The black bear’s winter slumber will soon be over. Now through early May, bears leave their dens and begin looking for food to replenish their bodies.

As they search for nourishment, it's important to remember that human behavior affects bear behavior, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

"Just like humans waking from a long nap, bears first look for water, often drinking from rivers and ponds or eating snow. Their early-spring menu consists of last year’s vegetation, salvaged carcasses and fresh green shoots as they emerge," says Rachel Leightner, MDNR wildlife outreach coordinator. "Though these food sources are readily available, it is difficult to resist the calorie-rich offerings of bird seed, garbage, beehives and pet foods. Watching bears forage near your home may be an exciting chance to see wildlife up close. But what’s really happening could be very troublesome for both you and the bear."

Bears that find reliable food sources near homes can become repeat visitors and may lose their fear of humans, she adds. Additionally, if a female bear with cubs teaches her young to forage from these food sources, it can lead to problematic behavior later in life and negative outcomes such as property damage, loss of livestock, and dangerous situations for both humans and bears.

Leightner says, fortunately, avoiding these problems is easy if you take a proactive approach and suggests the following steps:

These steps are most effective when taken proactively. For more tips on how to avoid bear conflicts and encounters, visit michigan.gov/bear and click on the Preventing conflicts with bears link.

Source: MDNR