Back in the 1960s, the bears were doing more than stealing from Vince Shute’s picnic basket. They were breaking into cabins and raiding the place.
So as local legend goes, Shute became their personal chef, making sourdough pancakes and leaving them on the land — away from the cabins — so the bears could fatten up for hibernation.
Soon enough people followed, hoping to catch a glance at the bears as they migrated to the spot just outside Orr, feeding on pancakes or donuts. And in 1995, the American Bear Association (ABA) formed, officially making the former logging land a sanctuary for the beloved mammals.
“They started a feeding program where it was more closely associated with what bears naturally eat,” said Ryan Horner, a volunteer at the nonprofit Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary. The donuts are cut out of the diet in favor of more granola, nuts and fruits. “Stuff that compliments their natural diet and what they eat in the wild.”
The sanctuary opens on Memorial Day weekend each year as the bears wander in from their winter nap. Labor Day weekend is the end of the public viewing season. During that summer stretch, it opens Tuesday through Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., with admission prices going toward operational costs.
General admission observers arrive at the sanctuary and are bussed into the viewing area, where a gift shop and freestanding outlook deck await to watch the bears. The viewing area is about 2 acres, but the entire property backs into forests of state and federal lands, and some logging operations, so the bears are completely free to roam and not in captivity.
The number of bears visiting can reach into the 100 range, Horner said, and most leave as the public season closes. Staff and volunteers from all over the nation stick around in the fall to feed the bears who stay late, often younger ones, and use the months before opening to make repairs and prepare.
He’s in his 11th season at the sanctuary and his wife, Steph, is the executive director of the ABA. It didn’t take long for Ryan to adjust to being on the ground with the bears after he started. Most show up to eat and go about their business, and are generally more timid than the general public think.
“The first few times it was like ‘Oh, wow,’” he said. “Just treat them with respect — they’re more worried about food and other bears than they are of us.”
The Vince Shute Wildlife Sanctuary is located at 12541 Nett Lake Rd. in Orr. More information on how to volunteer or donate can be found at www.americanbear.org.