Black bear travels nearly 400 miles across southern Missouri

Traveling black bear is a reminder to be “Bear Aware.”

WHITEWATER, Mo. – A three-year-old black bear sighted in Whitewater Friday morning is a reminder to southeast Missourians to be “Bear Aware” according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Whitewater resident Phillip O’Kelly saw the bear with his daughter on their front porch, but when the bear heard humans, it took off, he said.

“It was probably about 100 feet from the porch,” O’Kelly said. “I came out to look at it and as soon as it heard our commotion it turned around to run off.”

O’Kelly said his property is surrounded by woods and is a place where his family enjoys seeing wildlife of all kinds.

“He wasn’t aggressive, was just looking around and he definitely wasn’t hurting anything,” O’Kelly said. “I hope people just let him be.”

O’Kelly noticed the bear was wearing a collar and ear tag, so the family contacted the MDC’s Southeast Regional Office to report the sighting.

“I’ve been tracking this bear and watched it trek about 400 miles across the southern part of the state,” said Jeff Beringer, MDC resource scientist who leads the Missouri Black Bear Project.

Beringer’s research confirms multiple bear sighting reports made to Bollinger County Conservation Agent Jeff Scott this week, were all related to the same bear as he traveled through the area.

The Missouri Black Bear Project has entered its second phase.  First, biologists trapped and radio-collared bears across southern Missouri. This helped them to estimate how many bears are in the state. Now the biologists are measuring survival and reproductive rates of female bears as well as keeping track of survival of first-year cubs.

“This bear probably left Christian county because his mother ran him off and because young male bears have an instinct to move and find unrelated females,” Beringer explained. “Not all bears move this far, but long dispersals are common for male bears.”

Beringer said the bear sighted in Whitewater was originally captured when it was 18-months-old in Christian county, where it wintered.  Sometime the following year, the bear traveled to Warren County where he denned. 

“This spring, a landowner took pictures of him and sent them to me and I noted the collar and knew he was a long way from home,” Beringer said, adding that studying the animal’s movements gives MDC an opportunity to see how bears use corridors and other physical barriers like roads and rivers.  Beringer said the bear was recaptured and given a new collar in May and has since traveled on its own to southeast Missouri.

“He’s probably looking for a female and I expect he will settle down somewhere this summer, since he’s three-years-old now,” Beringer said.

Beringer said this bear sighting is a good reminder for Missourians to be “Bear Aware” by making efforts to keep bears wild. Residents should ensure bird feeders are put away, trash is kept out of reach and any pet food is stored inside at night.

“A fed bear is a dead bear,” Beringer said. “Bears are creatures of habit, so if they find they can get a free meal somewhere, they’re likely to stick around and that’s when they get into trouble.”

O’Kelly said although he enjoyed seeing the bear, his property doesn’t have things sitting out that might make the bear stay.

“It’s neat to see a bear in real life, instead of on television,” O’Kelly said. “He was a cute bear to look at, but we hope people let him be and he can travel on and stay out of trouble.”

For more information on bears in Missouri and how to be “Bear Aware,” go online tohttp://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zky.

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MDC encourages people to Be Bear Aware!

Don’t feed bears. Avoid encounters. React right.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – As blossoms and buds emerge each spring, so do Missouri’s estimated 350 native black bears. As they leave their winter dens this time of year, finding food is their main focus. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reminds people to “Be Bear Aware” by not feeding bears and not providing potential sources of food. 

“Black bears are an exciting part of our state’s natural history and people in Missouri generally have positive attitudes about our native black bears,” said Jeff Beringer, a resource scientist and black-bear researcher with the Conservation Department. “This affinity for these large omnivores can lead people to want a closer look by feeding or approaching bears. That can lead to conflicts between bears and people, especially in the spring when bears emerge from hibernation and are particularly hungry, and in the fall when they are focused on fattening up for the winter.”

Beringer added that feeding bears makes them comfortable around people, which can also make them dangerous.

A fed bear is a dead bear

“Keep bears wild! When bears lose their fear of people, they may defend the food sources or territory they associate with people, which can make them dangerous,” he said. “When this happens, the bear has to be destroyed. A fed bear is a dead bear.”

He added that a fed bear that becomes a problem in one place cannot be relocated to another.

“Once a bear associates people with food, it will go in search of other places to potentially get food from people such as homes, residential areas, farms, and campsites,” Beringer explained. “Common temptations include pet food or trash left outdoors, dirty grills or smokers, birdseed or other food at wildlife feeders, food at campsites, and gardens and orchards.”

Avoid attracting black bears

MDC offers these tips for avoiding attracting black bears to possible food sources: 

• Don’t leave pet food sitting outside. Feed pets a portion they’ll eat at each meal and remove the empty containers.
• Store garbage, recyclables, and compost inside a secure building or in a bear-proof container until the day of trash pick-up.
• Keep grills and smokers clean and store them inside.
• Don’t use birdfeeders from April through November in bear country, or hang them at least 10 feet high and 4 feet away from any structure.
• Use electric fencing to keep bears away from beehives, chicken coops, vegetable gardens, orchards, and other potential food sources.
• Keep campsites clean and store all food, toiletries and trash in a secure vehicle or strung high between two trees. Do not burn or bury garbage or food waste.

Avoid encounters and react right

While close encounters are uncommon, MDC offers this advice when outdoors in black-bear country:

• Make noise while walking or hiking to prevent surprising a bear. Clap, sing, or talk loudly.
• Travel in a group if possible.
• Pay attention to the surroundings and watch for bear sign, such as tracks or claw or bite marks on trees.
• Keep dogs leashed.
• Leave a bear alone! Do not approach it. Make sure it has an escape route.
• If encountering a bear up close, back away slowly with arms raised to look larger. Speak in a calm, loud voice. Do not turn away from the bear. Back away slowly. Do not run.

A native to Missouri, black bears were abundant until the late 1800s when they were nearly wiped out from unregulated killing and from habitat loss when Ozark forests were logged. MDC research shows that a small number of native black bears survived. Over time, their numbers increased and continue to do so. Results of ongoing black-bear research by Conservation Department staff and others show that the animals have been sighted in about half the counties in Missouri, primarily south of the Missouri River, with most bears located in the southern third of the state in the Missouri Ozarks.

MDC asks people to report bear sightings by calling 573-522-4115, ext. 3080.

For more information on black bears in Missouri and how to Be Bear Aware, visit the MDC website at mdc.mo.gov and search Be Bear Aware.

MDC confirms Perryville nuisance bear euthanized

Wildlife biologists remind the public that ‘a fed bear is a dead bear.’

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) confirms that a black bear was euthanized by local law enforcement Sunday in Perryville. According to MDC Wildlife Regional Supervisor Matt Bowyer, this was a situational call by local law enforcement.

MDC personnel were notified of sightings of the bear Friday, but at that time the bear was not inside the city limits and was not causing any disturbance. Sunday morning, the bear was reported moving through the town.

“This young male bear was likely looking for an easy food source,” Bowyer said. “Unfortunately there can be things like trash and other smelly items in town that might seem like food to a bear.”

MDC protocol when responding to nuisance bears usually begins with harassment of the animal in efforts to encourage it to travel elsewhere. Harassment means shooting it with rubber bullets and other techniques.

However, the situation evolved quickly as the bear moved into more populated areas and normal protocol was not an option at that point.

“We can’t say that there was any other option for this bear once he was in the center of town, near children and with no safe direction for it to go,” Bowyer said.

Although chemical immobilization might seem like an alternative, local MDC personnel don’t have immediate access to the equipment necessary to sedate a bear.

“There’s a lot of logistics that go into sedating an actively moving animal,” Bowyer said. “You have to have proper equipment and you also have to do what’s right for the animal.”

According to MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, who heads up the Missouri Bear Project, there is risk in tranquilizing a free roaming bear.  

“If a bear runs off after being tranquilized and you don’t see where it goes it may die, it could drown, it could fall with its head downhill and suffocate,” Beringer said. “Additionally, if you miss your shot at the bear you risk losing a drug filled dart and that’s a bad situation.” 

Furthermore, sedation takes time to take effect on an animal, which means aggravating an animal that is already stressed.

Beringer and Bowyer agree the lesson to take from this encounter is for everyone to do their part to keep bears wild by ensuring that trash, dog food, bird food and other possible food sources are put where bears can’t gain access to them.

“Bears are quick learners and they’ll return time and time again if they’ve been trained on where to find a treat,” Beringer said. “Then before too long we’re called in to deter the bear when it’s become a problem.”

Bowyer said this bear story shouldn’t cause people to be afraid of bears.

“Bears are generally secretive animals,” Bowyer said. “This one just happened to be in the wrong place and got himself into a situation he couldn’t get out of.”

For more information on how to keep bears wild, go online to http://mdc.mo.gov/node/30884.

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MDC encourages people to “Be Bear Aware”

Black bears are on the move in spring and summer so avoid feeding them and other activities that can lead to problems.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) encourages Missourians to be “bear aware” this spring and summer. Black bears are on the move this time of year. According MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, most black bears that cause problems in Missouri are young males that are looking for new homes in spring and early summer after dispersing from their mothers’ home ranges. In their search for food, these young males may come into contact with humans and cause problems.

Beringer explained that black bears are naturally fearful of humans and prefer to mind their own business as they forage for natural foods in fields and forests.

“Early summer can be a lean time for bears,” he said. “They are constantly looking for food. If they find an unsecured garbage can, a bowl of pet food left outdoors, or even a hummingbird feeder full of sugar water, their stomachs sometimes overcome their shyness. That can get them into trouble.”

A FED BEAR IS A DEAD BEAR

The best way to avoid problems with bears is to never feed them.

“Bears are wonderful animals,” said Beringer, “and they generally are secretive. But things can end badly for bears that get in the habit of foraging for food near people. Harassment and other aversive conditioning often convince a bear to stay away from people. Feeding bears makes them lose their fear of people and usually results in the bears having to be destroyed. Remember: A fed bear is a dead bear.”

Black bears in Missouri are found mostly in the southern part of the state with scattered reports from other areas. Beringer advises people living in southern Missouri to avoid conflicts with bears by not feeding birds and other wildlife from spring through fall, especially in rural areas. Bears are much less active from December through March, when supplemental feeding is more important for birds.

“Bears may occasionally enter backyards or campsites, most always in search of food,” Beringer said. “It’s important to keep bears wild by making encounters with humans a negative experience, for the bear. If a bear approaches you, act immediately to scare it away by making noise and throwing rocks at it in order to restore its natural fear of people.”

Beringer also recommends keeping pet food and livestock feed inside secure outbuildings. The same is true for barbecue grills and other items that smell like food. Trash should be put out as close to pick-up time as possible to minimize exposure to hungry bears.

Keeping bird feeders full in summer can make nuisances of bears looking for an easy meal -- such as this one raiding a backyard feeder. (For a high-res image, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/30884)

Beringer encourages campers and floaters in southern Missouri to be bear aware by keeping their campsites clean, packing food in closed containers and placing them in secure locations, and disposing of garbage immediately.

To learn more about black bears, including preventing and dealing with black bears around potential food sources, visit MDC’s website at mdc.mo.gov/node/4607.

For problems with a nuisance bear, contact the nearest MDC office or conservation agent.

BLACK BEAR RESEARCH

Bears had nearly vanished from Missouri by 1940, but began to recolonize in southern parts of the state during the 1960s following reintroductions in Arkansas. During the last 50 years, Missouri’s bear population has increased -- and so has interest in the species.

Beringer and other MDC staff are working on a research project to identify and track black bears in Missouri. Results of the research will help determine black bear numbers, locations, habits, reproduction rates, movement, and other information. The project includes tracking radio-collared bears and collecting hair samples for DNA analysis. The study is being funded in part through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration Program.

“The information gained from this research will be crucial in designing conservation strategies to manage black bears consistent with available habitat and within limits of human tolerance,” Beringer explained.

For more information about the Missouri Black Bear Project visit fwrc.msstate.edu/carnivore/mo_bear/.

Bears in Missouri

From MDC

Bear awareness extra important in springtime

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer has a piece of advice for Missouri outdoors people and landowners: Be bear aware.

Beringer is the bear specialist for the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). When someone sees a bear somewhere in the Show-Me State, they call him. His phone rings more often each spring, and this year is no exception.

“The number of calls always goes up in the spring when bears become more active,” says Beringer. “I had one lady call me from Texas County yesterday. She had been feeding her dog meat scraps in the yard, and the dog wasn’t eating them all. She was surprised when she found a bear cleaning up the leftovers.”

Then there was a turkey hunter who found a bear nosing around the cooler in his hunting camp. Beringer said the man was thrilled to get to see a bear.

Sightings like these have grown more frequent in recent years due to a gradual increase in the number of bears in the Show-Me State. Some of Missouri’s bears have come from Arkansas, which conducted a successful bear reintroduction program in the 1960s. Beringer also has evidence that suggests an isolated population of native bears survived in southwest Missouri and has contributed to the growth of Missouri’s bear population. The great majority of bears in Missouri live south of I-44, but sightings have been confirmed in every part of the state.

Beringer shares the turkey hunter’s excitement about the black bear’s comeback, but he has serious concerns about sightings that involve human-related food sources.

“There’s definitely an element of truth in the old saying that ‘a fed bear is a dead bear,’” says Beringer. “Bears that get used to finding food around homes, businesses and campgrounds often come to grief. Those situations can be dangerous for people, too.”

You don’t have to deliberately feed bears to get them in trouble, according to Beringer. Simply leaving food where they can get it is enough. And you might be surprised what qualifies as food for a bear. Their tastes extend far beyond honey. Pet food, livestock feed, birdseed, sugar water in hummingbird feeders and garbage all are tempting to hungry bears.

“Bears are more visible this time of year because they have been fasting all winter, and many of their natural food sources, such as berries and nuts, aren’t available yet,” says Beringer. “Bears are constantly on the move, and they will check out anything that smells like it might be good to eat.”

If you see a bear in your area, Beringer recommends bringing birdfeeders inside for a couple weeks and not putting trash out until right before pickup time. Livestock feed should be kept in bear-proof buildings or containers, and pets should be fed inside or only given as much as they can eat at one time.

“Bears are naturally shy of people, which is a good thing,” says Beringer, “but food left out for dogs and cats is a temptation that a hungry bear finds hard to resist.”

Campers can avoid creating “fed bears” by keeping food and trash locked in vehicles and not discarding garbage in or around campsites.

Beringer said chance encounters with bears usually are brief, ending when the bear realizes a human is near and retreats. However, accidental meetings can be dangerous if the bear is startled or cornered or if a person gets between a sow and her cubs.

“Black bears are much more powerful for their size than the average person realizes,” he said. “They can be dangerous when they feel threatened.”

One effective way of avoiding surprise meetings is to make noise. Making noise is not compatible with some activities, such as hunting and wildlife photography. For these activities, Beringer recommends being alert and making sure a bear doesn’t get too close for comfort before alerting it to your presence.

“Bears’ hearing and sense of smell are excellent,” says Beringer, “but their eyesight is poor. They sometimes don’t recognize people, especially those wearing camouflage, even at close range if the wind is blowing the human scent away from them.”

At such times, a bear may rear up on its hind legs. This is not a threat, says Beringer, but an attempt to use its eyes and nose to best advantage.

If you spot a bear that has not seen you yet, Beringer recommends leaving the area quickly and quietly. If the bear is aware of your presence, avoid making eye contact, which bears interpret as aggressive behavior. The best thing in this situation is to look down and walk away slowly while speaking in a normal voice.

A bear on a narrow trail may feel cornered. The best strategy here is to step off the trail on the downhill side and leave the area quietly. Do not make sudden movements or run.

When threatened or defending cubs, black bears often make huffing sounds, pop their jaws or beat the ground with their front paws. This is a warning that you are too close. Black bears also make mock charges, rushing at intruders, stopping and then retreating. People who take the hint and withdraw immediately after a mock charge almost always avoid further trouble.

Although attacks by black bears are rare, they do occur. Black bears can run much faster than humans can, and they are excellent climbers. Consequently, fleeing or climbing a tree is not advised. The most effective strategy is to fight back with whatever you have – a knife, a rock, a stick or any other weapon. People have fought off black bear attacks with nothing more than their fists. Striking a bear on its face is most effective. Pepper spray also can stop a bear attack.

If you encounter an aggressive bear, contact the nearest MDC office or sheriff’s department immediately. The Conservation Department has specially trained employees to deal with problem or aggressive bears.

For more information about living with bears, visit mdc.mo.gov/node/4607.

Be bear aware in the Missouri outdoors

Campers and landowners should prepare for black-bear encounters

Written by Rebecca Maples, MDC

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – He’s a heavyweight from northern Arkansas. He’s dark and mysterious. He’ll eat just about anything, and he’s being seen more and more around the Show-Me State.

Courtesy MDC

His name is Ursus americanus, but you probably know him better as the black bear. One of the state’s largest wild mammals, black bears have been seen in more than half of Missouri’s counties, though most are south of the Missouri River. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), black-bear sightings and numbers are growing in Missouri.

Black bears are native to Missouri, but the species was nearly eliminated from the state by 1940 due to unregulated hunting and habitat changes. Recent data indicate that a few of Missouri’s native bears might have survived. However, the growth of Missouri’s bear population in recent years probably is largely a result of a successful black-bear restoration effort by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in the 1960s.

According to MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer, black bears are a significant part of the native ecosystem and are an indicator of the state’s wilderness habitat quality.

A fed bear is a dead bear

A growing bear population calls for caution from campers and landowners, who are most likely to encounter bears. Black bears generally are dangerous only when they lose their natural fear of people. This usually results from access to human food. A bear that associates people with food is at risk for aggressive behavior, which could result in euthanasia.

“The most important thing is that landowners and campers don’t give bears access to food or garbage,” Beringer said. “If you never let a bear get started, you won’t have a problem with them.”

Campers can avoid problems with bears by keeping a clean camp, avoiding food scents, and never feeding or approaching bears. If you encounter a bear while camping, you should try to scare the bear away by banging pots and pans or making other noise and waving your arms. If you see a bear while hiking or fishing, you should back away slowly, speaking in a normal voice and making no sudden movements. Although bear attacks are extremely rare, if you find yourself in this situation you should fight back with any available weapons – sticks, stones, knives or even fists – striking the bear especially around the face.

Black Bear Study in Missouri (Phase 1)

“Bears are generally afraid of people. If you do have an encounter with a bear, you want to make it a negative experience for that animal,” Beringer recommended.

Black bear research

In fall 2010, MDC began a cooperative study with the University of Missouri and the University of Mississippi to learn more about black bears in the state and how to manage them. The project involves trapping and radio-collaring bears and gathering hair samples for DNA testing. Information gathered in this will allow researchers to determine individual animals’ size and growth rates, population size, sex ratio, genetic diversity, habitat preferences, daily and seasonal movement patterns, denning dates, reproduction and survival rates. Trapping and radio-collaring will continue through this fall.

Beringer said citizens can play an important role in the ongoing bear research project by immediately reporting all bear sightings. Such reports enable researchers to focus their efforts on areas of known bear activity.

If you see a black bear, report it by visiting www.MissouriConservation.org and searching “Report a Bear Sighting.”

BLACK BEAR STUDY UNDERWAY IN MISSOURI

Image via Wikipedia

SPRINGFIELD MO – For several decades, Missouri’s bears have been something of a mystery. Numerous sightings in recent years have provided clear evidence that black bears live in this state. However, when it came to specific details about those bears (how many live here, are they year-round residents, is successful reproduction occurring, etc.), things weren’t so clear. Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wildlife experts hope a multi-year study that started this fall will provide answers to many of their questions.

The study, which is being funded through the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration program with help from Safari Club International, will provide information about the movement patterns, population densities, habitat preferences and overall numbers of Missouri bears.

“These data are needed to scientifically manage bear populations, through the use of regulated hunting, so that bears continue to thrive and expand into suitable habitats but, at the same time, conflicts are minimized for people living in bear country,” said Jeff Beringer, MDC resource scientist and project leader.

The target of the study is Ursus americanus, more commonly known as the black bear. This large mammal was found across Missouri when the first settlers arrived. Unregulated hunting and habitat alteration took its toll on Missouri’s bear population and, by the 1950s, bears were considered to be extirpated from the state.

Arkansas underwent a successful bear restoration program in the 1960s and it’s thought many of the bears we have in Missouri are the outgrowth of that program. Recent data collected indicate some bears in southwest Missouri are genetically unique and are likely the result of a Missouri bear population that was never completely extirpated.

In past years, MDC biologists conducted some bear monitoring, but the bulk of data obtained from these efforts merely showed spots where bears could be found and revealed little information about their habits and annual life cycles in Missouri.

The first phase of the current study – which is a joint effort between the MDC , the University of Missouri-Columbia and Mississippi State University – consists of trapping and radio-collaring 13 bears in southwest and south-central Missouri this fall. These bears will be monitored over winter to learn more about denning habits and the time frame of winter denning in Missouri.

In spring of 2011, hair snares at select sites throughout southwest and south-central Missouri will collect data that will help biologists get better estimates of overall population and male/female ratios. In fall 2011, 13 bears will be trapped and radio-collared in southeast Missouri and those bears’ denning habits will be monitored over the winter. The field portion of this project finishes in the spring of 2012 with the setting of hair snares in southeast Missouri.