Rare black bear sighting in Calloway County

A black bear is seen walking down the road in a New Concord neighborhood.Photo byBrittany Spraggs

By Jessica Paine/The Murray Sentinel | Sept. 14, 2024

NEW CONCORD – The Calloway County Fiscal Court confirmed in a Facebook post Saturday morning that a black bear was seen in the southeastern portion of the county, around New Concord. Roughly an hour later, the Calloway County Sheriff’s Office posted photos taken by a deputy in the Dunbar area.

The Calloway County Sheriff’s Office made this post on Facebook at 11:38 a.m. Saturday.Photo byCalloway County Sheriff's Office

New Concord resident Brittany Spraggs made her own Facebook post – a video of the bear attempting to climb a tree across the street. She called the experience of seeing a bear in her yard “surreal.”

The same bear can be seen attempting to climb a tree.Photo byBrittany Spraggs

“We actually had friends over, and I was grilling at the time,” Spraggs told The Sentinel. “One of our friends said, ‘Hey, there is a bear out here,’ and I was in the middle of washing my hands after handling the steaks, so I ran to the balcony to look. We just watched the bear as he wandered around all of our yards. It was a really cool experience!”

“Bears rarely cause a threat,” Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources (KDFWR) Public Information Officer Supervisor Lisa Jackson wrote in an email, “and young male bears, who were kicked out by mom, typically begin roaming in the spring and summer as they learn about their environments, and it is nothing too unusual to have sightings of them even in towns and cities. Residents are urged to keep trash and outside food sources locked away and garbage stored properly in bear-proof containers.”

Jackson noted that a special hunting permit is required to hunt bears in Kentucky. Otherwise, unless an individual is in an “extreme emergency situation,” shooting or killing a bear is illegal.

The Calloway County Fiscal Court posted this photo, commenting: This is actual image of the black bear spotted earlier today in New ConcordPhoto byCalloway County Fiscal Court

In addition to KDFWR’s website, Jackson recommended bearwise.org as a good resource for information about seeing or living with bears. It explains that bears enter a stage known as hyperphagia in September, and during this time, they can spend up to 20 hours a day foraging and gain two to three pounds per day.

“Even bears that don’t hibernate chow down,” the site says. “Bears are biologically driven to gain weight in the fall even if they live in warmer climates where many bears don’t really hibernate, just take it easier and nap a lot.”

According to KDFWR’s website, black bears are typically shy, elusive animals that tend to avoid people, unless they grow accustomed to human food sources. Bears are naturally curious, the site says, noting that their curiosity “should not be mistaken for aggression.”

Photo byCalloway County Fiscal Court FB Page

If you encounter a bear at close range, KDFWR advises to yell or shout to make your presence known, which will, hopefully, scare the bear away; however, if that does not work, you should try throwing rocks or other objects at the bear and do not stop yelling.

“Portray yourself as the dominant animal and do not back down. If a bear is close enough that you feel uncomfortable, slowly back away, continuing to yell while watching the bear at all times,” the site states. “Never run from a black bear as this may trigger a natural response to chase.”

If a bear acts aggressively, KDFWR says you should not run. Running is likely to trigger the bear’s instinct to chase, and bears are capable of running as fast as 35 miles per hour for short distances.

“Make your presence known by yelling at the bear and slowly back away without turning your back,” the agency advises. “In the event of an attack, fight back using everything in your power- including fists, sticks, rocks, or any other debris. Do not play dead!”

It is illegal to feed bears in the commonwealth, according to KDFWR’s website. Direct or indirect feeding of bears is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to a year in jail and suspension of hunting and fishing privileges for up to three years. If you see someone feeding a bear, you should contact KDFWR and report the incident by calling 1-800-25ALERT (1-800-252-5378).

“Feeding bears is absolutely the worst thing that people can do to ensure a bear’s death. Fed bears lose their natural fear of people and become habituated to humans,” KDFWR advises on its website. “Consequently, habituated bears live shorter lives than ‘wild’ bears as they tend to die by vehicle collision or poaching by spending so much time around human dwellings. In addition, people who feed bears are teaching those animals to associate people with food.”

KDFWR acknowledges on its website that relocating bears is an option, but it only helps resolve the immediate issue and does not address the underlying problem.

“Unless garbage is properly stored another bear will move in and the problem will start all over again,” the site states. “In addition, black bears have an incredible homing instinct and can travel amazing distances in relatively short periods of time. The KDFWR has trapped bears and moved them 10, 20 even 55 air miles away and they still find their way home. Ultimately, relocating bears is not an effective long-term management tool. Instead, the proper storage of human-related foods and never feeding bears is the key.”

Photo byKY Dept. of Fish & Wildlife Resources

Calloway County Magistrate Paul Rister, who formerly worked for KDFWR, said Benjamin Morris, who is the primary game warden for KDFWR in Calloway County, contacted him and asked for help spreading the word about the bear sighting in New Concord.

According to Rister, KDFWR’s position is to leave the bear alone and let it pass through. The bear was spotted in Hamlin Saturday morning and is believed to be traveling north, likely following Blood River.

“At Hamlin, it can really go two ways,” Rister said in his own words. “It’s either going to go right and just kind of stay in that corner. You know there’s a corner up there where there’s lake on both sides. Or if it turns left, it’s going to go around the back end of Blood River – the ‘river’ part – and make its way around by the Dollar General or around Wildcat (Creek).”

Rister said people need to make sure their garbage cans are secure, adding, “If it can’t find food, then it’s just going to keep moving; but if it finds garbage cans, it’s going to hang around for a while.”

A black bear was also spotted recently in Marshall County. Rister asked if it could be the same bear, but Morris told him that was not likely because the bear in Marshall was much smaller. Regardless, black bears likely do not pose a threat to people or pets, provided it is not cornered or harassed.

In other words, Rister said, “Don’t poke the bear.”