Raleigh, North Carolina — Bear sightings this month are more frequent since bears around North Carolina are in “eat mode.”
As bears get ready for the winter, the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission warns there will be an increase in bear activity around homes, businesses, in the woods, and on roads. Bears eat up to three times a day during the fall and occasionally even into the winter to put on weight in preparation for denning season. We refer to this process as hyperphagia.
Bears with hyperphagia may spend up to 20 hours a day looking for food. Their continual quest for food can often lead them across highways, and they are most active at dawn and twilight.
The NCWRC advises taking the following actions to prevent a car crash with a bear or any other wildlife:
- If driving with a passenger, put them on wildlife watch.
- Always drive at a reasonable speed and follow the speed limit.
- At night, consider driving below the speed limit to give yourself more stopping time and scan the sides of the road for eyeshine at night.
- Pay extra attention in areas where bushes and trees are close to the road.
The majority of insurance companies recommend that you attempt to safely avoid an animal in the road by honking your horn frequently and flashing your high beams. If you are not sure that you can do so safely, do not slam on your brakes or veer into another lane.
In quest of food, such as berries and nuts, many bears travel far in August and September, even outside of their home areas. Because they are opportunistic feeders, there are greater opportunities for humans and bears to interact closely.
There will always be hyperphagia as long as food is available. Bears that are unable to den until December or January nevertheless diligently search for food almost nonstop and consume as much as they can.
Bears won’t den at all in places where they have access to consistent year-round supplies of food given by humans, but instead will feed as though they will den.
Under bushes and brush heaps, mounds of building materials, abandoned structures, garages, storage sheds, or unoccupied vacation houses that are left empty throughout the winter, bears have been known to den and give birth. Bearwise.org provides guidelines on how to keep bears from hiding in your crawlspaces, under porches, and under decks.
For inquiries or to report information regarding a bear occurrence, get in touch with your local district wildlife biologist or the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at 866-318-2401.