it.

•    Don’t use DeCon, it attracts bears.

•    Be aggressive if you ever come in contact with a bear; make them think you will harm them.

•    Make lots of noise at a bear in your yard, either by yelling, blowing an air horn to let a bear know he’s not welcome. When he turns to run, throw rocks at him.