Hungry Bears on the Move in Michigan

Michigan’s black bears are seeking food as they emerge from hibernation. The Michigan Department of Natural Resources says it’s important not to feed them so they’ll go to the woods where they belong. (Photo by Bess Sadler/Flickr)

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“Don’t feed the bears.”

It’s not a sign at a zoo, but a serious warning from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which says that after months of hibernation, hungry black bears are on the move in the Mitten State and may be headed to your garbage bin.

They’re especially hungry after their long sleep, but residents can take steps to make neighborhoods less enticing by temporarily storing bird feeders and trash receptacles inside until the bears satisfy the growl in their stomachs.

When bears find a reliable food source, they’re likely to make a pattern of returning to the place again and again, DNR bear specialist Kevin Swanson told MLive.com.

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Don’t reward them, Swanson said.

“The easiest thing people can do to avoid problems is to take in their bird feeders and store other attractants like trash cans inside until garbage pickup,” he said.

The bears will settle down once the woods green up and they can find more natural food sources – if they haven’t become accustomed to eating bird seed and from garbage cans, Swanson said.

If bears continue to be an issue two or three weeks after removing food sources, contact the DNR.

Learn more about Michigan’s black bears.