ARKANSAS, USA — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is warning that black bear season is fast approaching.
"Spring has sprung in the Natural State and with that young bears are on the move and sometimes getting themselves into mischief," AGFC said.
Arkansas was once known as the Bear State because of the number of bears that lived here. There are now 6,000 bears in Arkansas, according to AGFC.
AGFC says that the most common type of bear in Arkansas is the black bear, but that they can come in different colors, from blond to cinnamon.
AGFC says that young bears are "walking stomachs," and that if food is hard to find, they'll go looking for it, which is often how mischievous young bears end up in backyards, neighborhoods, and places populated by humans.
"Bears have an innate fear of humans, but when they begin to associate people with food, that fear diminishes. Neighboring landowners must work together to remove all food sources that are tantalizing bears. Nip the problem in the bud early — waiting for days or weeks allows the bear to establish a routine and lose its fear of people," AGFC said.
AGFC says that to fend off bears, those in bear country should use outdoor trash bins that have metal, lockable lids, and to secure them so they cannot be turned over.
Additionally, AFGC says to remove corn feeders, clean barbeque grills, empty bird feeders, not leave pet food outside, and to protect gardens, fruit trees, and bee hives with electric fences.
AGFC says that young male bears are the most mischievous.
"95% of AGFC's nuisance bear calls come during the spring and involve young male bears. These young, male bears have not only lost the safety of mom, but they also face big, male bears that are not just intolerant; they will kill their younger competition. Finding food is a top priority for the yearling bears," AGFC said.
AGFC says that in the spring is when bears come out from their dens and when mothers chase off the young.
"Female bears give birth to their cubs in the winter den; the cubs feed on her rich milk all winter and will be some of the last bears to emerge from their dens in mid-April. The cubs spend the next year in bear boot camp, learning the basics from mama bear on survival. As food supplies dwindle, mom and cubs pile into a den together the following winter," AGFC said.
By spring, the bears emerge and are sent out into the world, which AGFC says can be a "cruel awakening" for young male bears.
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