Spring awakening:
With spring finally here and warm weather on the way, thousands of black bear throughout the state are waking up from hibernation and will be in search of food.
Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wildlife experts are urging residents at this time to be diligent by removing potential food sources like bird feeders and pet food from outdoor areas. They also suggest using bear-resistant garbage cans and keeping grills and patio furniture clean.
According to the DNR, there are more than 10,000 black bears that live in the Upper Peninsula. Another 2,000 or so reside in the northern Lower Peninsula, with the bear population slowly expanding south. The black bear is the only species of bear in Michigan, and are known to have large appetites and a strong sense of smell. A bear’s unrestrained access to calorierich foods like bird seed is one reason that turns them into repeat visitors at residents’ homes and can lead to dangerous living situations for people, livestock and pets.
Black bears are also capable of remembering locations of food sources from year to year. They are omnivores and eat both plant and animal matter including everything from tender vegetation and nuts to berries and insects. When emerging from hibernation, black bears tend to eat lightly at first and look for sustenance like old berries, rose hips, and acorns along with winterkill carcasses. They will eventually look for a more substantial source of food though, so it’s suggested that storing away anything that could attract them as soon as possible is the best way to keep them away.
Leelanau resident Ann McInnis is an avid hiker/outdoor enthusiast and can often be found walking on any of the many trails in the county. McInnis said she’s always sharing and incorporating appropriate information about bears, even in casual conversation, into any or all hikes and walks she takes with others. With the precipitous loss of biodiversity the planet is experiencing, she said it is very important that people appreciate their connectedness to healthy ecosystems and why it is important to humans’ sustainability.
“It is especially important for me to help others understand that not only is nature not a threat to people (actually it is the reverse), but I try to do so by helping them discover the unique characteristics of just about everything in nature with an emphasis on their sentientship,” McInnis said. “Along with our wonderful people neighbors, we consider the visiting bear as a welcome Gills Pier resident, but education is still needed to overcome early learning that gets in the way of true bear appreciation. As folks begin to digest some of the amazing characteristics of bears and nature, their own insecurities or fearfulness begins to fade.”
McInnis said that bears have visited her property repeatedly in the past, but has not seen one yet this spring. Usually male bears emerge around this time, she said, but they’re not famished since they are still working off their winter lethargy for a couple more weeks. The females, however, will most likely emerge in a few weeks, but if they have cubs, McInnis said they will need to wait until the cubs are able to climb a tree.
“Climbing trees is especially important for the cubs to evade any danger… Most bear food is plant food and insect broods,” she said. “Contrary to people’s misinformed ideas, a mother black bear will not attack a person if they are around a mom black bear with cubs, that is a grizzly trait since grizzlies live in areas with few trees for their cubs to climb for safety.”
Black bears are generally fearful of humans and will shy away and leave if they are aware of people in the area. The DNR suggests if someone encounters a bear in the wild to practice being SMART, an acronym which stands for: Stand your ground; Make loud noises and back away slowly; Always provide a clear unobstructed escape route for the bear; Rarely do bears attack, but if they do fight back; and Treat bears with respect and observe them from a distance.
“Black bear are especially shy and if a person is lucky enough to see one, count yourself super lucky,” McInnis said. “Sometimes they act scary, but any bluff they make is really only a response to their fear. When they are looking for food, they can add lots of calories fast by bringing down a bird feeder (not the birds). Folks then might want to consider bringing their feeders in during the night, and eliminate access to any outdoor food (like dog food).”
