Black bears are highly active in New York State during August. This is when they begin searching for large amounts of high-calorie food (like ripening berries and fruits) to build up fat reserves for winter denning. Adult bears are wrapping up their breeding season while young bears searching for new territory may wander into suburban or urban areas, including regions near Albany, Syracuse, and Rochester.
Bears are opportunistic and will readily inspect human-created food sources, including improperly stored household garbage, outdoor pet food, and bird feeders. This can lead to human-bear conflicts around homes and residential areas. When bears associate human habitats with easy meals, they lose their natural fear of humans and often become dangerous or destructive.
DEC has partnered with BearWise, a national educational program developed by bear biologists and supported by state wildlife agencies, to provide information and resources to help people safely coexist with black bears. To learn about how you can help reduce the likelihood of human-bear conflict in your backyard and BearWise safety tips when recreating outdoors, visit: https://dec.ny.gov/nature/animals-fish-plants/black-bear/management/bearwise
