Living near black bears is part of life in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where about 10,000 of the bears reside. But about 2,000 black bears now live in Michigan's Lower Peninsula as well, and they are expanding their range to the south and west, into places like Traverse City, Grand Rapids and Midland, DNR wildlife managers said.

Learning to coexist with black bears keys upon not letting them get too comfortable near humans, and that starts with not presenting them with abundant, desired food sources. A bear will likely keep moving if there's nothing tasty to eat, whether that's bird seed, unsecured garbage or a food-splattered grill, DNR wildlife biologists said.

DNR officials said they have received about 285 bear complaints per year over the past 20 years, with 303 complaints in 2024. Counties with the most bear complaints in 2024 included Upper Peninsula counties Marquette (41 complaints), Houghton (29), Chippewa (25) and Delta (24); but also northern Lower Peninsula counties Otsego (26), Charlevoix (19), Leelanau (16) and Grand Traverse (13).

The DNR regulates a bear hunting season in the fall to help keep populations managed and sustainable.

Complainants often see a bear in their yard or neighborhood and call DNR expecting the agency to come and remove the bear. But that's not usually how it works, said Mike Kowalski, a wildlife expert for 25 years at DNR's Traverse City office overseeing Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Benzie, Leelanau and Manistee counties.

"A bear simply passing through someone's property does not warrant action from the DNR — remember that the bears live here, too," he said.

"If we take steps to keep food sources off our property, they will probably move right through."

DNR officials urge the public to not confront or get too close to a black bear. To scare a bear off, make loud noises such as banging two metal pots together or using an airhorn.

Bird feed, including suet, is like fast food to a bear, which can smell the feed from a mile away and remember where it is year after year, DNR officials said. A resident having problems with bears raiding or tearing down bird feeders should consider removing the feeder and all spilled seed from the ground, and replacing it with a bird bath. Other tips include securing household trash in a garage or shed, using bear-resistant trash cans and dumpsters for businesses, and protecting beehives with an electric fence, officials said.

Two residents in the Traverse City area were leaving food out for bears every day and even named them, said Stephen Griffith, a veteran DNR biologist in the Traverse City area. Allowing bears to become acclimated and drawn to human populations often leads in those bears being euthanized by animal control officers, he said.

The DNR even has a saying for it, Griffith said: "A fed bear is a dead bear."

The American black bear comes in black, brown and cinnamon colors and generally weighs between 100 and 500 pounds. Bears are omnivores and an important part of the state's ecosystem, said Jared Duquette, a DNR wildlife biologist who specializes in human-wildlife interactions.

"Bears eat a variety of fruits, berries and nuts, making them terrific seed dispersers," he said. "Their droppings help spread seeds across large areas, promoting plant growth and forest regeneration. As opportunistic omnivores, bears help control populations of small mammals and insects. They also scavenge on carrion, which helps recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem."

The DNR can haze a bear or trap and relocate a bear if the animal becomes problematic or poses a potential threat to public safety. Hazing includes scaring off the bear with rubber buckshot or pyrotechnics.

A captured bear can be relocated to a more suitable habitat in the woods of northern Michigan. But that habitat is becoming scarcer as more land is developed, DNR officials said.

Black bears prefer to avoid people whenever possible, but they are wild animals and may defend themselves when surprised or feeling threatened, DNR officials said. If a black bear approaches do not run, but instead:

Stand your ground.

Back away only when the bear stops its approach.

Make yourself look bigger by raising your arms and jacket, or standing on a rock or stump.

Yell at the bear.

Always provide a clear, unobstructed escape route for the bear.

If a black bear makes contact with you, do not play dead (that is for a grizzly bear, a species that does not live in Michigan). Instead, fight back with fists and feet or anything in hand — a knife, sticks, rocks, binoculars or a backpack.

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