The Big Sky area is suffering a rash of break-ins this summer.
Blame the recent hot weather.
Most residents of the tony development near Yellowstone National Park don’t have air conditioners and have been leaving doors and windows open during the record heat wave that’s baked Montana since late June.
In an effort to stop the break-ins, three repeat offenders were even put to death.
But the criminal activity continues, says game warden Joe Knarr with Montana’s Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.
“They go house to house until they find an open window,” says Knarr, who’s investigated dozens of break-ins at Big Sky since the beginning of July.
It’s not thieves rifling through the silverware drawer, however, that have Big Sky residents on edge. Instead, it’s opportunistic black bears climbing through windows looking for food.
So far, no one’s gotten hurt, but nine bears have been trapped and three euthanized.
Like the saying goes: “a fed bear is a dead bear.”
And while the problem in Big Sky hasn’t been tied to improperly stored dog food and bird seed or a lack of bear-proof garbage containers, the solution is even simpler: lock the windows and doors.
If it’s too hot, buy an air-conditioner. This is, after all, a community of second homes. Residents should be able to handle the extra expense.
Regulations concerning garbage storage and collection are already in effect at Big Sky, but Knarr says with so many rental units there, guaranteeing a constant influx of newcomers, a lot of folks don’t understand the do’s and don’ts of living in bear country.
A similar problem in the Rattlesnake area near Missoula a few years ago resulted in the euthanization of 15 bears and the relocation of 30 others.
Efforts to educate residents there reversed the situation.
But as more and more people move into bear country and the number of bruins increases, problems are sure to persist.
Newcomers need keep their urban edge when they arrive in the last, best place. Just like at home, lock the doors and windows, don’t leave anything out in the yard untended and participate in neighborhood watches.
However, unlike at home, report any bear sightings and get to know your neighbors.
These aren’t your typical thieves and the solution to the problem lies in getting rid of the temptation, not in locking up the offenders.
Montana’s abundant wildlife, clean air and safe environment continue to attract new residents. Unless they’re careful, the Big Sky state will become a lot more like where they came from and less and less like where they thought they were headed.
Parker Heinlein is at pman@mtintouch.net