Are there bears in middle tennessee

Monitoring of a large carnivore can be extremely time consuming and expensive. Traditionally, the Agency has used bait stations to monitor trends. Unfortunately, sensitivity to population changes will diminish with this index as visits reach high percentages on an annual basis. Most recently, TWRA has utilized population reconstruction to estimate population trends. This chart supports evidence that the bear population in Tennessee continues to grow. In order to minimize biases associated with population models, TWRA uses multiple harvest descriptors to estimate the bear population including tooth collection and numbers of male and female bears harvested.

The success of this method revolves around tooth collection and TWRA encourages hunters to collect and submit as many bear teeth as possible. Not sure how to collect the right tooth? Watch this video to learn how! In areas not open to hunting, bait stations, sightings, road kills, and depredation permits are utilized to monitor population trends.

In many areas of Tennessee, it is fairly common to bears near human dwellings during the spring and summer months. This time of year natural foods may be limited and bears could be looking for an easy meal. Bears have an incredible sense of smell and are likely being lured by some type of food attractant.

These attractants typically include garbage, pet food, and birdfeeders. The best thing to do is identify the attractant and remove the source.

Bears will move on after realizing there is no food to be obtained. The first thing to realize is that the bear is simply going after an easy meal. Almost all of these types of problems can be eliminated by simply removing the attractant. Store garbage in a closed structure and put it out the morning of garbage pickup, not the night before.

This way, garbage does not sit out overnight and lure bears into your area. Problems may be further addressed by purchasing or constructing a bear-resistant garbage container. Black bears are normally very elusive and shy animals… and unless they have become accustomed to human food sources, they tend to avoid people.

Bears are very curious animals, however, and this should not be mistaken for aggression. Prevent any conflicts by treating bears with respect as they are wild animals whose behaviors can be unpredictable. The first rule is that you want to make your presence known by yelling and shouting at the bear in an attempt to scare it away. If a bear is reluctant to leave then proceed to throw rocks or other objects at the bear while continuing to yell.

Portray yourself as the dominant animal and do not back down. If a bear is close enough that you feel uncomfortable, slowly back away, continuing to yell while watching the bear at all times. Never run from a black bear as this may trigger a natural response to chase.

Throwing food will likely only compound the problem and running from a black bear will likely trigger a natural instinct to chase. In addition, bears are extremely powerful animals that run at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour in short distances. Make your presence known by yelling at the bear and slowly back away without turning your back. In the event of an attack, fight back using everything in your power - including fists, sticks, rocks, or any other debris.

Do not play dead! Animals exhibiting those behaviors are doing so because they have either been fed or have learned to feed on improperly stored garbage or pet food.

When bears are intentionally fed, they learn to associate people with food and lose their natural fear of humans. The home range of black bears can exceed 80 square miles. If you feed a bear in your backyard, that animal is eventually going to leave and may travel to a house 10 or 20 miles away. The bear will again expect to be fed… because you have taught it to associate people with food.

At that point, the safety of other people becomes a concern because they may have absolutely no interest in having a bear in their yard. While relocation is an option to the immediate issue, it will not solve the underlying problem. Unless garbage is properly stored, another bear will move in and the problem will start all over again. In addition, black bears have an incredible homing instinct and can travel amazing distances in relatively short periods of time.

Research has shown that even bears that have been trapped and moved 10, 20 even 55 air miles away can still find their way home. Ultimately, relocating bears is not an effective long-term management tool. Instead, the proper storage of human-related foods and never feeding bears is the key.

Black bears den for the winter months and typically emerge in late March or early April. When they emerge from dens, natural foods are scarce and often bears are lured by the smell of human-related foods. Nuisance reports peak in June and July for two reasons. Number one, that is the breeding season for bears and males are traveling great distances in search of females. In doing so, they have increased opportunities to encounter human dwellings. Secondly, yearling bears are now on their own trying to establish a suitable home range.

In their travels, young bears may also be lured by the smell of human foods. Fed bears lose their natural fear of people and become habituated to humans. In addition, people who feed bears are teaching those animals to associate people with food. Would you want a bear like that coming around your house?

Skip to Main Content. Go to TN. Print This Page. Go to Search. Black Bears. Have you seen a bear? Report a bear sighting here. Report a Bear Sighting. What does a healthy bear look like?

Sick, Injured or Orphaned Bears Only if the mother is confirmed to be dead or the cub remains alone for more than 36 hours and its estimated weight is less than 30 pounds should the TWRA be contacted. What does an orphaned cub look like? Coexisting With Bears What is human-bear conflict? Examples of human-bear conflicts include: A bear that has attacked or is stalking a human A bear that is unfearful of humans or has caused property damage A bear that has entered a vehicle, dwelling, or inhabited building A bear that is habituated to non-natural foods A bear that does not leave an area when humans are present YOUR Responsibility for Black Bears!

Encountering Black Bears To learn about what to do when encountering a bear while Hiking and Camping visit, bearwise. Black bears are rarely aggressive towards people and typically go out of their way to avoid contact, however as human development continues and bear numbers increase, occasional interactions will be unavoidable.

Black bears are extremely powerful animals whose behaviors can be unpredictable. Black bears are very curious animals and this should not be confused with aggression. Startled bears will often confront intruders by turning sideways to appear larger, make woofing and teeth clacking sounds, salivate, lay their ears back and slap the ground with their paws. These are warnings for you to leave the area. Bears will often stand on their hind legs to get a better view or a better sense of hearing and smell.

Never feed or approach bears! If a bear approaches you in the wild, it is probably trying to assess your presence. If you see a black bear from a distance, alter your route of travel, return the way you came, or wait until it leaves the area.

Make your presence known by yelling and shouting at the bear in an attempt to scare it away. If approached by a bear, stand your ground, raise your arms to appear larger, yell and throw rocks or sticks until it leaves the area.

When camping in bear country, keep all food stored in a vehicle and away from tents. Never run from a black bear! This will often trigger its natural instinct to chase. If a black bear attacks, fight back aggressively and do not play dead! Use pepper spray, sticks, rocks, or anything you can find to defend yourself. If you see these behaviors, you are too close! Slowly back away while facing the bear at all times.

Notify the TWRA immediately if you witness aggressive behavior by black bears! Black Bears in Town As bear and human populations increase and more people move near public lands and bear inhabited areas, bear-human interactions are increasing creating potentially dangerous situations. These things can unintentionally lure bears and other unwanted wildlife closer to people, the TWRA says.

Residents are urged to visit bearwise. There are also a few guidelines that can help decrease negative interactions with bears and help the animals stay wild:. Facebook Twitter Email. Past Christmas Parades. Sales Team. Podcasts The Wake Up Crew.

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