{"id":41282,"date":"2024-04-09T07:00:58","date_gmt":"2024-04-09T11:00:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=41282"},"modified":"2024-04-08T20:22:55","modified_gmt":"2024-04-09T00:22:55","slug":"black-bears-emerging-from-winter-dens-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2024\/04\/09\/black-bears-emerging-from-winter-dens-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Black Bears Emerging from Winter Dens, Looking for Food"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marylanders Urged to Keep Bears Wild<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

\"Photo

Photo by Nathaniel Peck submitted to the 2023 Maryland DNR Photo Contest.<\/p><\/div>\n

As spring gets underway in western and central Maryland, black bears have already vacated their dens and started exploring the areas around them. After months of not eating or drinking, bears are hungry and in search of easy food. Black bears rely on their powerful sense of smell to locate food and are attracted to anything that resembles the scent of food, like birdseed, chicken feed, dog food and even trash.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Homeowners who leave human-generated food sources out in the open may unintentionally draw bears to residential areas. Once a black bear finds an easy meal, they are likely to be repeat visitors. When young bears are exposed to easy human-generated food sources, it teaches them that the tastiest food comes from people. Exposure to these easy food sources can, and does, lead to a lifelong change in behavior that puts bears at risk due to the close proximity to humans. Residents, and visitors, of Maryland\u2019s bear country are encouraged to exercise good judgment to avoid creating man-made bear attractions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The\u00a0<\/span>Maryland Department of Natural Resources<\/span><\/a>\u00a0advises:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n