This is the time of the year when black bears are on a mission to consume as much food as possible to build up their body fat reserves in preparation for winter and hibernation. It is also a time when conflicts between black bears and humans tend to occur.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission was established in 1895 and black bears were scarce in the state. In 1905 Game Managers recognized the low number of bears and established a close season on black bears. Four years later the black bear population rebounded, and regulated hunting was established in 1909 and this allowed the bear numbers to increase. 

From the 1920s until 1970 hunters annually harvested about 400 bears. Today black bear numbers have increased substantially in Pennsylvania, from around 4,000 in the 1970s to around 20,000 today. A drastic growth has provided more opportunities for people to see bears. 

The increase in bear numbers and expanding range has contributed to increased conflicts with bears, several initiatives have been implemented to help address the problem. 

In 2003, a regulation was passed making it illegal to feed bears, a statewide database for documenting human bear conflicts is now in place, and emphasis has been put on educational efforts to teach people how to coexist with bears.  

Bears are opportunistic when it comes to seeking out food. Unsecured dumpsters, food scrapes and unsecured trash cans and bird feeders are a few of potential sources of food for black bears. Often resulting in conflicts with bears and humans. 

Game Commission bear biologist Emily Carrillo said, “When it comes to human bear interactions, we found from communicating with bear biologists in other states, the problems we encountered here in Pennsylvania were minor to those of other states. In an effort to address questions and provide solutions, the Game Commission joined “BearWise.” 

BearWise was created by bear biologists and is supported by state wildlife agencies. The goal of the program is to provide practical information to help solve problems before they occur.

BearWise offers sound information and smart solutions that help homeowners, businesses, and communities coexist with bears. For more information about BearWise, go to their online site: bearwise.org.