Mississippi black bear population increasing

Apparently the black bear population in Mississippi is on the rise:

The state’s black bear population has soared in the past decade, growing from 40 to 120, elevating the species to an icon of the Mississippi Delta…. “We see new cubs every single year,” said Brad Young, a bear biologist with the state Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and one of the top researchers of Mississippi black bears. “As time goes on, we expect to see more bears.”

Mother bear and cubs crossing road in Washington State.

Poll says NJ residents approve of bear hunt →

A black bear climbs up the ladder of a tree stand in the forest. The only problem? There’s already a guy in the stand.

Audubon report on states expanding black bear hunts →

Bad idea: tossing marshmallows to a bear

Advice about aggressive bears from Backpacker magazine

A Q&A in Backpacker magazine answers a reader’s question about what to do in the case of aggressive behavior from a mother bear.

The question came from Joe Whittle, whose bear encounter was recounted at his blog.

Here’s the gist of the advice:

Mother black bears rarely respond like mother grizzlies, which have a strong maternal protection instinct and likely would’ve attacked you in response to aggressive tactics in such a close encounter. Instead, black bears typically snort, stamp their feet, and bluff charge in an effort to scare you away—all of which you witnessed—but rarely attack. A return aggressive display on your part, followed by a calm exit, both reinforces a negative association with humans and allows both parties to escape without contact.