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bear at an outdoor grill

Bears’ fall eat-a-thon: what’s on the menu at your house?

In the fall, bears are hard at work searching for plenty of food so they can fatten up for the winter ahead. The hunt for food starts in late summer as berries and fruits ripen and shifts into high gear when calorie-packed nuts and seeds (soft and hard mast) are available. By fall bears are foraging up to 20 hours a day in a race against the clock. This annual power-eating ...

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Be BearWise Outdoors

black bear in the springtime, coming out of hibernation

Bear Encounters: Ways to Avoid, How to Respond

There are lots of simple steps you can take to discourage bears from getting into your stuff and avoid bear encounters. Teaching bears to associate cars, trails, campsites and people with food doesn’t just put a damper on your outdoor ...
black bear by tent (Pat Gaines photo)

Camping in Bear Country? What to Know Before You Go

Black bears live in at least 40 states and are seen in several more. If you’re heading out to get away from it all, chances are good you are heading into bear country. Teaching bears to associate cars, trails, campsites ...
black bear in camp in vacation country

Vacationing in bear country? What to know before you go

If you’re heading out to get away from it all, chances are good you’re heading into bear country. If you don’t live with bears at home (or even if you do), it’s good to get BearWise before you hit the ...
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Be BearWise at Home

bear at an outdoor grill

Bears’ fall eat-a-thon: what’s on the menu at your house?

In the fall, bears are hard at work searching for plenty of food so they can fatten up for the winter ahead. The hunt for food starts in late summer as berries and fruits ripen and shifts into high gear when ...

Do you feed pets outdoors?

Pet food is a super-concentrated source of protein, fat, nutrients and calories. That’s why pet food is super-attractive to bears. In fact, pet food is one of the top three things that attract bears to neighborhoods and homes. Emptying a ...
bear with paw on car door

The Two-Second Solution That Keeps Stuff Safe and Bears Wild

Lock It or Lose It. Have you seen news stories or videos featuring bears “breaking in” to homes and cars looking for food? What many stories don’t mention is that much of the time the bear isn’t breaking in. It’s ...

The Bear Facts

What bears do in September

September at a Glance: Bears enter hyperphagia in September and may look for food up to 20 hours a day. Berries, nuts and acorns are important fall bear foods. Bears can gain two to three pounds a day. Even bears ...
black bear swimming (courtesy of Minnesota Dept of Natural Resources)

What bears do in August

August at a Glance: Bears have many ways to stay cool during hot summer days. By August, most cubs are weaned. Bears feast on ripening berries and may travel great distances to dependable food sources. Bears decipher complex messages left ...

What bears do in July

July at a Glance: By July, cubs born this year have grown to the size of a raccoon or a small dog with big ears. Yearling bears now on their own can be the size of medium dogs. Bears of ...