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If you want to see bears before the hibernating weather hits you’ve got to go WILD. Here are a few of our favorite places to go bear-looking this year but be careful! If you see one don’t get too close!

The Catskills: Upstate New York is one of the best escapes from the city and you can find a cabin that’s got all the modern conveniences of new york internent and running water. Take some binoculars to bear-watch from your porch.

Blue Ridge: Camping is a popular past time down on the Blue Ridge but call ahead as the best sites go early. Bring a bear bag for your food and don’t stray too far from a car or the park ranger’s house in case of trouble.

Yellowstone: It’s too cold to go to Glacier but Yellowstone’s open for another few weeks. Trek in or take the car but don’t forget the bear spray – the bears here are wild and aggressive and there are several people killed each year by being careless. Take pictures from afar!

Those living in rural areas close to vast swatches of natural bear habitat may, from time to time, come into contact with the animals. Possessing a sense of smell that is estimated to be seven times stronger than that of blood hounds, bears can be attracted to the scent of household garbage in search of an easy meal. In order to avoid attracting bears it is important to secure garbage away from them until just prior to collection day, taking the cans to the curb the night before or immediately preceding collection. Read more »

Livestock guardian breeds include the German Shepherd, Giant Schnauzer, and any of the three Belgian Shepherd breeds. These breeds are known for their inherent desire to “herd” packs of animals, their loyalty to their humans, high level of obedience and intelligence, and their willingness and ability to protect what they consider to be “theirs.”

These breeds were created with the intent of not only herding, but also to stand up to any aggressor that attempts to harm their charges. All around the world it is not uncommon for coyotes, wolves, bears, and mountain lions to be a Read more »

Since bears can’t read, simply installing a “Bears Stay Out!” sign won’t be terribly effective. Instead, install bear-resistant fencing to keep them out of areas where they’re not wanted. Any garbage should always be locked inside a strong shed or at the very least inside a metal lockbox. Any garbage, scraps or even a BBQ must be inside a secure area. Keeping these tempting treats away from a bear’s path can go a long way toward keeping bears out of proximity to humans.

Beyond that, a tall metal fence is usually the most Read more »

A host of animals are sure to be seen on almost any mountain excursion. One of the more common and entertaining of them is the Black Bear. Any trip to the mountains is sure to bring one within viewing distance. It is not recommended, however, to feed them. Not only does feeding bear pose a threat to human safety, the bears are placed in the way of danger too. Feeding can be intentional or inadvertent, so appropriate measures should be taken to secure belongings to reduce the chance of an accidental feeding.
Black Bear often visit the campsites and because of their frequent interaction with humans, they feel that there is little to fear. Campers often fail to realize that wild bears are attracted to the smell of food and trash at campsites. Failure to place trash in a secured bin is certain to attract the attention of bear. Although the site of a bear digging through the trash bin may be entertaining, it’s obviously not safe for the bear or the humans. Often campers leave food items in storage containers on picnic tables and come back to find Black Bear sitting on the table enjoying lunch. A simple remedy is to place food in containers that can be sealed and then to place these sealed containers into coolers. This may reduce the bear’s interest in the food items.
Black Bear pose an immediate threat to human safety and can use their amazing strength for a serious attack. It is the bear that is more commonly at risk, however. Campers that inadvertently feed bears are sometimes scared by their presence and can sometimes use lethal force in a moment of fear. Bears may consume containers or silverware with their dining selection and can suffer serious health concerns because of this. Bears also run the risk of injury if crossing roadways to reach campsites. A simple way to keep everything safe is to secure food items and reduce the possibility of attracting bears.

The Spectacled Bear is, for a bear, a relatively small bear that is native to South America. It is given its name because of the coloring on its face that makes it appear as if the bear is wearing glasses. The Spectacled Bear is also called the Andean Bear because it can be found around the Andes Mountains.

The Spectacled Bear is endangered for two reasons. First, its natural habitat is being decimated by logging and farming. As the loss of habitat and natural food sources have disappeared the bears have been forced Read more »

Bear captive breeding programs are meant for conservation purposes. The programs take in endangered bears so they can study and breed them. Successful captive breeding programs may be able to provide the necessary resources to save animals that are in imminent danger of extinction. They do this by maintaining a viable gene pool until bear habitats can be restored.

The breeding programs have many different tasks. One of their most important duties is to study reproductive behavior and physiology. Not only that, but they also spend a lot of time watching Read more »

The possibility of a bear attack is one of the number one fears for hunters, hikers and campers. Bears can get very aggressive, but if you know what to do to prevent possible attacks, you can keep yourself and those with you safe.

The main reason a bear will attack a human is if she is startled by a human’s presence. This can be greatly magnified if a female bear is traveling with her young, or if the bear is eating. Bears are very protective of their young and their kills. If a human Read more »

What an unusual site it is to see a polar bear and a grizzly together in one location. But this is exactly what is happening because of global warming. Abut twenty years ago; we started seeing grizzly bears in the Arctic. It is believed to be happening more and more due to the change in the climates of the Arctic. The climate changing is making the Arctic warm much faster than other places. They no longer have as long of winters and as cold of temperatures as they use to. These long winters and cold temperatures would Read more »