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Why early summer brings more bear sightings

Early summer is normally a busy time for bear sightings, but this year some people are seeing more bears than usual. There are several reasons bears roam around in June, but only two reasons bear sightings in your area may be on the rise. Reason #1: There are more people in bear country. The pandemic accelerated one trend that was already well underway: people moving out of cities and urban ...
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BearWise Articles by Category

Be BearWise Outdoors

bear safety: black bear on road, dog on a leash

Are you a BearWise dog owner?

If you own a dog and live in or travel to bear country, eventually your dog may encounter a bear. Understanding why some dog-bear encounters end peacefully and others end with dogs and people being injured or killed can help ...
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Six outdoor tips for a BearWise fall

Fall is the favorite season for many people (29%, according to a recent YouGov survey). Cooler, crisper days, less humidity and a landscape painted in shades of yellow, orange and red all make fall a prime season for many outdoors ...
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black bear by tent (Pat Gaines photo)

Headed Outdoors? Bear Safety Tips – Part Two

BearWise Ways to Avoid Encountering Bears Outdoors 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 ...
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Be BearWise at Home

Why early summer brings more bear sightings

Early summer is normally a busy time for bear sightings, but this year some people are seeing more bears than usual. There are several reasons bears roam around in June, but only two reasons bear sightings in your area may ...
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garden harvest

Are your gardens and landscaping BearWise?

A bear would need to forage all day to find as much food as it can harvest in an hour or two in a kitchen garden. No wonder bears are attracted to the nicely organized plots of nutritious, ready-to-eat produce ...
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black bear in the springtime, coming out of hibernation

Bear alarm clocks are going off now

Bears’ internal alarm clocks start ringing in March, with many adult male bears emerging from their dens during the month of March. Next to wake up will be juveniles of both sexes, then female bears with yearlings and solitary females ...
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The Bear Facts

male black bear (by Tom Harrison

What bears do in June

June at a Glance: Yearlings leave mom and search for food, shelter and a place of their own. Adult males travel far and wide looking for mates. Nursing moms venture farther from home base searching for food. Cubs keep growing and ...
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Black bear cub in a tree

What bears do in May

May at a Glance: All bears visit all the places where they reliably found food last year. Cubs learn how to climb up (and down) trees and learn to “talk.” Cubs are still nursing, but start experimenting with bear food ...
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What bears do in April

April at a Glance: Most bears leave their dens for good. Cubs get their first look at their new world. Mother bears continue to nurse and keep their den and cubs clean. Bears that found human-provided foods last year head ...
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