As spring arrives in NJ here are some black bear safety tips and facts

Spring marks a typical increase in black bear activity, though bears in northern New Jersey don't have a true hibernation period through the winter. They can emerge from a den to take a mid-winter stroll on a bright, sunny day, looking for a snack or two.

Known as torpor, that type of sleep/woke behavior now morphs into a more active period of searching for food for the early risers. In the spring activity picks up and first to come out of their dens are males, soon to be followed by sows with year-old cubs and lastly by sows with cubs born in the den.

As the bears emerge, they will primarily eat newly emergent skunk cabbage, grasses, forbs, tubers, bulbs and insects. They can often be seen rolling over logs looking for emerging grubs, according to Carole Stanko, chief of the Bureau of Wildlife Management in the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

Bruins will also feed on carrion, such as carcasses of white-tailed deer that died over the winter.

The females which gave birth over the winter, will stay in the den through the season. According to Stanko, the warmer winter had no effect on the number of cubs per litter, and the warm spring will have little to no effect on the survivability of cubs.

About 75% of a black bear’s diet is comprised of plants and while the bears will look to their natural food, there is also the more common, but unnatural food source - human garbage.

Yes, it is time for humans to pay more attention to how they store their garbage and when to put it out.

“People can reduce the likelihood of attracting bears if they diligently bear-proof their property by removing or properly securing any potential food sources,” said David Golden, the Department of Environmental Protection Fish & Wildlife Assistant commissioner.

He said people should never feed bears because it is "dangerous, illegal and may result in bears becoming aggressive.” Despite the warm, snowless winter, nuisance bear activity by classification was down by as much as 90% according to the monthly nuisance report prepared by the DFW. The reports do not include calls involving black bears which were handled by local departments.

The black bear unit received just three calls between Jan. 20 and Feb. 21, compared to 20 calls for the same period last year. The state did have a black bear hunt this past fall, the first in two years. The calls included two in Category II and one in Category III. There were no Category I calls, considered the most serious incidents.

In the same period of 2022, there were no Category I calls, 12 Category II calls and eight Category III calls.

Since Jan. 1, there were five Category I calls made to the state. By percentage compared to the same period of 2022, Category I calls were down 80%, Category II calls down 80.4% and there was just over a 63% decrease in Category III calls.

Feeding bears is illegal in New Jersey and subject to fines of up to $1,000.

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How to keep bears out of your yard

The most obvious is to secure trash and use certified bear-resistant garbage containers, if possible. But also look to other areas, such as pet food bowls left outside − even empty, the smell can attract a curious bear − and keep bird feeders in out-of-reach places or bring them in at night. And don't forget the barbecue grill.

Both garbage cans and cleaned grills should be stored along inside walls of the garage, in a walk-in basement, a sturdy shed or other secure area.

Garbage cans should be washed frequently with a disinfectant solution to mask the odors. Wait until the day of collection, not the night before, to put out garbage on collection day.

A couple of other tips: Do not place meat, dairy or any sweet foods in compost piles and properly install electric fencing around crops, beehives and livestock.

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What to do if you encounter a bear

If you are outside in your neighborhood, or taking a walk in the park and meet up with a bear, first rule is "remain calm and never run." It makes you look like prey.

Don't look a bear straight in the eye, and give the bear a way to escape.

When hiking or even when just relaxing in a park or in the backyard, have a whistle with you or a means of making loud noises, such as banging pots together or an air horn.

Make yourself look bigger by waving your arms or opening your jacket wide. If with someone else, stand together and wave your arms over your head.

A bear which makes a series of huffs, pops or snaps its jaws or swats the ground, is warning that you are too close. Again back away slowly; avoid eye contact and do not run.

A bear standing on its hind legs or moving closer may be trying to get a better view or detect scents in the air.

Black bears are believed to see in color and have very good up-close vision. However, recent research is showing that their long distance eyesight is not very good and unable to see details of a large objects from farther away than 30 yards.

If the bear does not leave, move to a secure area, such as a vehicle or a building.

Families that live or visit areas frequented by black bears should have a “Bear Plan” in place for children, with an escape route and planned use of whistles and air horns.

While black bear attacks are extremely rare, if a black bear does attack, fight back.

This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: Black bear safety do's and don'ts for NJ as spring arrives