Hikers Cautioned About Bears After Encounters

LAKE MARY, Utah – Hikers near the Brighton ski resort area are being cautioned about bears after two groups of people saw one to two bears they said were acting aggressively.

Scott Root of the Division of Wildlife Resources said the sightings happened Friday night and Sunday morning. He said on Friday evening some people reported hiking at Lake Mary, and on the way back to their car near the Brighton ski resort they encountered two bears, one larger, and one smaller.

“They saw a couple bears and the bears were kind of following them, and they were a little nervous,” Root said. “They wanted to notify people, because they said it was acting aggressively.”

On Sunday, Root said a group of five adults had a similar encounter. They also said they saw a larger bear and a smaller bear that followed them, and the larger bear growled and bluff charged them. Root says it’s possible the larger bear was a mother of the cub, and was acting out in a way to keep people away from it.

“It’s my guess on that,” he said. “It’s hard to tell.”

Root said they have set up traps for the bears, and will relocate it if biologists decide that is the best option. He said there are signs posted by the trail, as well as by the traps, letting hikers know to use caution in the area.

“We’re trying to trap a bear here,” he said.

Although he hasn’t seen the bears, there are only black bears in Utah, Root said.