Official offer tips for encouraging bear to move on


Note: photos contributed via Facebook. -KtE
Polk County is no stranger to bears in times past and present, but one showing up this far into town? It is a bit unusual.
Local residents ranging from Cleo Street to the east and Robert L. Parks Boulevard to the west in Eastview area of Cedartown have recently noted encounters with a black bear that has shown up in yards over the past three weeks from time to time, likely searching for sources of food even though the bear should be hunkered down in a den for hibernation during the winter months.
Now the Department of Natural Resources is getting involved in trying to figure out what is bringing the bear toward town, and providing some tips for getting the bear to move along to greener pastures and more fruitful forests.
Adam Hammond, a Bear Biologist with DNR, noted that bears in North Georgia aren’t out of the ordinary. The time of year this particular bear is out and about is a bit more interesting. He said that without actually trapping and getting ahold of the bear there is no telling exactly why it isn’t following a typical pattern of hibernation during the winter months, but it isn’t unheard of for bears to still be out despite below freezing temps.
His potential reason? This black bear has found itself a good supply of food.
“Not terribly uncommon for lone males, or individual bears to wander into an area where there is a lot of food,” he said. “Most bear issues have resolved themselves by now… (so it is) kind of puzzling he showed up in the last three weeks.”
Hammond said the bear has posed no real threat to the community so far – just showing up and scavenging on trash, bird feeders and potentially even deer feeders setup for fall hunting that concluded earlier in the month – and the bear fattened themselves up and could go into hibernation at any moment.
One way to encourage that to happen faster? Secure trash, pet food and bird feeders that the bear is using as a food source. Hammond specifically pointed toward dumpsters and trash cans being latched and secured to ensure the bear is unable to get into trash and find leftovers it has no problem eating. He also said residents who have the ability to keep cans and trash inside until pickup day should do so for the time being until the bear moves on.
“Keep trash secured. That seems to be their first choice when they get into things,” he said. “With the volume of houses and available garbage cans, it is going to take a lot of compliance to get everyone on the same page.”
Hammond said DNR officials have been out in the community looking for signs of the bear and meeting with residents who have experienced encounters, but so far they hope that by local residents taking action they won’t have to step in further. He also said they have talked to officials at Murphy-Harpst Children’s Center to provide more information and encourage them to secure their dumpsters as well.
“We haven’t completely ruled out having to get more involved, but there’s nothing in this situation that has happened so far we have been made aware of that this is just a bear that has found a food source and taken advantage of it,” Hammond said.
When DNR does get involved, they usually trap the bear and relocate it to a new area, but since bears can roam and usually have several thousands of acres of territory to utilize for their habitat, they are just as likely to return to an area even if removed.
He hopes the community will first take advantage of information found on bearwise.org about bears and how best to cohabitate with them in the world, but those who have solid information about the bear, have encountered the bear and seek to address concerns can reach out to DNR’s area office at 706-295-6041.