GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Black bears are active across Michigan.

That’s the word from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, which reported this month that there have been about 100 bear complaints through the first half of 2025.

Most of the encounters have occurred in the Upper Peninsula and in Northern Michigan in Delta, Marquette, Menominee, Grand Traverse, Chippewa and Otsego counties.

“Imagine how hungry you would be after a several month nap,” the DNR wrote on Facebook. “That’s the life of a black bear. Early summer is primetime for bear sightings as they search for food across northern Lower Michigan and the Upper Peninsula.”

Michigan is home to nearly 13,000 black bears, so the occasional encounter is bound to happen. Residents can follow these DNR tips to minimize the chances.

  • Secure food and garbage, use bear-resistant trash cans if allowed by your waste-management company and put garbage cans out the morning of pickup.
  • Bears love birdseed (it’s high in calories) and they can literally smell it from a mile away. Consider removing feeders when bears are active.
  • Feed pets indoors. If you must feed pets outdoors, only leave enough for a single serving and remove bowls after feeding.
  • Protect chickens, small livestock and apiaries with electric fencing. Ordinary fences can’t keep out bears.
  • Don’t invite bears to the barbecue. Clean and store grills or smokers after each use. Grease, fat, and food smells can attract a hungry bear.
  • It’s camping season, so keep a clean camp, don’t burn food scraps or trash in your fire ring and store food and trash in bear-resistant containers or in a locked vehicle.
  • Let your neighbors know when bears are around. This gives the community a chance to be BearWise before problems start (and they can indeed start).

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