Prospecting Male Black Bears are coming out of the Carolina Mountains and seeking a territory of their own in human populated Piedmont regions...........So far, female bears have not shown an interest in "taking a walk on the wild side" with their male counterparts................Not all Bears hibernate in the South and food is plentiful enough in this region that you get some of the largest Bruins in America coming out of the Tarheel State

County has black bear, rare for Piedmont

by Dawn Kurry Richmond

Bears are common in the mountains and coastal regions of North Carolina but rarely live in the heavily-populated Piedmont.

Wildlife enthusiast and turkey hunter Kent Gillis collected evidence of a black bear in the Roberdel area. "I run deer cameras all the time," said Gillis. One of his cameras captured images of a black bear at night using an infrared camera that takes black and white images. "I got home and was going through (the pictures) and I saw that big bear," he said.

Perhaps you have heard about a bear sighting in the county. Biologist Jonathan Shaw believes there may be one or two male black bears that have claimed Richmond County and maybe some of Moore County as home. "We don't have a breeding population," said Shaw. "We do see young males passing through. They are pushed out of their home range this time of year. Since 2009 I've had reports and good evidence that there may be a resident bear, there may be a couple, but no female." Shaw said it is unlikely in the near future for a female to come through the area for the males to breed with. "Males go through the dispersal process," explained Shaw. "This is true for mammals. The males leave the area."

Folks may remember hearing about a bear shot in Hamlet in the summer of 2009. The year before that, a bear was killed by a vehicle on Highway 74 near Highway U.S. 1.

If you dabble in the hunting community, you may hear about the bear that has been sighted throughout the month and into the spring. In March, the bears' metabolism begins to pick up as more food sources become available. The mating season begins later in the spring so the males will roam around in search of a female. In other parts of the state and country, March is the time when bears come out of hibernation, but Shaw dispels some myths."Bears don't hibernate on the coast, and most males don't hibernate," said Shaw. "There's enough food in the winter here and the winter's not harsh enough for them to hibernate. They may slow down a little in the winter, but they are still active." Shaw believes these males may have claimed an area anywhere from 30 to 100 miles in radius for their new home-range, but there is no cause for alarm.
"Black bears have a natural fear of people," Shaw said. If you happen to encounter a black bear in the woods, his body language will tell you what to do. In most cases he may be spooked and run off without looking back. If he feels cornered, he may sway back and forth and swat the ground with his paw. This means you are in his space and he doesn't like it. "They will also pop their jaws," said Shaw. "It's more to let you know they are getting agitated and is usually not followed by an attack. In fact, unprovoked attacks by black bears are almost non-existent. It's not something folks need to live in fear of. Just enjoy the fact that we have this wildlife here and enjoy camping and going into the woods." Shaw serves as biologist for Richmond, Moore, Anson, Union, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Stanly and Cabarrus counties.
The black bear is the only bear species found in North Carolina or anywhere in the eastern United States and is an important part of North Carolina's cultural, historical and natural heritage. According to Cherokee legend, the bear is the keeper of dreams. He symbolizes wisdom, courage and the inner child. Black bears remain playful into their adulthood. Shaw said black bears from the coast of North Carolina are the largest in the U.S. and have set records with weights reaching as much as 880 pounds. Black bears eat a little bit of everything, and eat less meat than you may think.They have a brown muzzle and a black body, and sometimes a white spot on their chest. They rely on smells and sounds, as they have poor eyesight. They can climb trees, swim, dig dens and have been clocked running 35 mph. They prefer large expanses of uninhabited woodland or swampland with dense cover. Male bears sometimes fight each other during the breeding season and juveniles are forced to leave by the dominant bear. Bears are expected to live around five years. Males are called boars and females are called sows. Their young are called cubs.
You can find more bear facts on the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's website: http://www.ncwildlife.org/. Click on wildlife Species and Conservation, then Species and then Black Bear.