Black bears are curious, persistent animals. During the spring and summer, bears must search for food constantly to put on enough fat to survive the winter. Bears travel over large areas in search of food. Once bears find a food source, they remember its location and return regularly.
Unfortunately, people who feed birds this time of year are also likely to attract bears.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife managers report an increase in nuisance bear complaints in recent weeks. Bear sightings are most prevalent in northern Minnesota, but they've also been spotted in the metropolitan suburbs.
"This is a tough time of year for bears," said Mark Spoden, DNR assistant area wildlife manager in Grand Rapids. "After hibernation, they are hungry. When berries and vegetation are scarce, bears are often tempted by dog food, livestock feed, birdseed, barbecues, compost or garbage."
In addition, female bears chase away last year's offspring at this time of year. These young bears are inexperienced at finding food and searching for territories of their own. They are the most likely to show up in places where they are not welcome.
Spring is a good time for residents who live close to bear habitat to check their property for food sources that could attract bears. "When human-related food is easy to find, bears stop seeking their natural foods," Spoden said. "These bears eventually get into trouble because they return again and again."
Unfortunately, food-conditioned bears often end up dead bears, said Spoden. Sometimes a bear causing problems must be trapped and destroyed. This should be done only after exhausting all other options. Bears will not be trapped for causing minor property damage, such as tearing down bird feeders or tipping over garbage cans.
Bears that are trapped because they have become a nuisance are destroyed rather than relocated. Relocated bears seldom remain where they are released. They may return to where they were caught or become a problem somewhere else.
Research and experience has clearly shown that removing food that attracts bears resolves problems much more effectively than attempting to trap and destroy the bear. When it is determined a bear must be killed, the DNR can assign a licensed hunter or issue a special permit to shoot it.
"If a bear enters your yard, don't panic and don't approach the bear," said Spoden. "Always leave the bear an escape route. Everyone should leave the area and go inside until the bear leaves."
A treed bear should be left alone as well. It will leave once the area is quiet.
Bears are normally shy and usually flee when encountered, Spoden said. "However, they may defend an area if they are feeding or are with their young. Never approach or try to pet a bear. They are unpredictable wild animals. Injury to people is rare, but bears are potentially dangerous because of their size, strength and speed."
The DNR offers some tips for avoiding bear conflicts.
AROUND THE YARD
- do not leave food from barbeques and picnics outdoors, especially overnight, coolers are not bear-proof
- replace hummingbird feeders with hanging flower baskets which are also attractive to hummingbirds
- eliminate birdfeeders or hang them 10 feet up and 4 feet out from the nearest trees
- use a rope and pulley system to refill them and clean up seeds that spill onto the ground, where bears are a nuisance, birdfeeders should be taken down between April 1 and Dec. 1
- store pet food inside and feed pets inside, if you must feed pets outdoors, feed them only as much as they will eat
- clean and store barbeque grills after each use, put them in a secure shed or garage away from windows and doors
- pick fruit from trees as soon as its ripe and collect fallen fruit immediately
- limit compost piles to grass, leaves and garden clippings, and turn piles regularly; adding lime can reduce smells and help decomposition; do not add food scraps; kitchen scraps can be composted indoors in a worm box with minimum odor
- harvest garden produce as they mature; locate gardens away from forests and shrubs that bears may use for cover
- use native plants in landscaping whenever possible, clover and dandelions will attract bears
- if you keep bee hives, elevate them on bear-proof platforms or erect properly designed electric fences
- do not put out feed for wildlife (corn, oats, pellets, three-way, molasses blocks).
GARBAGE
- store garbage in bear-resistant garbage cans or dumpsters; rubber or plastic garbage cans are not bear-proof.
- keep garbage inside a secure building until the morning of pickup
- store recyclable containers, such as pop cans, inside; the sweet smells attract bears
- store especially smelly garbage, such as meat or fish scraps, in a freezer until it can be taken to a refuse site.
People should always be cautious around bears. If they have persistent bear problems after cleaning up the food sources attracting bears, contact a DNR area wildlife office for assistance.
For the name of the local wildlife manager, contact the DNR Information Center at (651) 296-6157 or toll free 1-888-MINNDNR (646-6367). The DNR brochure "Learning To Live with Bears" is available online at
www.dnr.state.mn.us.
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