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He says another reason why bears are bigger in eastern North Carolina is because we have a longer growing season. Not to mention deer hunters often hunt with corn, and the food availability drives bears as they try to bulk up before Winter. Kent said black bears often get hit in the summer as well, as that is when their mating season takes place, when male bears will be moving around the landscape and looking for a mate. Because of this, Kent encourages people to slow down when driving during lower light conditions such as late afternoon through early morning hours. The expanding range of the black bear in North Carolina from to Source: North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Why did the black bears decrease after European settlement? The black bear is the only bear species found in North Carolina or anywhere in the eastern U. The new Piedmont bear season will occur during portions of the deer season, as most bear encounters will be expected to happen with deer hunters.
How many bears in north carolina –
Sightings have occurred in most counties in the state but the densest populations are in the northwest and far east, however they are expanding. There are believed to be around 7, bears in the state of Tennessee and the population is expanding and growing. The eastern population is into the mountainous regions of the Smoky Mountains and the cumberland population is shared with Kentucky to the north.
I live in Middle Tennessee and there have been more and more bear sightings every year. In the Big Bend area of Western Texas there are thought to be at least breeding bears , so the Black Bear population in Texas is low either way.
There are over 4, Black Bears living in the forests and mountains of Utah. The bears have a pretty widespread range in Utah and the population has been steadily growing over the decades. There were only about bears in the state in , so it has more than tripled in the last 20 years or so.
The state has been issuing more hunting licenses in recent years to keep up with hunter demand and to help control the population. Thanks to biologists closely monitoring the population and conservation efforts, there are more Black Bears living in Vermont today than there have been for over years.
The latest estimate is that between 4, and 5, bears but as many as 6, is possible are living in Vermont today. While there are some conflicting reports of the Black Bear population in Virginia, one thing is for sure, bears occupy almost every part of the state.
This article from by the Roanoke Times quotes a wildlife biologist with the DGIF as saying there are as many as 17, Black Bears in Virginia, however the National Park Service suggests there are closer to 5, or 6, Who to believe?
As with other U. You may have noticed a trend with Pacific Northwest states when it comes to Black Bears, they have a lot of them. There are thought to be 25, to 30, bears in the state of Washington with the strongest populations being in western and northern parts of the state.
Black Bears in West Virginia were once concentrated to the National Forests of Eastern West Virginia, such as Monongahela National Forest, but have since spread throughout the state and have a population of 8, or more.
The Black Bear is the official state animal of West Virginia and today can be found in all 55 counties in the state. Wisconsin has a growing Black Bear population of between 24, and 31, animals, mainly in the northern third of the state. However the bears appear to be expanding their range southward as there have been more sightings in Southern Wisconsin in recent years, mainly in Dane, Sauk, Iowa and Grant counties. As far as I can determine there is no estimated population in Wyoming, we only know that there is a robust and healthy population of Black Bears in the state.
The state of Wyoming is also home to around Grizzly Bears, which are more closely monitored. However, several sources have reported that Wyoming state officials plan to begin surveying the Black Bears within the state to get a better idea of the population.
Black Bears are highly intelligent mammals that have shown problem solving skills. They are adept swimmers and excellent hunters.
The number one predator of Black Bears are humans. At one point their population was on a steep decline in many areas due to hunting and loss of habitat, but now they are making a comeback and populations are increasing thanks to new laws, healthier forests, and stricter regulations.
The American Black Bear is the smallest species of bear in North America, but they still weigh on average between and lbs, occasionally reaching lbs or more. They will also reach 4 to 7 feet in length. Black Bears are still the largest carnivorous animals in most U. While they are classified as carnivores, Black Bears are actually omnivorous and considered opportunistic eaters.
They will also readily feed on insects, fish, small mammals, carrion, and we are all aware of how they have a habit of digging through trash cans and dumpsters scrounging for food. One thing we know for certain, bears can eat a lot. During the spring and summer bears will eat a minimum of 5k calories daily, but during the fall when they are fattening up for hibernation they can eat times that much without a problem.
Black Bears typically spend the majority of their days foraging for food. Black Bears prefer living in forests and mountainous areas where there is an abundant source of food, water, and shelter. Human populations are expanding into bear territories causing more and more bear and human interactions. Nature has built in a system for bears not provided for most other mammals that prevents them from producing offspring when food is scarce.
The process is called delayed implantation. The fertilized egg develops into a small embryo, and then it stops growing for several months.
If the female doesn’t acquire sufficient weight in those months the embryo will not develop. Her body reabsorbs it. If food is plentiful and the sow has the required weight, the embryo develops and baby bears are born in January or February. The sow has cubs about every two years if conditions are good. Cubs stay with their mother for about 18 months. The bears we see wandering into human subdivisions are often those young bears who are looking for territory of their own and for a mate.
They are just passing through, and the best way to handle them is to let them be. Don’t leave pet food or garbage where they can get into it and don’t harass them. By all means never feed them. Wildlife experts will tell you, “A fed bear is a dead bear. If left alone, the visiting bear will soon move on. Black bears are omnivores; they will eat just about anything. Normally their preferred foods consist of nuts, acorns, fruits and berries, and insects. They eat meat and grasses or other rough vegetation only when their favorite foods are not available.
In the farming country of northeast North Carolina, black bears have adapted their tastes to corn, soybeans and peanuts. Most farmers have learned to live with the bears in spite of their foraging in their fields. Hunting helps control the numbers of bears damaging crops. Gail Harrison Hodges’ family has farmed in Washington County since the s.
In the beginning, her father had only a few acres of corn, and a bear family in his corn was a real financial blow. Biologists believe that about 1, bears live in and around Great Smoky National Park. North Carolina is home to about 20, bears. To reduce and prevent dangerous bear encounters, North Carolina Wildlife encourages residents to remove bird feeders from their yards, keep garbage secure, and to clean and store grills in a safe location.
Search Search. Bear encounters are on the rise in North Carolina. Twitter Icon. Read this next. Zoom In. More On This. Dead black bear dumped on NCSU campus. NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Top Stories. Beasley, Budd tangle over economy, abortion, other policies in US Senate debate. Woman dies from Durham shooting linked to gas station, car wash. Man dies from north Raleigh motorcycle crash.
– Black Bears In Eastern North Carolina
› changing-america › sustainability › environment › n. The hunting record comes as the state’s bear population has expanded tenfold in the past 40 years to about 20,, according to a state chart.
