As days get warmer and longer, Georgia’s slumbering bears begin to venture out of their winter dens in search of food. And for female bears, that responsibility is greater because bear cubs are born in January and February, according to Bearwise.com. And that makes food-finding job one for mamma bear.
Bears naturally are shy and tend to avoid humans. But, even though Georgia’s black bears are large and noisy when stomping around in the woods, it’s wise to know the warning signs that a bear may be active nearby — before you come face-to-face with a 7-foot-tall, 400 pound eating machine on a food-finding mission for its newborn family.
To answer one of the eternal questions of life, YES, bears DO poop in the woods. And bear droppings — also known as “scat” — are among the tell-tale signs that bears are active in an area. Bear scat usually is found in large piles of dark, fibrous droppings with berries, seeds, fur, or insect parts. Fresh scat is moist, while older scat is dry and crumbly. If you spot a pile of poop, make lots of noise (Bearwise.com recommends shouting “Hey Bear”) and leave the area slowly to avoid danger.
Two other warning signs, according to Bearwise.com, include bear prints in the mud and large areas on trees where bark may be scratched off — often leaving visible claw marks. Once again, it’s recommended that you stay alert, make noise and slowly head to another well-traveled path to avoid a Georgia black bear encounter.
If you do encounter a Georgia black bear, Bearwise.com recommends that you take defensive measures. Those include:
- Make yourself look bigger by raising your arms and jacket, and/or standing on a rock or stump.
- Yell “Hey bear” loudly. You can also use other noise-making devices like a whistle or air horn, always good items for an array of backwoods emergencies.
- Get your bear spray out of the holster and into your hand. Remove the safety latch.
- Back away slowly when the bear stops its approach. And never run, as a bear is more likely to chase a fast-moving target.
