SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – It may not feel like it, but winter will be here before we know it. And black bears are fattening up to get ready.<\/p>\n
However, their search for food could lead them out of the woods, closer to people\u2019s homes. Conservation agents suggest putting away anything they might eat, so they\u2019ll continue their food search somewhere else.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo when they\u2019re in this heavy feeding period, the last thing we humans want to do is give them something to eat beyond what they\u2019re finding in the woods because they are looking for food,\u201d said Francis Skalicky, Missouri Department of Conservation Media Specialist. \u201cSo it\u2019s just an extra reminder that all those things that bears sometimes get into, things like pet food dishes with extra pet food left in, trash cans that don\u2019t have lids secured, bird feeders they can get into, all those things either secure, keep an eye on, and just watch for bears in the area.\u201d<\/p>\n
While getting ready for their long winter nap, bears can spend up to 20 hours a day foraging for food.<\/p>\n
When food is plentiful, bears can gain up to three pounds each day. The Conservation Department estimates Missouri has more than 1,000 black bears.<\/p>\n
Here is an MDC article<\/a> on bears searching for food as they prepare for winter hibernation.<\/p>\n