Mama bears are very protective. It doesn't help that bears can smell things a long ways off.". They have a broad head with rounded ears set well back on the head. The bear hunters from the mountains of Tennessee, Virginia and South Carolina and their packs of very specialized bear hounds had about done our bears in. This strategy may work with grizzly bears, but not with black bears. Black bears are powerful creatures that stand up to 6 feet tall, with the average male weighing 150 to 350 pounds in South Carolina. A black bear in the Smoky Mountains may gain as much as 30 pounds a week while their food supply is sufficient to support them. "Just use common sense," Still said. (Courtesy: Vivian Lindsey/ May 15, 2019) Listed as endangered in South Carolina, the Refuge has become a nesting sanctuary for these migrating raptors. For more information on dealing with black bear encounters, go to the Web site http://www.enr.gov.nt.ca/_live/pages/wpPages/Safety_in_Grizzly_and_Black_Bear She’s spending her summer researching black bears – in fact, she counting their hairs. So don't feed bears, Still warns, because instead of helping the bear, the feeding might indirectly lead to its death. Though populations are variable, biologists estimate that roughly 1,500 bears live in the park. Occasionally, a black bear will … The Refuge supports one of two populations of black bears (Ursus americanus) in South Carolina, one in the mountainous region bordering North Carolina and one in the coastal plain where the Refuge is located. But most people don’t realize that bears are found all over South Carolina – even in the counties along and near the coast. Typically a bear is more afraid of humans. Bears may wander close to humans, but if you don't give them a reason to stay and eat, then very soon they're headed back to the forest." However, if contact appears unavoidable, do not play dead. Phone Numbers | Accessibility | Attacks by black bears are extremely rare. South Carolina black bear hunting is an adventure that every serious sportsman should experience. If they know of any easy food source they will use it, but they generally travel at night to avoid detection. Surprisingly, many scientists say Smoky Mountain bears don’t hibernate at all. Besides their infamous appetite, Great Smoky Mountain National park bears are also known for their ability to hibernate during the winter months. Black bear populations can be found in both the western mountainous regions as well as the northern coastal regions of South Carolina. Bruins in South Carolina come in a variety of colors including true black, brown, cinnamon and blonde. Still offered these simple rules to remember when in bear country or in the backcountry in general: If a black bear charges, it will be at high speed on all four legs. Black Bear Hibernation. The coastal black bear (Ursus americanus) population in particular is becoming more and more fragmented due to highway construction and general development. Sammy Fretwell/The State. National Wildlife Refuge | South Carolina. Their incredible sense of smell makes harvesting a(n) South Carolina black bear a genuine trophy. The key to dealing with bears, Still said, is not giving them a reason to hang around. We've hiked hundreds of miles in the North Carolina mountains and have only seen bears a few times - always running from us! They are covered in a long thick fur that can vary in color. Yearly the Black Bear has brought a large amount of high level travel teams, their families, and coaches/scouts to Greenville, SC. Approximately 18,000 American black bears were killed annually in the U.S. between 1988 and 1992. Defend yourself with whatever means are available. Officials with SCDNR said there has been an increase of black bear sightings around South Carolina and bird feeders provide an easy meal for … Munnerlyn knows this firsthand. Because bears are curious and quickly become accustomed to human activity, they may develop aggressive food-seeking habits that make them dangerous. In other areas of North America, black bears can be a very common brown color or a more rare blue and white. But as more people move into bear territory in South Carolina's mountains and coastal areas, encounters between humans and bears are on the increase. South Carolina Department of Natural Resources - Rembert C. Dennis Building No injuries or deaths have been attributed to black bears in South Carolina, according to Skip Still, wildlife biologist with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (DNR) based in Clemson. The frequency of black bear (Ursus americanus) sightings, vehicle collisions, and nuisance incidents in the coastal region of South Carolina has increased over the past 4 decades.To develop the statewide Black Bear Management and Conservation Strategy, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources needed reliable information for the coastal population. Captain Robert McCullough of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources said that black bears pop up around the state “more than you think.” With some regularity coastal and mountain bears fall victim to highway collisions, particularly as people build more roads and houses in their habitat. Bruins in South Carolina come in a variety of colors including true black, brown, cinnamon and blonde. This equals a population density of approximately two bears per square mile. But as more people move into bear territory in South Carolina's mountains and coastal areas, encounters between humans and bears are on the increase. Tammy Wactor, wildlife biologist with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, said there is an estimated 800-1,000 black bears across South Carolina, with … If a bear will not stay away, it has to be destroyed. Background South Carolina has two distinct black bear populations. North Carolina’s bears just do it for shorter time periods than their northern cousins. The American Black Bear. Black bears require a diversity of food with 95% of their diet consisting of berries, buds, fruits, nuts, roots, shoots and other plant matter while the remaining 5% consists of carrion, fish, deer, insects and other protein sources. In the western states, where there are large American black bear populations, there are spring and year-round seasons. It varies in color: in North Carolina, the black bear is usually black with a brown muzzle and sometimes a white patch on its chest, commonly referred to as a chest blaze. Do not run, as this may trigger the bear's predatory instincts. 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