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Pennsylvania Game Commission Offers Advice on How to Avoid Attracting Bears

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 28 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With spring
blossoming around the state, many Pennsylvanians are seeing signs of new
life in the outdoors as migratory birds continue their northward migration
and other wildlife shake off their winter slumber. Among the wildlife
becoming more visible are Pennsylvania's roughly 14,000 black bears, all of
which will be looking for food.

Since bears are found throughout a large part of the state, Mark
Ternent, Pennsylvania Game Commission black bear biologist, said that bear
sightings are common during this time of year. Food for bears is typically
scarce in the spring until vegetation begins to green-up, but bears
emerging from dens need to find food after fasting for several months.
Thus, sightings and, in some cases, conflicts increase as bears look for
food, including in backyards.

"Now is the time to keep bears from becoming a nuisance later in the
summer," Ternent said. "Bears that wander near residential areas in search
of food are less likely to stay or return if they do not find anything
rewarding. Conversely, if bears find food in your backyard they quickly
learn to associate residential areas with food and begin to spend more time
in those areas. Encounters between humans and bears increase, as does
property damage, the risk of human injury and vehicle accidents involving
bears."

Ternent noted capturing and moving bears that have become habituated to
humans is a costly and sometimes ineffective way of addressing the problem,
especially when faced with the possibility of merely moving a problem bear
from one area to another. That is why wildlife agencies around the country
tell people that a "fed bear is a dead bear."

"The best solution is to prevent bears from finding food at your house
in the first place," Ternent said. "Food placed outside for any reason -
whether it is food for wildlife, pets or unsecured garbage - is food
available for bears. Homeowners should begin now to remove food sources or
make them unavailable to bears."

Ternent listed five suggestions that could prevent attracting bears to
a property:

Play it smart. Do not feed wildlife. Food placed outside for wildlife,
such as corn for squirrels, may attract bears. Even bird feeders can become
"bear magnets." Feeding birds during the winter months is not a problem,
but at other times of the year you run the risk of attracting problem
bears. If you do chose to feed songbirds during the summer, Audubon
Pennsylvania offers some tips, including: avoid foods that are particularly
attractive for bears, such as sunflower seeds, hummingbird nectar mixes or
suet; bring feeders inside at night; or suspend feeders from high
crosswires so they are at least 10 feet above the ground and four feet from
anything a bear can climb, including overhead limbs.

Keep it clean. Don't put out garbage until pick-up day; don't throw
table scraps out back; don't add fruit or vegetable wastes to your compost
pile; and clean your barbecue grill regularly. If you have pets and feed
them outdoors, consider placing food dishes inside overnight. Encourage
your neighbors to do the same.

Keep your distance. If a bear shows up in your backyard, stay calm.
Shout at it like you would to chase an unwanted dog. Don't approach it. If
the bear won't leave, call the nearest Game Commission regional office or
local police department for assistance.

Eliminate temptation. Bears that visit your area are often drawn there.
Neighbors need to work together to reduce an area's appeal to bears. Ask
area businesses to keep dumpsters closed and bear-proofed (chained or
locked shut).

Check please! If your dog is barking, or cat is clawing at the door to
get in, try to determine what has alarmed your pet. But do it cautiously,
using outside lights to full advantage and from a safe position, such as a
porch or an upstairs window. All unrecognizable outside noises and
disturbances should be checked, but don't do it on foot with a flashlight.
Black bears blend in too well with nighttime surroundings providing the
chance for a close encounter.

Pennsylvanians also are reminded that if they see cubs alone, it does
not necessarily mean they have been abandoned or orphaned.

"During the spring, sows may leave their cubs for several hours,
typically up in a tree, while they forage," Ternent said. "The best advice
is to leave the area and never retrieve the cubs. Staying in the vicinity
only prevents the mother from returning, and attempting to care for them
may result in exposure to wildlife diseases or habituation to humans.

"Cubs that have been removed from the wild and habituated to people are
difficult to rehabilitate for release back into the wild and may result in
the cub being euthanized. The risks of serious conflicts with humans
resulting from the release of a habituated bear are too significant, and it
would be irresponsible to do so."

Although Pennsylvania's bear population has been increasing for some
time, estimates over the past five years indicate it has stabilized near
14,000. Last year, hunters harvested 2,360 bears. An additional 311 bears
were reported killed on highways.

"As a result of Pennsylvania's large human and bear populations, bears
and people are coming into contact frequently," Ternent said. "These
encounters occur because housing developments and businesses continue to
encroach into bear habitat and more bears are living closer to people than
ever before. Chance encounters in the field also appear to be more common
than before in some areas."

Ternent noted that although bears are not strangers to Pennsylvanians,
bears are misunderstood by many.

"Bears needn't be feared, nor should they be dismissed as harmless.
They simply need to be respected," Ternent said. He stressed that in the
past 10 years fewer than 15 people have been injured by bears in
Pennsylvania, and there are no known records of a Pennsylvania black bear
killing a human.

"Black bear aggression is most often the result of a human
intentionally or unintentionally threatening a bear, its cubs, or a nearby
food source, and the best reaction is to defuse the threat by leaving the
area in a quiet, calm manner," Ternent said. He also advised:

Stay Calm. If you see a bear and it hasn't seen you, leave the area
calmly. Talk or make noise while moving away to help it discover your
presence. Choose a route that will not intersect with the bear if it is
moving.

Get Back. If you have surprised a bear, slowly back away while talking
softly. Face the bear, but avoid direct eye contact. Do not turn and run;
rapid movement may be perceived as danger to a bear that is already feeling
threatened. Avoid blocking the bear's only escape route and try to move
away from any cubs you see or hear. Do not attempt to climb a tree. A
female bear may falsely interpret this as an attempt to get at her cubs,
even though the cubs may be in a different tree.

Pay Attention. If a bear is displaying signs of nervousness - pacing,
swinging its head, or popping its jaws - about your presence, leave the
area. Some bears may bluff charge to within a few feet. If this occurs,
stand your ground, wave your arms wildly, and shout at the bear. Turning
and running could elicit a chase and you cannot outrun a bear.

Fight Back. If a bear attacks, fight back as you continue to leave the
area. Black bears have been driven away with rocks, sticks, binoculars, car
keys, or even bare hands.

"Learning about bears and being aware of their habits is a
responsibility that comes with living in rural and suburban Pennsylvania or
recreating in the outdoors," Ternent said.

In 2003, a regulation prohibiting the feeding of bears went into
effect. The regulation made it unlawful to intentionally "lay or place
food, fruit, hay, grain, chemical, salt or other minerals that may cause
bears to congregate or habituate an area." The exceptions to this
regulation are "normal or accepted farming, habitat management practices,
oil and gas drilling, mining, forest management activities or other
legitimate commercial or industrial practices."

The regulation also enables Game Commission Wildlife Conservation
Officers (WCOs) to issue written notices that direct landowners to
discontinue other forms of wildlife feeding, even if not intended for
bears, if the feeding is attracting nuisance bears to the area and causing
problems with bears in the neighborhood.

The intent of this regulation is to reduce human-bear conflicts, not to
put a stop to other wildlife feeding or songbird feeding. However, the
regulation enables Game Commission WCOs to issue written notices that
direct landowners to discontinue songbird and/or other wildlife feeding if
bears are being attracted to the area and causing a nuisance for property
owners or neighbors.

To report nuisance bears, contact the Game Commission Region Office
nearest you. The telephone numbers are: Northwest Region Office in
Franklin, Venango County, 814-432-3188; Southwest Region Office in Bolivar,
Westmoreland County, 724-238-9523; Northcentral Region Office in Jersey
Shore, Lycoming County, 570-398-4744; Southcentral Region Office in
Huntingdon, Huntingdon County, 814-643-1831; Northeast Region Office in
Dallas, Luzerne County, 570-675-1143; and Southeast Region Office in
Reading, Berks County, 610-926-3136.

More information on bears is available on the agency's website
(http://www.pgc.state.pa.us) by looking in the "Hunting" section, then choosing
the photograph of a black bear.

Posted on SHARE Yahoo group - Apr. 29, 2008