Black Bear, Black Bear

I have a vague memory from my early childhood: the family was visiting a friend's cabin in Northeast Pennsylvania. We kids were on the porch, and a bear wandered into the yard. The parents freaked out and hustled us all inside.

Bears can be dangerous, so their worry was not unfounded. However, black bears are not as dangerous as grizzlies. A black bear's claws are used for climbing but are not sharp enough to disembowel a person. Black bears can climb away from predators, including humans, so oftentimes when a mama and cubs come upon a person in the woods, she'll tree her cubs and reduce the threat.

However, this does not mean they are harmless.

Black bears in Northeast Pennsylvania have increased their range in the past forty years. In the 1970s, PA had about 4,000 black bears. Now there are nearly 18,000. With this increase in population and range, there is also an increase in conflicts between people and black bears. Bears looking for meals in our garbage cause property damage. Bears entering yards and campgrounds can lead to serious human injury. In the late 1990s, wildlife managers responded to about 600 bear complaints. By 2002, there were more than 1,100 complaints.

* * *

A mother and two cubs have been seen recently in Dickson City. Bears have been seen in Dalton for years. Dalton is much more rural. Seeing bears in Dickson City is uncommon, to say the least!

What do we want to keep in mind if we come upon these bears?

1. Don't run! Bears can run 50 feet per second. 37 miles an hour. You can't outrun a bear, so don't try! But you can make yourself appear smaller and less threatening, and retreat slowly.

2. Don't feed the bears! Despite how cute Yogi is, it isn't a good idea to feed the bears. This is not, however, because once they taste human food they'll never eat natural bear food again. That's a myth. But they will eat whatever is easiest to find, and they can become habituated, so make sure you adequately cover your trash if you live in bear habitats. They like convenience as much as we do; they'll eat whatever is easy.

3. If you are attacked, fight back! You've been told to lie down and play dead. That works for grizzlies, but we don't have grizzlies in PA. If a black bear actually attacks (most of the time they will charge and the stop short), fight for your life with whatever weapon you can find: hit or kick, use sticks or stones.

But the best advice is to avoid bear encounters altogether, so store garbage and food properly and be aware of your surroundings.