Posted on 05/25/2021 8:31:11 AM PDT by SJackson
Eric Schauber, Illinois State biologist and director of the Illinois Natural History Survey, said Illinois usually sees an influx in spring.
Illinois residents may be surprised to see some large, furry visitors over the next couple of months as black bears are making their way down from Wisconsin and passing through Illinois in increasing numbers.
Eric Schauber, Illinois State biologist and director of the Illinois Natural History Survey, said Illinois usually sees an influx during springtime. Young male bears are likely the kind to be seen passing through in Illinois, he adds.
"They can move quite a ways, and that's especially true of young males," Schauber said.
"They will disperse away from the area where they were born and seek out new places to establish a home range and look for mates."
The bears are likely heading toward Missouri and Kentucky where there are more hardwood forests and available food like acorns and hickory nuts, Schauber said.
"The kind of landscape we have in southern Illinois, it's not good habitat so they're going to keep moving until they find an area that looks more suitable and a place where they can find other bears," Schauber said.
While black bears strive to avoid humans, they could end up anywhere, Schauber said.
"When a bear is moving through unfamiliar territory, it's not going to know where food might be, where cover might be, where risky areas might be and so it's tough to predict where they might end up," Schauber said.
Schauber warns that pretty much anything is food to a bear, from skunk cabbage to rotting roadkill, so he suggests minimizing food sources around the house if you don't want a scavenging visit.
"If there are indications that a bear might be around, then that would be a good time to take your bird feeder down, make sure your trash can is stowed away, those kinds of things," Schauber said.
If an individual does encounter a black bear, Schauber said to remember they don't want to be there any more than you do.
"The thing to do is not run, remain calm and let the bear know you're there, and start moving away from it," Schauber said. "So if it is going in a particular direction, let it. Let it go that direction, and give it as much space as you can. In the very rare case where the bear takes an interest, you want to stand your ground and make louder noises to let the bear know that you know it's there, and it will likely move on.
Beware of “Teen bears!”
No.
Black bears’ lives matter.
Most of their burdens in life are due to the polar bears’ attitudes and privilege.
Black Bears Matter!
One stole my pic-a-nic basket.
Black Bears Matter!
Regards,
Do they matter?
“I’d wager they got a look at Lightfoot and skedaddled.”
Maybe it’s time for a reversal and instead of bare arms, arm bears and sent them into Chicago. Then the track stars will outrun the slower people.
wy69
LOL...a “journalist black bear interviewing Lightfoot”
Must not overlook polar bear micro aggressions, either.
Is that bear Catholic?
You've just guided me to a higher level of understanding. Never looked at it that way.
Does the Pope $h!7 in the woods
He would if a Black Bear was coming at him!
Those polar bears were fired by coca-cola. Just too damned White!
Bears are my favorite animal to photograph. Here’s a link to my bear pics:
https://www.ftrpilot.com/Wildlife/Bear/
Global warming. Polar bears moving south fleeing melting ice and black bears fleeing their old neighborhoods.(/sarc)
Except for that one that isn’t. 😏
Hence, the 44mag. 45-70 works good too.
Yeh we are lousy with black bears in Georgia. Average weight 125 lbs so .40 cal is sufficient. Then there’s the day you run into a 400 pounder. 😆
I forgot they used to proclaim they were virtue signaling for polar bear habitats and not just exploiting them on ads and bottles: "Coca-Cola's drive to create a safe haven for polar bears in the high Arctic has thawed the pockets of environmentalists throughout North America, generating over $2 million for the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)."
So there was a conflict over which virtue signaling was more profitable for Coke. Boss must have held his hands to his head and moaned "If only they weren't white." "I know, boss, here's my hankie."
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