Black bear sightings becoming more common in theLowcountry | WCIV - SCDNR offers these suggestions to better coexist with bears:

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  Although black bears are the largest land mammal in South Carolina, they are not generally considered dangerous, and attacks upon humans are. Black bears are one of three bear species native to the United States. According to the DNR, South Carolina is now home to approximately black bears. About. State wildlife officials say black bears are the largest land mammals found in South Carolina – approximately 1, are native to the state.  

Black Bears - Columbia Metropolitan Magazine.

  I found all three to share the same traits.    

 

Are there bears in south carolina - are there bears in south carolina.Wildlife - Species

   

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. Typically male bear home ranges can be 18 to square miles, while home ranges for females are smaller, around square miles. A shortage of natural food sources and lack of rainfall can cause home ranges to vary greatly. Black bears will travel large distances to find adequate food sources.

In addition, juvenile bears, especially the males, must disperse to find new home territories. Dispersing juvenile bears have been sighted in many counties in South Carolina. These bears are usually transient and do not stay in the area for long. Black bears are opportunistic and will feed on whatever is readily available. Their natural diet consists of berries, nuts and plant matter over 80 percent as well as insects and meat less than 20 percent.

Bears use their incredible sense of smell to find alternative food sources such as garbage, bird feeders, outdoor pet food, agricultural crops, etc. Black bears reach sexual maturity by 3 years of age. Peak mating season for bears is June and July. In the wild, black bears may live to about 20 years of age. Like almost all bears, black bears are omnivorous, eating both plants and animals.

Bears are known to eat a wide variety of food items, including carrion, insects, nuts, and berries. They are opportunistic feeders and will frequently seek out human activity for food sources, including garbage cans, bird feeders, and beehives.

Due to their increasing population and their propensity to seek human-related food sources, the number of nuisance bears is on the increase. Black bears are legally hunted in South Carolina. The practice is somewhat controversial, especially when bears are hunted with dogs. The hunting season, which has historically been restricted to the Upstate, is quite short, just two weeks, with one week allocated to hunting without dogs and one with. On average, about 60 bears are killed in the Upstate each year.

Just recently, the DNR has expanded the same two-week season to the coastal range but restricts the use of dogs. During my Riverbanks career, I was fortunate to work with three bear species: brown, polar, and spectacled, which is the only bear found in South America. I found all three to share the same traits. They are extremely inquisitive and intelligent but also highly unpredictable.

They can be playful one minute and highly aggressive the next. I have no doubt that our native black bear shares these same qualities — fascinating, to say the least. Contact Advertise Subscribe » Subscribe ». Enjoy the magazine all year long! Renew your subscription. Give a gift subscription. Sign up for our email newsletter. Where to Find a Copy. South Carolina's Premier Magazine Est.