Bear Sightings in Late Summer Possible, Says DNR
A black bear with its nose buried in a food container eats trash out of a residential garbage bag. photo: Bearwise.org
We typically warn you about possible bear encounters in the spring when bears come out of hibernation.
However, according to the Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, you could start seeing bears in late summer and early fall as well.
August means it is time for bears to pack on the pounds as they prepare for winter hibernation.
Female bears increase food intake and continue to teach foraging skills to their cubs, sometimes venturing outside of their home range.
“It’s not uncommon for human-bear conflicts to intensify in late summer, as bears have been ‘trained’ and ‘educated’ all summer long about finding food around homes and neighborhoods where unsecured bear attractants often abound,” says Adam Hammond, WRD state bear biologist. “Denying bears a free meal and forcing them to look elsewhere in their search for food is still the best course of action – for people and for the bears.”
A bear that repeatedly finds food from garbage cans, bird feeders, and pet food bowls is unlikely to leave, and will become bolder in its search for easy food and that can lead to property damage of homes, garages, vehicles and more.
Once bears have learned bad habits and have come to rely on people for a “free meal,” they rarely change those behaviors, and this type of behavior progressively gets worse with time and experience.
Hammond said denying bears a free meal by making sure your garbage cans are secure and picking up pet food from back porches and decks forces the bears to look elsewhere in their search for food and that is still the best course of action for rural home and property owners.
The DNR offers an education program developed by state bear biologists, that offers people specific, detailed, and high-quality information to help live responsibly with bears and keep bears wild.
You can learn more about the BearWise program by going to bearwise.org.
If you have a nuisance bear invading your trash, you can call the DNR’s Ranger hotline at 1-800-241-4113 or if you AT&T cell service dial *DNR to report it.
Do not attempt to deal with a nuisance bear yourself.
Except for the designated bear hunting season, it is illegal in Georgia to take a bear out of season, and is considered poaching.
Again that number to report a nuisance bear is 800-241-4113 or *DNR on your AT&T cellphone.