Black Bear Spotted In Crane, Hurley Area
At least one bear has been seen on properties between Crane and Hurley recently. This photo was taken on the Mease property, southeast of Hurley, on Friday, May 10.
May 23, 2019
Isaac Estes-Jones
Over the past two weeks, a black bear has been seen in northern Stone County, around the edges of Crane and Hurley. The bear, estimated to be a two year old male weighing around 150 to 200 pounds, has been found getting into garbage cans and traveling across yards.
Josh Wisdom, Wildlife Damage Biologist with Missouri Department of Conservation, spoke with The Chronicle to let people know what to do if they encounter the animal in their yard.
“People shouldn’t be worried per se,” Wisdom said. “Bears are eating machines. It’s really all they think about, and their noses are better than a dog’s, so if they smell something they think they can eat, they are going to investigate it.
“Basically, I like to tell people that a bear is like a big raccoon. Anything you think a raccoon might want to get into, that’s what a bear would be interested in. They like human food because it is easy,” he said.
If you think a bear has been in the area, Wisdom said there are a few things you can do to keep it out of your area. “Remove all food sources. Take down bird feeders, change how you feed outdoor animals. If you can, take your trash out to the curb the day of pickup instead of the night before. Anything to make it harder for the bear to get at human food. Some people keep their trash in an outbuilding or something. Some have had success using a ratchet strap to help keep the lid on their trashcans. That way, if the bear knocks it over and no human food comes out, it will most likely wander on somewhere else. That’s not to say it couldn’t get in if it wanted to, but there are easier food sources than that, so more often than not the bear will go on,” he said.
“Just seeing a bear isn’t a cause for alarm,” Wisdom said. To date, there has never been a bear attack in Missouri. “But, just like anything with a mouth, it could bite you,” he said.
If you come face to face with a bear, Wisdom says not to run away or turn your back, as that could trigger an instinct in the animal to follow. “If you do encounter a bear, give it space and make sure not to corner it.
“If you see a bear on your property, it is a good idea to try to scare it off,” he said. “Make yourself appear larger and make loud noises, bang pots and pans, sound a horn, etc. Anything to let it know that being around humans is unpleasant.”
MDC says it is important that the bear know humans are not a source of easy food. “A fed bear is a dead bear,” said Wisdom. “It might not be a huge deal right now when he is only 200 pounds, but in a couple of years, when he’s closer to 400 pounds, being this close to humans is a much bigger problem.”
Bears eat opportunistically. If they learn that human food is easy to get to, they’ll keep coming closer to humans, eventually leading to the animal having to be put down.
“So, we want to stop it associating humans with food sources now,” Wisdom said. “If there’s nothing to eat, or when he does get to eat and there are unpleasant events, he won’t stick around,” he said.
The bear population across the state is growing. The first population survey for bears was conducted in 2012. “At that time, there were about 350 bears across the whole state. The population has just gone up since then,” Wisdom said.
“All local counties have bear populations, mostly in the wooded areas, but we do not have a break down of those,” he said.
The population of bears in Missouri has grown since the animals were reintroduced in the 1950s and 1960s. Prior to that, they were all but wiped out. But that was not always the case.
“When Europeans first came to the area, bears were as common as white-tailed deer are today. Then, settlers began to move in and shoot them and they were nearly eradicated,” Wisdom said. As the bear population continues to grow, seeing them in populated areas may become more common.
If there are repeated issues with a bear, homeowners can contact the local conservation agents. “They will help in any way possible to deter the bear from being around people,” Wisdom said.
Isaac Estes-Jones
Over the past two weeks, a black bear has been seen in northern Stone County, around the edges of Crane and Hurley. The bear, estimated to be a two year old male weighing around 150 to 200 pounds, has been found getting into garbage cans and traveling across yards.
Josh Wisdom, Wildlife Damage Biologist with Missouri Department of Conservation, spoke with The Chronicle to let people know what to do if they encounter the animal in their yard.
“People shouldn’t be worried per se,” Wisdom said. “Bears are eating machines. It’s really all they think about, and their noses are better than a dog’s, so if they smell something they think they can eat, they are going to investigate it.
“Basically, I like to tell people that a bear is like a big raccoon. Anything you think a raccoon might want to get into, that’s what a bear would be interested in. They like human food because it is easy,” he said.
If you think a bear has been in the area, Wisdom said there are a few things you can do to keep it out of your area. “Remove all food sources. Take down bird feeders, change how you feed outdoor animals. If you can, take your trash out to the curb the day of pickup instead of the night before. Anything to make it harder for the bear to get at human food. Some people keep their trash in an outbuilding or something. Some have had success using a ratchet strap to help keep the lid on their trashcans. That way, if the bear knocks it over and no human food comes out, it will most likely wander on somewhere else. That’s not to say it couldn’t get in if it wanted to, but there are easier food sources than that, so more often than not the bear will go on,” he said.
“Just seeing a bear isn’t a cause for alarm,” Wisdom said. To date, there has never been a bear attack in Missouri. “But, just like anything with a mouth, it could bite you,” he said.
If you come face to face with a bear, Wisdom says not to run away or turn your back, as that could trigger an instinct in the animal to follow. “If you do encounter a bear, give it space and make sure not to corner it.
“If you see a bear on your property, it is a good idea to try to scare it off,” he said. “Make yourself appear larger and make loud noises, bang pots and pans, sound a horn, etc. Anything to let it know that being around humans is unpleasant.”
MDC says it is important that the bear know humans are not a source of easy food. “A fed bear is a dead bear,” said Wisdom. “It might not be a huge deal right now when he is only 200 pounds, but in a couple of years, when he’s closer to 400 pounds, being this close to humans is a much bigger problem.”
Bears eat opportunistically. If they learn that human food is easy to get to, they’ll keep coming closer to humans, eventually leading to the animal having to be put down.
“So, we want to stop it associating humans with food sources now,” Wisdom said. “If there’s nothing to eat, or when he does get to eat and there are unpleasant events, he won’t stick around,” he said.
The bear population across the state is growing. The first population survey for bears was conducted in 2012. “At that time, there were about 350 bears across the whole state. The population has just gone up since then,” Wisdom said.
“All local counties have bear populations, mostly in the wooded areas, but we do not have a break down of those,” he said.
The population of bears in Missouri has grown since the animals were reintroduced in the 1950s and 1960s. Prior to that, they were all but wiped out. But that was not always the case.
“When Europeans first came to the area, bears were as common as white-tailed deer are today. Then, settlers began to move in and shoot them and they were nearly eradicated,” Wisdom said. As the bear population continues to grow, seeing them in populated areas may become more common.
If there are repeated issues with a bear, homeowners can contact the local conservation agents. “They will help in any way possible to deter the bear from being around people,” Wisdom said.