WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Black bears across North Carolina have entered their hungriest stretch of the year, and state wildlife officials are warning that what’s in your yard could unintentionally bring one to your door.
Officials refer to the phase as hyperphagia. Bears jump from 2,000 to 3,500 calories a day in spring and summer to 15,000 to 20,000 calories a day in late summer and fall to fatten up for winter, officials said.
To gain as much as 3 pounds a day, bears are foraging up to 20 hours daily for nuts, berries and grapes, plus what state biologists called easy meals such as bird seed, pet food, garbage, compost and farm crops.
That search pushes more bears into neighborhoods, woods and across roadways, where officials see a spike in reports each fall. Once a bear finds an easy meal, it is likely to come back, officials said.
Officials urge residents to follow BearWise Basics: keep attractants out of sight, smell and reach, stay alert when driving or walking at night, check the yard before letting pets out and know what to do if you see a bear.
“All the extra fat bears build up during hyperphagia allows them to ride out the winter months when natural food becomes scarce,” said Statewide BearWise Coordinator Ashley Hobbs.
Most bears den by mid-December, Hobbs said, but bears with steady access to trash and bird seed may keep searching for food all winter instead of denning. She urged residents to pull food sources this fall and block crawlspaces, decks and porches.
Bears can also den under sheds, brush piles, building materials and vacant homes, according to BearWise.org.
Report bear incidents to the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401, weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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