Is your yard or campsite attractive to bears? Bears rely on small, scattered patches of natural foods: specific types of young green vegetation in spring; certain species of ants and ant pupae in June; berries in summer; and nuts in fall. If bears can get concentrated, high-calorie, easily accessible foods around people’s homes and campsites, they are easily enticed away from their natural food sources.

This year’s late frost, combined with drought conditions, will reduce or delay the availability of berries and nuts, so it is especially important to secure anything that a bear would consider food. Don’t condition bears to associate your home or campsite with an easy meal by leaving out unsecured garbage, birdseed or pet food. 

Learn more about how to reduce property damage, and the chance of human-bear conflicts, on the DNR website.