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Not long ago, overhunting and loss of habitat sent North Carolina’s black bears to the brink of extinction. Bears roamed only in the most remote areas of western and coastal North Carolina. In the s, an effort began to manage wildlife, including black bears, and to enforce wildlife laws. Black bears, the only bear found in the state, are now at an all-time healthy population. Black bears live in 60 percent of the total land area of our state.

The abundant food sources in the northeastern parts of North Carolina make those counties especially hospitable to bears. She has seen mama bears with as many as three cubs.

She says each cub can have a different daddy, as the sow will mate with more than one male during the season. You’ve perhaps seen video of bears wandering into towns. Even the city of Raleigh has had some occasional bear visits. While the bear population has increased in North Carolina, it is interesting to note that nature has provided black bears with a unique system of population control.

A female has her first litter of cubs when she is 2 to 11 years old. Whether she has a litter at all depends on whether or not there is plentiful food. Nature has built in a system for bears not provided for most other mammals that prevents them from producing offspring when food is scarce.

The process is called delayed implantation. The fertilized egg develops into a small embryo, and then it stops growing for several months. If the female doesn’t acquire sufficient weight in those months the embryo will not develop. Her body reabsorbs it. If food is plentiful and the sow has the required weight, the embryo develops and baby bears are born in January or February.

The sow has cubs about every two years if conditions are good. Cubs stay with their mother for about 18 months. The bears we see wandering into human subdivisions are often those young bears who are looking for territory of their own and for a mate. They are just passing through, and the best way to handle them is to let them be. Don’t leave pet food or garbage where they can get into it and don’t harass them. By all means never feed them.

Wildlife experts will tell you, “A fed bear is a dead bear. If left alone, the visiting bear will soon move on. Black bears are omnivores; they will eat just about anything.

Normally their preferred foods consist of nuts, acorns, fruits and berries, and insects. They eat meat and grasses or other rough vegetation only when their favorite foods are not available. In the farming country of northeast North Carolina, black bears have adapted their tastes to corn, soybeans and peanuts.

Most farmers have learned to live with the bears in spite of their foraging in their fields. Hunting helps control the numbers of bears damaging crops. Gail Harrison Hodges’ family has farmed in Washington County since the s. In the beginning, her father had only a few acres of corn, and a bear family in his corn was a real financial blow.

In those early days, traps controlled bears that damaged crops. In those days, Gail says, “When my Dad trapped or shot a bear, we ate it, as we did anything Daddy hunted or killed. Gail says her brother who now farms the family land feels more protective of the bears, understanding that humans have encroached into what was once the bears’ territory.

Jess Spruill, who also farms in Washington County, says bears can have a financial impact on both corn and soybeans in his operation. Bears will eat the corn ears when they reach full maturity and graze on newly emerged soybeans. Jess watches for the bears and tries to run them out of the soybeans.

Once the beans mature, the bears do not seem as attracted to them. Bears are harder to spot in the tall corn. Jess says it is very common to lose up to 40 yards from the woods of any harvestable crop. The bears are very interested in the plastic-wrapped modules. Some say they like the glue in the wrap. Whatever the case, during their inspection of the bales their claws pop holes in the plastic and the compression of the lint inside causes an explosion, leaving a busted bale and cotton all over the ground.

Bears typically roam from daybreak until dusk. Their territory ranges from one to two miles for young bears and up to eight to 15 miles for adult males. Females range two to six miles. There are records of bears traveling up to miles. If not killed, black bears can live up to 33 years. According to “Bear Facts,” published by the North American Bear Center, very few black bears outside of those in national parks die of natural causes.

Most are shot or hit by motor vehicles. The average age of bears killed by hunters is 3 to 5 years old. Young bears sometimes die of starvation and accidental causes; seldom do bears die of disease.

Black bears are rather quiet animals, but do have a range of sounds. They grunt as they look for food. They make a low blowing sound and clack their teeth when afraid.

It is reported they make almost human-like sounds that indicate pleasure or sometimes fear. Cubs on the other hand can put out quite a racket, bawling like a baby when they are upset. Bears are not particularly aggressive as long as people exercise good common sense, as they should with any wild animal. While bears are not prone to attack unless provoked, who can say what might provoke a bear? Observe from a distance and do not harass a bear by following or crowding it.

Friends of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in cooperation with the Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge conducts periodic wildlife and bear tours, which last about three hours. Visitors ride in an air-conditioned passenger van through the refuge and are encouraged to bring their cameras along. Pre-registration for reservations is required. Contact: Doris Morris doris. Bear hunting seasons October—December vary by county.

The N. Wildlife Resources Commission has the seasons, limits and other regulations on their website: www. Bear watching advice from U. Fish and Wildlife Service: www. Share Tweet Share Pin Email. Audie Matthews March 28, reply. Select a Different Cooperative.

October Table of Contents. Current Issue. Feature Story. October A fed bear is a dead bear The sow has cubs about every two years if conditions are good. She is a member of Wake Electric. Learn about her at donnacampbellsmith. Comments 1. Is there an estimate of the number of black bears in Franklin County, NC. I have never seen a bear. A person living nearby said they had seen one. I do have barb wire fence around my property and have had at least 2 dogs at all times since I moved here in Leave a comment You are commenting as guest.

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– How many bears live in north carolina

Black bears are thriving in eastern North Carolina, 20, strong in the state. Over the past 30 years, black bear populations in How many bears live in north carolina Carolina have increased tenfold. Today, the population is estimated to be 20, Not only are bears growing in density, a recent article by the Virginian Pilot of Norfolk Virginia put forth the idea that black bears in North Carolina are getting bigger florida map by county to abundant food that allows them to skip hibernating.

That /1744.txt shows overall the bear weight in coastal North Carolina have remained stable. Olfenbuttle says wildlife officials have identified a few larger bears being harvested in the eastern part how many bears live in north carolina the state.

Those could be reasons why these particular bears are larger. And maybe вот ссылка is reflecting, at least in that area reflecting some bears getting larger. There is data to show that black bears grow bigger in eastern North Carolina, compared to bears from the mountains which can grow to be about lbs. The current world record black bear, from Craven County was bagged in and weighed lbs.

This year, a man from Hyde County harvested the second largest black bear in North Carolina records, weighing in at lbs. Wildlife Resources Commission Wildlife Biologist Mike Carraway says agricultural lands provide a reliable and plentiful source of food, allowing bears in eastern North How many bears live in north carolina to grow larger.

He says another reason why bears are bigger in eastern North Carolina is because we have a longer growing season. Since bears have more to eat and more time to graze and forage, maby officials are noting the effect on hibernation, with fewer bears hunkering down for the winter. Carroway says black bear reproduction patterns are also evolving. Not only does access to an abundance of food how many bears live in north carolina bigger bears, it means more offspring.

So I know here in the mountains, we have seen quite a bit of evidence that females that have had three, and four and even five cubs. Back inthe state created 28 bear sanctuaries, encompassing nearlyacres читать больше North Carolina, most of them in eastern North Carolina. Black bear biologist Colleen Olfenbuttel says the current population increase stems from a nortu effort продолжение здесь the part of Wildlife Resource Commission three decades ago.

These areas are off-limits to hunting. Most sanctuaries are located on federally or state protected areas with habitat management objectives, ensuring a beneficial environment for black bears. Now that their numbers have returned to a healthy level, the Wildlife Resources Commission is hoping to sustain that growth. In most cases, that means loosening regulations on bear hunting, which is considered to be the best way to control their populations.

New regulations went into effect during the first week of bear hunting season, November 10th to the 15 th that allowed hunters to bait bear. Wildlife Officer Sergeant William Cane says hunters could нажмите чтобы увидеть больше only non-processed foods, like peaches, apples, and meat scraps.

The second week of bear season starts Monday and will run un Christmas Day. Bear baiting during this time is not permitted. The new law how many bears live in north carolina prohibits baiting bear in sanctuaries. Because prior to this year, unless you were coming from out of state, you had to buy a special license to hunt bear. This year, everyone is going to have to buy the e-stamp and that just gives us an actual number of people that are bear hunting.

A safer way to see nkrth black bears in their natural carolinq is during an eastern North Carolina bear watching tour. The Friends of Pocosin Lakes National Wildlife Refuge occasionally hold bear tours throughout the year, but mostly in how many bears live in north carolina spring and summer months. For more information and to see pictures from their black bear tours, go to pocosinlakesfriends.

Search Query Show Search. Norh Us. Show Search Search Query. Play Live Radio. Next Up:. Available Man Air Stations. All Streams. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email. NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Jared Brumbaugh. When not at the station, Florida to visit enjoys hiking, traveling, and honing his culinary skills. See stories by Jared Brumbaugh.

– Black Bears In Eastern North Carolina

 
The 36 urban bears weighed an average of pounds at months of age, the release says, compared to the rural bears, who weighed on читать полностью 50 pounds at that age. Researchers used information the wildlife commission had on calls from residents about urban bears, reached out to those landowners, “and it just picks up steam from there,” he said.