Black Bear Sightings Are On The Rise In Coastal South Carolina.Black Bears - Columbia Metropolitan Magazine
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See Regulations. Complete hunting regulations. Description Black bears are the largest land mammals in South Carolina. They are covered in a long thick fur that can vary in color.
The most common color phase is black or dark brown with light brown snout. They have a broad head with rounded ears set well back on the head. The rump of a black bear is higher than the front shoulders, and they do not have the prominent shoulder hump of the Grizzly and Brown bears.
They have good eyesight and an incredible sense of smell. Black bears are excellent climbers and good swimmers and can be found in a variety of habitats. Average Size Male black bears are generally larger than females. An average adult male black bear can weigh between - pounds while the female averages between pounds. However, when food is plentiful, older bears have been documented at weights above pounds. The largest black bear recorded in South Carolina was pounds.
Life Expectancy The average life expectancy is 18 years in the wild. Black bears reach sexual maturity by 3 years and obtain most of their growth by 5 years. Preferred Habitat Typically, black bears require large expanses of forest dominated by a diversity of mast-producing hardwoods and shrubs intermixed with early successional vegetation such as blackberries, pokeberries, etc.
Wetlands such as swamps and bays also provide good habitat. However, black bears are adaptable. As long as they can find adequate food sources and have suitable den sites, black bears can be found in a variety of habitats.
Range Black bears can be found throughout North America. In South Carolina, there are two resident populations of black bears, one in the mountains and upper piedmont and one in the coastal plain. Home range for bears must include den sites, food, water and cover for adults and young. This close call with a young man in the Smokies stresses how important it is for people to be bear aware and manage their food properly.
These things can give you an idea that bears are in the area. Scott Stegenga, naturalist with Table Rock State Park, a 3,acre spread of forest in northern Pickens County, said the park has been aggressive in educating the public to prevent bear-human conflicts, since both the bear and human populations are on the rise across the Upstate. The people population is also booming. Table Rock saw a nearly 8 percent increase in visitors in , up to , from , a year earlier.
Stegenga agrees with Wactor that there is bound to be encounters between people and bears, but the park is determined to keep all two- and four-legged creatures safe. The new trash bins are at all the picnic areas and two campgrounds. Park staff has also put up educational posters and fliers that talk about what to do and what not to do in bear country, and also incorporate bear safety into their interpretive and educational programs.
The messages seem to be working. Stegenga said most of the bear sightings have been on hiking trails or crossing the park road. There has never been a report of a bear being aggressive in the park. If you come around a corner and surprise them, just get up on a rock or log and make yourself look bigger, throw something at them, blow a whistle, wave your arms; just appear bigger than they are, wave arms. Secure it, tie it up on a tree limb, or put it in a car trunk, because bears have an excellent sense of smell.
Even something like shampoo or toothpaste can attract them. Securing food sources and properly disposing of trash usually prevents any problems, he said. Right now, bears are on the prowl for food since their natural food sources, such as blueberries, blackberries and cherries, are just starting to ripen, Stegenga said.
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