Virginia’s black bear population is on the move, as the midpoint of the growing season lures them out of forests to search for whatever morsels they can find, and creates more opportunities for interactions with humans.
“There are more bear sightings now than I can remember and I’ve been around awhile,” said Karl Martin, district supervisor with the Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries.
“It is mid season for food in the forest that bears consume” and they are venturing out more, looking for alternative food sources.
“They’re looking hard at apples, but they’re not ripe yet,” and as a result, hungry bears are prone to search for morsels in other places – including those in close proximity to humans, like garbage in cans with unsecured lids, pet food left unattended and “one of biggest targets is bird feeders,” he said.
Feeders often are filled with seeds known to attract cardinals, such as black oil sunflower seeds, Martin said.
Bears “can smell for miles away,” Martin said. “It’s hard to believe an animal so large would go for something so small, but they do. Bird feeders are the biggest attraction right now.”
Other things known to attract bears are outdoor grills, livestock food, compost, fruit trees, and beehives, according to Martin and officials at the DGIF.
To minimize the possibility a bear will come calling, Martin suggested taking bird feeders down for the next several weeks; securing garbage in bear resistant trash cans or in a secure building. Also, the DIF recommends cleaning grills, keeping meat scraps out of compost piles and bringing pet food indoors after feeding pets.
Also, electric fencing is a proven bear deterrent when installed around dumpsters, gardens, fruit trees, beehives, or other potential food sources, according to the DGIF.
“If you remove the food source, it usually takes care of” their attempts to find food around homes, he said, and added they generally will leave to forage for natural wild foods.
Black bears “are usually more afraid of humans than anything else,” Martin said, and added the exception is if they are fed by humans.
It is illegal to feed bears, he said, and added that while “people think they’re cute, they can be dangerous. You don’t want to be put in a position to feed them. They’ll get closer and closer to the point where they aren’t afraid of people.”
And that, Martin said, could lead to a dangerous encounter.
The DGIF notes that in most cases, a black bear will detect a human and leave the area before being noticed. However, if encountering a bear, they suggest not running away because that could prompt the bear to give chase.
If the bear hasn’t seen you, calmly leave the area, while making a bit of noise so the bear will not be surprised by you, according to the DGIF. If the bear has seen you, back away slowly while facing the bear. Speaking softly may also let the bear know you mean no harm.
For more information, visit www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear.
If a bear problem is experienced after taking steps to prevent it, call the Wildlife Conflict Helpline at (855) 571-9003.
Cutline: This black bear and her cub recently were spotted near the Lover’s Leap Birdhouse store in Meadows of Dan. When sensing danger, a female bear typically will send cubs up a tree and leave the area. She returns when there are no people or pets around, usually after dark. (Contributed photo by Elizabeth Nester)
