Officials Say It’s That Time Again To Be On The Lookout For Black Bears

It’s that time of the year again when sightings of black bears will pick up in the lake area and statewide.

Conservation agent Dilan Simmons, with the Camdenton office, says that most black bear sightings usually just happen by chance.

“When we do get reports of them like that, that’s a lot of times what they’re doing. They’re either kicking through a yard or maybe sniffing around some food sources.”

Simmons also says, in the unlikely case you come within close proximity to a black bear, the most important thing to remember is not to panic.

“As long as we’re making noise and making sure that our presence is known, they should be able to be aware of that and get out of there.”

Currently, the numbers suggest that there are about a thousand black bears roaming around in Missouri…mainly in the southern one-third of the state.

But, if by chance you do encounter one…again…don’t panic and then take the time to report your encounter to the conservation department.