A black bear was spotted in the Crooked River Ranch community early Tuesday morning, August 25, prompting notifications to state wildlife officials and a reminder to residents about bear safety during the late summer season.

The sighting was reported at approximately 7:30 a.m. near SW Mare Place in Crooked River Ranch. Oregon State Police and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) were both notified of the sighting.

What Officials Are Saying

Wildlife officials are reminding Crooked River Ranch residents not to approach, feed, or attempt to scare off the bear. If you see the bear, you are asked to call non-emergency dispatch immediately so officials can monitor its location and behavior.

Black bears are generally non-aggressive toward humans, but encounters can become dangerous when bears associate neighborhoods with food sources — including unsecured garbage, bird feeders, pet food left outdoors, or fruit trees.

Why Bears Are Moving Into Communities

Late summer and early fall is a period of hyperphagia for black bears — a phase of intense feeding in which bears consume as many as 20,000 calories per day to build fat reserves for winter. During drought years like 2026, natural food sources such as berries, acorns, and insects can be scarce, which pushes bears to expand their range into residential areas in search of calories.

Jefferson County has experienced severe drought conditions throughout 2026, and fire activity has also disrupted habitat across the region, likely contributing to bear movement into communities like Crooked River Ranch.

Bear Safety Tips for Residents

  • Secure your garbage: Use bear-resistant containers or keep cans in a garage until collection day
  • Remove bird feeders from late July through November
  • Don't leave pet food outside overnight
  • Clean barbecue grills after every use
  • Pick ripe fruit from trees promptly and remove fallen fruit from the ground
  • If you encounter a bear at close range, speak calmly, back away slowly, and do not run

ODFW emphasizes that a bear visiting a neighborhood is not automatically a problem bear — but residents who intentionally or unintentionally feed wildlife can quickly create one. "A fed bear is a dead bear" remains the guiding principle of Oregon's wildlife management approach.

Anyone who spots the bear is asked to call Jefferson County non-emergency dispatch at (541) 475-2424 rather than attempting to handle the situation independently.