County bear population on the rise
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| This black bear wandered into a yard in Massachusetts after prowling through unsecured garbage. Bear sighting are increasing almost every year in Rockbridge County. (AP Photo) |
Spotting a black bear in your backyard used to be a rare event in Rockbridge County. But as the bear population increases in Virginia, the acorn crop is becoming insufficient, and the animals are more often looking for food outside their natural habitat.
“We’re reaching a level at which people won’t tolerate the animals,” said Michael Pelton, a retired University of Tennessee professor.
Pelton, who worked in wildlife science in the department of forestry, wildlife and fisheries, studied black bears for 32 years. Pelton and his wife now live on Little North Mountain on the Augusta-Rockbridge County line.
At the turn of the 20th century, the black bear population in Virginia was low, Pelton says, but toward the end of the century the bears began to thrive again. Now their population continues to grow, and so does the number of encounters they have with humans.
But a spotty acorn crop is not the only reason why black bears are becoming a common sight in residential areas. Pelton says housing developments have been creeping into forested lands and territories commonly inhabited by wildlife.
“They’re moving into our habitat, and we’re moving into theirs,” he said.
It is illegal to deliberately feed bears on both public and private lands in Virginia. Bears can quickly become used to human food and garbage. Grills, birdfeeders, trash or dog food left outside may easily attract bears in search of food.
But Pelton says bears are no more of a nuisance to people than people are to them.
“It’s an animal that doesn’t like to be around people,” he said. “They are shy, secretive, easily scared away and not violent at all.”
Hunters provide some control over the booming bear population in Rockbridge.
According to the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF), the statewide trend in number of black bears killed has been increasing at an average annual rate of 7.4 percent over the past decade. In the 2007-2008 season, Rockbridge tied with Albemarle County for third place in Virginia, with 78 bears killed.
Archery season started in mid-October and ended Nov. 8. Hunters brought in five bears to the black bear check station in Lexington, weighing between 125 and 378 pounds. But firearms season is the real hit among county hunters. It starts Monday and runs until Jan. 3.
Pelton advises county residents to keep a distance from the animals and not harass them. The VDGIF suggests residents remove bird feeders and store garbage indoors, in sheds or garages.
Produced by
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journalism students.
Lead Supervisors:
Prof. Brian
Richardson
Prof. Indira Somani
Editing supervisor:
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Cumming
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