5/30/2007

THIS IS THE TIME OF YEAR FOR BEARS TO BE ON THE MOVE

RICHMOND, VA — From the Tidewater region to the Alleghany Mountains, Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF) personnel are receiving numerous calls regarding bear sightings. With a healthy and growing black bear population, bear sightings during the spring and summer months are not unusual in Virginia. However, bears showing up in areas where they are not commonly seen can cause quite a stir.

While the highest concentration of bears occurs in the Blue Ridge and Alleghany Mountains and around the Great Dismal Swamp, bears can be seen just about anywhere in Virginia. According to data from recreational sightings, hunter harvest, road kills, and VDGIF field staff, bears occur in at least 92 of Virginia's 98 counties and cities.

Summer is the breeding season for the black bear, a time of year when bears are naturally on the move. Adult males may roam well beyond their normal range searching for mates. Adult females breed every other year and give birth from mid-January to early February. Females that have reared cubs for the past year and a half are ready to breed again, and the young (yearlings or 1 ½ year old bears) are ready to be on their own and establish new home ranges. While young females generally establish a home range near that of their mother, young males may roam widely to establish a new home range.

Bears are highly adaptable and intelligent animals and can learn to associate human dwellings with food. In their search for food, bears are attracted to residential areas by the smell of food around homes. The most common food attractants are bird feeders, garbage, and pet food. Outdoor grills, livestock food, compost, fruit trees, and beehives can also attract bears. The best way to encourage a bear to move on is to remove the food source that is attracting it. Do not store household trash, or anything that smells like food, in vehicles, on porches or decks. Keep your full or empty trash containers secured in a garage, shed or basement. Take your garbage to the dump frequently, and if you have a trash collection service, put your trash out the morning of the pickup, not the night before. Take down your birdfeeder temporarily until the bear moves on. Consider installing electric fencing, an inexpensive and extremely effective deterrent to bears, around dumpsters, gardens, beehives, or other potential food sources.

If addressed quickly, bear problems caused by food attractants in people's yards can be resolved almost immediately. After you remove the food source on or around your property, the bear may remain for a short time, but after a few failed attempts to find food, it will leave your property.

Bears generally avoid humans, but in their search for food, they may wander into suburban areas. So, what should you do if you see a bear? The most important response is to keep a respectful distance. Black bears have a natural fear of humans and, in most cases, would rather flee than have an encounter with people. If a bear is up a tree on or near your property, give it space. Do not approach or gather around the base of the tree. By bringing your pets inside and leaving the immediate area, you give the bear a clear path to leave your property.

Always remember that a bear is a wild animal and that it is detrimental, as well as illegal in Virginia, to feed a bear under any circumstances. Even the inadvertent feeding of nuisance bears is illegal. When bears lose their fear of people, property damage may occur. Bears habituated to humans may cause safety concerns and often times need to be destroyed.

Remember you can help manage the Commonwealth's black bear population by keeping your property clear of attractants and communicating with your neighbors to resolve community bear concerns.

If you do see a bear in your area, enjoy watching it from a distance. If you experience a bear problem after taking appropriate steps of prevention, please notify the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries at 804-367-1258.

If you have questions about bears or bear behavior, please visit the Department’s Web site at www.dgif.virginia.gov.

It is the mission of the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries to maintain optimum populations of all species to serve the needs of the Commonwealth; to provide opportunity for all to enjoy wildlife, inland fish, boating and related outdoor recreation; and to promote safety for persons and property in connection with these outdoor activities. For more information, visit the Department web site at www.dgif.virginia.gov.

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