Hook up your dogs, fence in your chickens, put away the food and use some common sense. It's spring, and that means bear and moose are in the neighborhood.

"Black bears and a lot of moose with newborn calves are in and around town," Thomas McDonough, wildlife biologist with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in Homer, said of reports from Homer and Anchor Point areas.

Interactions with wildlife have begun showing up on Homer Police Department logs. A black bear in a residential neighborhood. An unrestrained dog chasing a moose.

"We're getting lots of reports of bears in the area," said Alaska Wildlife Trooper Travis Bordner.

"I've had two walk in my yard already this year on Skyline, and I know on Rogers Loop several are working that area."

No food means fewer unwanted visitors.

"The big thing is just don't feed them," Bordner said, specifically referring to bears. "Garbage, bird feeders, dog food, anything they can get into will keep them around and make them dangerous."

McDonough also stressed not rewarding bears for foraging close to humans.

"Even though some garbage might seem innocuous and not much of an attractant, anything that has food residue will become a reward for bears and shape their behavior. It will encourage them and train them to forage around humans," he said.

While bird seed, dog food and fish smokers are known attention-getters for bears, another favorite is cropping up: compost piles.

"Composting lawn clippings, grass clippings and things like that are really good and effective and not any sort of attractant for bears, but if you choose to put kitchen or fish scraps in your compost, it's a major attractant for bears," McDonough said.

By city ordinance, individuals can be fined $250-$500 for intentionally attracting bears to their home, or $50-$300 for unintentionally attracting bears. State law prohibits the intentional, as well as the negligent feeding of game.

"If you intentionally or negligently leave human food, animal food or garbage out in a manner that attracts animals, namely bears and moose sometimes moose are attracted to garbage, as well then you are in violation of the law and can receive a $300 fine," McDonough said.

The negligent feeding of game was added to law in 2002. Initially, the state focused on public education rather than enforcement, but that emphasis is changing.

"We're at a point now where we're really stepping up enforcement along with continued education," McDonough said.

When it comes to chickens, livestock and beehives, electric fences are an effective means for keeping bears away. How-to tips are available on the Web at www.wildlife,alaska.gov, follow the link to "Alaska's Bears."

Likening human-bear encounters to seatbelts, McDonough said, "If folks want to wait until they have a problem before they do anything to secure their attractants, there's always going to be problems. It's like buckling your seatbelt after you've had an accident."

A clean yard doesn't necessarily guarantee a bear-free neighborhood, but rolling up the welcome mat helps.

"Do that by yelling, banging pots, making a lot of noise," McDonough said. "Often times, if bears have not become food-conditioned, become a garbage bear, that sort of tactic can be enough to encourage them to go back into the woods and not hang out around people."

When outdoors, McDonough urged an awareness of one's surroundings. That includes staying in groups, making noise, talking, singing. It's the surprise meetings that frequently set off negative encounters.

Moose pose a different sort of problem. Whereas forests offer plenty of food for bears, moose hunger for newly emergent leaves and shoots from willows and other types of food often found around human settlements. That makes humans responsible for widening the safety margin, especially when it comes to moose cows and calves.

"The behavior of an adult cow (moose) can be unpredictable," McDonough said. "Oftentimes they're very tolerant after living around humans their whole life, but other times they're quite defensive and aggressive. Folks want to keep themselves safe. Never approach a moose. Certainly never approach a cow and a calf."

The same can be said for resisting the impulse to get the perfect, up-close wildlife photo.

"I often see individuals approaching them to get a picture, to get a better view and you never want to do that," McDonough said. "Animals have a comfort zone just like we do. We cannot product when we're penetrating that comfort zone and when we might illicit an aggressive behavior."

A definite no-no is trying to rescue "abandoned" moose calves.

"Usually they're not abandoned," Bordner said. "That doesn't happen very often. Leave them alone. Mom will come back."

Unrestrained, aggressive dogs can pose threats for wildlife. Although firing guns inside city limits is illegal, outside city boundaries a state law takes effect.

"People should know that if a dog attacks an animal, it can be shot by anyone," Bordner said. "Most people don't want to do that, but it is lawful. You have to make a reasonable effort to contact the owner about the problem, but that's the only stipulation."

When all is said, human-wildlife interaction can easily be summed up in a three-word rule of thumb.

"Leave them alone," Bordner said.

For more information or to report problems with wildlife, call the Alaska Department of Fish and Game at 235-8191, the Alaska State Troopers at 235-8239 or the Homer City Police at 235-3150. For emergencies, call 911.

McKibben Jackinsky can be reached at mckibbenjackinsky.@homernews.com.

State works to place orphaned moose calves

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced Saturday it's continued intent to assist orphaned moose calves.

"Each year we solicit zoos and accredited wildlife facilities around the country to find homes for moose calves and other wildlife species," the department's press release stated. "This year we received four requests for moose calves. Four such calves are currently under the care of the Alaska Zoo to meet those requests."

As a result of its placement efforts, the state has exhausted its sources for interim facilities and has doubled its efforts to locate suitable permanent facilities for orphaned moose calves. Such facilities are important because newborn moose calves are highly vulnerable to disease and other environmental factors.

"Moose calves picked up by well-meaning people are often fed the wrong food, or too much of the right food, resulting in their deaths within a matter of days," the department stated. "Once captured, these orphans require professional animal care. Even with quality human care, calf survival is greatly diminished without a cow to teach them."

The press release urged the public not to intervene.

"Picking up moose calves believed to be orphaned or abandoned is illegal without a permit," the department said. "Some lone calves may not in fact be orphaned. Call your local (Alaska Department of Fish and Game) office if you suspect a calf has been orphaned and requires assistance."