Black bears becoming more common in area

A program in Arkansas to reintroduce large numbers of black bears is likely the cause of several recent sightings in Missouri, according to conservation agent Russel Duckworth.

Arkansas, he said, stocked bears several years ago. As their population has grown, the younger bears have moved into new areas looking for food.

"We've been dealing with their northward migration for several years now," Duckworth said.

Recently, the influx has received attention due to several sightings, including one in early June in Advance. However, that sighting was not the first in the area, Duckworth said.

"Last year a black bear that weighed around 200 pounds was hit and killed by a car near the city of Jackson."

Duckworth said the bear was close to the city limits, which was typical behavior.

"Another black bear," he said, "was killed in rural Madison County in May 2005 when a homeowner heard his dog barking and upon investigating found a black bear attempting to get into his storage shed."

The homeowner, Duckworth said, shot at the bear with a .22-caliber rifle from within his home and then lost sight of the animal. The bear was found dead in a wooded area near the home the next morning.

"Black bears have a keen sense of smell and associate the smell of humans with danger at hand," he said. "While a person should never approach a bear, they shouldn't automatically assume that a bear is a threat, either."

Duckworth said most black bears will retreat at first sight of a human, but he warns that a female with a cub or a bear that cannot escape will defend itself.

Though sightings don't occur often, Duckworth offered some tips for rural homeowners to prevent a bear's visit.

"Nine out of 10 times, a bear comes close to a dwelling because it is seeking a source for food. It could be dog food, dumped table food, livestock feed or even an old trash pile with the odor of food."

Duckworth said homeowners should remove food sources and only place outside what a pet or livestock will eat.

He said residents should "haul trash piles off to a legal trash dump and cut down any brush or tall weeds around your house."

Black bears, he said, prefer to eat in private or under heavy cover.

"It's a good idea also to flood the area with light if a resident has seen evidence of a bear, and they will usually leave the area and seek food elsewhere."

Duckworth said residents should call their local conservation department office if a bear problem persists.