Column: Shorelines

The numer of black bears in the SML area has increased in the past decade.

Saying that there are bears in the mountains of Southwest Virginia probably would not surprise most folks. Tell them there are bears in the woods that surround Smith Mountain Lake and it could come as a shock.

There are bears around the lake, and according to a biologist with the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, there might be more than just a few.

"It's not unusual for bears to be around the lake. There are quite a few bears there, actually," said Jim Bowman, a wildlife biologist with VDGIF.

Dot Goyer might not have believed that statement had it not been for what she saw back in May. She has lived at the lake for 30 years. On Mother's Day, she saw her first bear from the window of her Goodview home.

"We saw something in the front of our house and then it went swimming across the lake," recalled Goyer. "A fishing boat stopped and saw it and a passenger boat stopped."

Goyer's husband got the binoculars. He thought the object in question resembled a dog.

"I got the binoculars and looked and said, 'That's not a dog, that's a bear!'" he recalled.

The black bear population has been steadily growing in Virginia in the past 10 years," said Bowman. "They have just had really good reproductive years."

There is no way to do a head count of bears, so the DGIF uses a number of factors to determine the bear population. There are statistical methods of using harvest data (number of kills during hunting season) to determine population trends. Also factored into the equation are sightings, damage complaints and road kills.

"Back in 2000, the bear harvest was 1,000 bear. If you go back to 1991, it was probably in the neighborhood of 600 bears, and the harvest has been growing to about 8 percent per year," said Bowman.

The black bear hunting season is divided into three phases in Virginia. Archery bear season is from October to mid-November. Muzzleloader bear season is next with dates varying depending on where you live. Firearms bear season follows muzzleloader, and those dates also are determined by region.

"In Virginia, our bear experts tell us they don't consider our black bears to truly hibernate," said Bowman. "Many of them do den, but the difference is they don't go into a total stupor like in northern climates. Here, they will sometimes come out of the den in the winter, and sometimes in the Piedmont region of Virginia, they won't even den."

In Virginia, most bears den in large, hollow trees. They also den in fallen trees, rock cavities and brush piles in timber-cut areas, and in man-made structures such as culvert pipes.

Jeff Jenner of Turkey Ridge Farm in Boones Mill did not see the bear that recently visited his property, but he saw the damage it left. In May, a bear visited his bee hives in search of a good meal. Over the course of several visits "Yogi" destroyed eight bee hives.

"They go through and eat everything," said Jenner. "They eat the larva which is pure protein. They will leave a hive alone that is weak if there is a hive that is stronger next to it. The honey is like desert afterward."

The bear knocked the hives over and ate everything that was on the frames. The larva, queen bees, honey and even the wax were consumed by the bear, Jenner said.

Jenner said he knew it was a bear because of the feces it left behind.

Bears sometimes feed up to 20 hours a day, accumulating fat for energy stores for winter. Adults can gain more than 100 pounds in a few weeks. Bears eat everything: acorns, berries, flowers, nectar, insects and dead animals. They are attracted to food sources such as trash cans, pet food left outside, livestock feed, bird feeders and, as in Jenner's case, bee hives.

If a bear is visiting your neighborhood, take away its food source and in a few days, it will stop visiting said Bowman. Secure or remove trash cans, bird feeders and any animal food left outside.

In Virginia, bears emerge from their dens in mid-March to early May. The active season is from May to mid-July when bears are mating. They head back into the den anytime from October to January.

Bowman said black bears are not always aggressive. If you see one, stop moving and stay calm. Give the bear plenty of room to escape.

"There's no need to be scared, but there are lots of reasons to be very respectful," said Bowman. "Black bears are normally not aggressive, but they are very capable of doing you great harm. Don't turn around and run -- that might get a chase response from the bear."

If one does attack, the DGIF website recommends being proac "Black bears have been driven away when people have fought back with rocks, sticks, binoculars and even their bare hands."

For the most part, black bears are quiet neighbors. They traditionally come out from dusk to dawn. Sometimes, they leave a calling card of toppled trash cans, destroyed bee hives or half-eaten crops. But for the most part, you won't even know they've been there.

Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries: www.dgif.virginia.gov/