Photos by Joe Thum Carson Now Reader Joe Thum sent us these photos of a bear in front of his home near the Governor's Mansion on Washington Street. Bears have come down from the foothills into Carson City and surrounding areas this fall as they do annually, looking for calories to pack on for the winter ahead. Areas most at risk of attracting bears by granting access to garbage and other attractants are typically the west side of Carson City, the foothill areas of Douglas and Washoe counties and Lake Tahoe. The Nevada Department of Wildlife advises residents in bear country to diligently manage food, garbage and other attractants around the home and yard in order to avoid attracting bears. NDOW recognizes that bears rummaging through garbage or eating apples in backyards may be perceived as a concern and possibly frightening. Go here for a story we posted earlier this week on being bear aware.