FROM MSDWFP:
The warmer days of spring and the annual greening up of the
landscape brings with it increased activity by black bears
throughout the state. Although our bears do not truly
hibernate, they do exhibit a period of torpor, or decreased
activity during the winter months. This is primarily due to a
lack of adequate food resources to sustain them and also
because females are denned up giving birth to cubs during
this time. As bears become more active, they are actively
searching for food which may bring them into conflict with
humans living in bear-occupied areas of Mississippi.
MDWFP has partnered with other southeastern states to create
BearWise https://bearwise.org/), a website resource to share ways to
prevent conflicts, provide resources to resolve problems, and
encourage community initiatives to keep bears wild.
The Six BearWise Basics are:
➼ Never Feed or Approach Bears
➼Secure Food, Garbage and Recycling
➼ Remove Bird Feeders When Bears Are Active
➼ Never Leave Pet Food Outdoors
➼ Clean & Store Grills
➼ Alert Neighbors to Bear Activity
These are all preventative measures which, if implemented, usually will
prevent any potential human-bear conflicts. Remember, bears’ activities
are normally guided by their desire to find a readily and easily available
food source. Over 90% of a black bear’s diet is plant material (grass, forbs,
berries, nuts, acorns) and in early Spring most of these resources are not
yet available on the landscape.
To learn more about bears, please visit www.BearWise.org and if you would
like to report a bear sighting, please visit
