Wildlife feeders are often the culprit when a bear settles in and calls a place home where its not wanted. AGFC photo.
Bear sightings, such as the one seen in Mountain Home earlier this month, may become a more common occurance in the coming days. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), notes bears, particularly black bears, tend to be more active in late spring.
Black bears emerge from their winter dens in late March and when they do, they generally begin looking for food. As they search, they can often cause property damage or in general become a nuisance. Wildlife feeders, unsecured trash with food scraps and pet and livestock food left outside tend to be go to targets for the bears.
AGFC recommends removing all attractants from a property and secure it safely. Intentionally feeding bears outisde of the legal baiting period for hunting is illegal in Arkansas and dangerous as the bears will begin to lose their natural fear of humans.
For more information on bears, visit www.bearwise.org.
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