Black bear attacks NW Arkansas

[zacattack]

Question for all the bear experts out there. We have had 3 black bear attacks in the Ozarks (northwest area) of Arkansas in the last couple of weeks, two were fatal. They reported that one was attacked and drug out of his campsite at night. We camp with our two small kids a good bit and are always on top of safety but this just seems bizarre and a bit unsettling, I never really worried about black bears that much. Is this a seasonal thing like with winter coming and they are just hungrier?

 

[Pescetism]

Not a bear expert but I've heard from people on the AR/MO border that've been a having bear issues for a few years but no attacks. Typical black bear problems; digging through trash, ransacking seasonal cabins, and making "dens" closer to people than desired. I suspect hibernation has something to do with the recent attacks, but I also think there are more bears in MO, and subsequently northern AR, than advertised so human interactions are increasing.

 

[CMF]

No expert, but I remember listening to a podcast with a CO game warden who said they would have significantly more bear conflict calls during years with bad berry or acorn crops.
Maybe it's a bad year for their primary food source?

 

[Truck24hr]

My drahts treed one in the backyard of my city lot not far from Fort Smith. The recent attacks I think are just coincidence, and I'm not so sure I believe what I read about the hikers story.

Not concerned myself

 

[willtim]

Black bears attack humans as food.

 

[Sooner]

No expert, but I remember listening to a podcast with a CO game warden who said they would have significantly more bear conflict calls during years with bad berry or acorn crops.
Maybe it's a bad year for their primary food source?

We've had a ton of rain this year and have a massive acorn crop. I don't think that's what it is, but you never know. I'm not sure about the berries but where we hunt in NWA there is a bunch of those as well.

 

[Billogna]

Bears in this area are usually on white oak acorns if they're available. Seconded by red oaks. There is no shortage of acorns this year but I'm wondering if these bears weren't pressured and possibly defending food/territory?

 

[Poser]

I've yet to encounter a black bear that wasn't absolutely terrified of me, even the town bears hitting trash cans who tolerate humans around them, if you walk straight at them, they'll bolt. I've walked up on Sows with cubs who ran off and abandoned their cubs.

 

[Ozarkansas]

This year is another bumper crop of white oaks (the third in a row in the areas I hunt), so it’s not a food scarcity issue.

I think it’s a combination of low harvest for two years resulting in a lot more young bears competing for resources, increasing outdoor recreation numbers, and a fairly lax culture when it comes to being “bear aware”.

Almost nobody I know hangs food when camping or is particularly careful with their trash. Combine that with growing bear numbers and more people in the woods than ever, and this sort of thing was bound to happen. Two fatal attacks in 3 weeks is still wild though.

 

[Truck24hr]

I'm betting both these attacks were prompted by people feeding bears. Young bears roam, people like seeing them, and they get fed.

I read the 2nd guy has sent pics of the bear to his family a day or two before his attack.