Yearling male bears, in particular, are highly mobile in spring. These young bears stayed the winter with their mother, but were kicked out of her territory to start their lives on their own. They can travel very long distances in search of a new place to call their home. This uptick in bear activity makes seeing a bear walking on the side of the road or through a wooded area near a home fairly common in Arkansas.

This means bears are more likely to get into trouble as they look to take advantage of any easy meals they can find. Wildlife feeders (deer, birds, etc.), unsecured trash with food scraps, and pet and livestock foods left outside are major attractants for bears trying to stock up after a long winter. Young male bears are even more likely to take advantage of these foods as they travel to new locations and try to determine if the area holds adequate resources.

Unfortunately, this often leads to property damage and nuisance activity. Wild bears are used to tearing apart logs to find insects to feed on, and a birdfeeder, trash can or food bag is no different to a bear. They don’t know they are destroying property. They just know there is something they can eat inside of something they can break into.

The best way to avoid conflicts with black bears is to be BearWise. Remove all attractants from your property or secure it safely, and, especially, never intentionally feed bears.

Not only is feeding bears outside of the legal baiting period for hunting illegal in Arkansas, but it is also dangerous. Bears that are fed by people will begin to lose their natural fear of humans and view them as a food source. It can be fun and exciting to see bears up close, but it is much less fun when they climb through a window or break through a screen door to see what else is available to eat.

Visit www.BearWise.org for more information on living with bears and becoming more bear aware.

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According to Means, yearling bears have two life paths after they emerge from dens in spring, based on their sex. Female yearlings will be allowed to stay near their mother, setting up territories adjacent to hers. Males, however, are shown the door and are pushed away to find new homes.

“This prevents inbreeding and promotes expansion of the species,” Means said. “For some of these young males, it’s the first time they will encounter people.”

According to the website Bearwise.org, a site maintained and managed by bear biologists and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, these young bears are much like teenagers striking out on their own for the first time. Most quickly discover that human places should be avoided, but if they find out that your trash bins or wildlife feeders are easy pickings for a snack, they’re liable to set up shop and claim your backyard as their own.

“Probably 90 percent of the bear nuisance calls we get can be handled by simply taking away whatever food source the bear has found,” Means said. “That’s going to be the first thing I tell a landowner when they call. Take away that easy food, and the bear almost always moves on quickly.”

Corn feeders and easily tipped trash cans are obvious targets for inquisitive bears, but other food sources, such as birdfeeders and barbecue grills with uncleaned drip pans also attract these trouble bruins. A full checklist is available at Bearwise.org to help landowners in Arkansas’s bear country prepare for the possibilities.

The few female bears that spur nuisance complaints often are searching for food to keep their weight on while tending to their cubs. Early summer foods like leaves and grasses are not as calorie-rich as berries and acorns that are soon to be abundant in most of the state. During this time, a female may also wander in for a free meal if food is left out for the taking.

“Bears are opportunists, but they’re really not aggressive unless you’ve let them stick around and get comfortable,” Means said. “If you did miss something and they begin to hang around. Remove the food and make sure the bear knows they aren’t welcome in your backyard. It usually doesn’t take much to get them to move on if you do it when they first show up. Most of the times we’ve had to trap and remove bears have been the result of people thinking it was neat to have one around and letting them stay long enough to think they belonged there. That always leads to trouble down the road, not only for the landowner who let a bear stay, but for neighbors and other landowners who then have to deal with a bear that’s lost its fear of humans.”

In addition to being a bad idea, intentionally baiting or feeding bears to attract them to an area is illegal. The only exception to this is from 30 days before bear hunting season begins until it ends. Placing certain wildlife feeders on your property also is illegal if you live in an area at risk for Chronic Wasting Disease, a disease found in deer and elk.

More information about bear awareness and bear safety can be found on the cooperative website www.Bearwise.org.

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CUTLINES:

SODA BEAR

Each May and June, calls begin to pick up concerning bears that have found their way into cities and towns in Arkansas. Bigstock photo.

BEAR IN TREE

Black bears rarely pose any threat to humans, and often shy away from populations when possible. AGFC photo.

BEAR IN TRASH

Leaving trash cans open and full of scraps or other food can be a surefire way to attract bears on the borders of urban populations and bear country. Bigstock photo.