It Is That Time of Year Again-Bear Hibernation

In a story we did not long ago about Bear Attack Prevention we told you about 17 Bear Encounter Safety Tips that came mostly from the American Bear Association.

In today’s article we will relate to you three different stories about bears. It is important that you be on heightened alert about bears this time of year because they are starting to get ready for their hibernation for the winter and can get very aggressive.

Since 1 June, 2014 in the northern California area of Greater Sudbury there have been 210 calls for assistance on bears mostly due to the loss of natural habitat as humans encroach in areas where bears traditionally find their home according to black bear researcher Mike Commito.

He amplified on the subject and said that if there’s a really harsh winter, when the bears come out of hibernation their food sources are not readily available so they are forced to venture farther out in search of something to eat greatly increasing the likelihood of coming into contact with people.

He pointed out that while the numbers are still fairly high the number of bear nuisance calls has actually decreased this year ever so slightly. The local police department has been overwhelmed with bear calls and actually doesn’t respond to all of them. If it is a real emergency, the police respond.

The best way to prevent problems is to ensure that bears do not have easy access to food which means keeping garbage and other sources such as birdfeeders indoors at night. That may seem troublesome, but much less trouble than having a bear in your backyard.

In the Michigan City Area of Michigan, a Department of Natural Resources spokesman announced that they have set a trap for a bear that has been hanging around in this area for some time. They say that he started in Muskegon about a month ago and traveled to Holland, South Bend and west to New Carlisle then on to Michigan City. Officers believe the bear is living off people leaving food out and is stuck somewhere between Michigan City and nearby major highways.

Local officials stressed that black bears are naturally shy animals and are not known for aggressive behavior.

We heartily recommend Mace Bear Spray because it has a range of 35 feet-the longest of any bear spray and empties in 5.4 seconds the fastest of any spray for bears. It is one of the few bear sprays that is approved by the EPA.

When you go camping, hiking, hunting or fishing in the backcountry how do you intend to protect yourself against a possible bear attack? What experiences do you have with bears/bear spray? Share them please so other readers may gain from your insight.