The black bear (Ursus americanus) is an animal that inspires awe and respect and when sighted in an area outside of its normal range, creates quite a stir! The Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division (WRD) encourages residents to educate themselves about bears, their habits and how to help keep them out of populated areas – not only for their own well-being, but also for the protection of the bear.

“A black bear sighting is something that few people will ever forget – especially when it is your backyard. Human populations have grown and expanded into many areas traditionally inhabited by bears and when conflicts arise it is the bear that is unfortunately seen as a threat or a nuisance,” says WRD Wildlife Biologist David Gregory. “We encourage Georgia citizens, especially those in known bear areas, to educate themselves about bears and bear behavior to help prevent such conflicts from occurring.”

It is thanks to sound wildlife management practices that more than 2,000 bears currently exist in Georgia, as they once were almost eradicated from the state due to the combination of habitat loss, unregulated killing and overall degradation of habitat due to human development. They typically can be found in three distinct regions in the state, the North Georgia mountains, the Ocmulgee River drainage system in the central part of the state and the Okefenokee Swamp in the southeast. However, once spring arrives bears often are found far from these traditional locations. Young male bears on their own for the first time often will roam large areas until they establish their own territory and all bears will roam out of their traditional range in search of food when natural sources are scarce, especially in the spring when food availability is lowest.

Some non-natural food attractants for bears include garbage, pet food, birdseed, suet, compost piles, gardens, beehives and cornfields. The easier these types of food are to obtain, the less likely it is that a bear will observe its natural fear of humans, making it difficult to break the bear’s association of people and food. WRD encourages people to understand bear attractants and do all they can to discourage bears by observing the following tips:

· NEVER feed bears.

· Keep items, such as grills, pet food, gardens, beehives or bird feeders, off limits to bears. Clean and store grills when not in use, keep pet food indoors, take bird feeders down if bears are in the area and if necessary, install electric fences around areas such as beehives, gardens and compost piles.

· Make sure trashcans are bear-proof or kept indoors.

· When camping or picnicking, keep your site clean. Never leave unattended food or coolers or keep food in or near your tent. Store food in properly sealed containers and whenever possible, store these containers in a vehicle. If camping in backcountry areas, hang packs or food bags at least ten feet off the ground and at least four feet from the trunk of a tree.

“The Division receives numerous calls each year regarding bear sightings and requests for bear relocation,” says Gregory. “This is not a recommended solution since relocated bears often attempt to return to the same territory and other bears may move into the area vacated by the relocated bear. Bears relocated into new territory, especially young males, often are killed by adult male bears defending their territory. Relocation only should be considered in cases of severe crop depredation, or if the life of people or the bear is threatened.”

For more information on bears, visit the WRD website at www.georgiawildlife.com, contact a WRD Game Management Office or call (770) 918-6416.

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