After hibernating through a long winter, groggy black bears across New York State are beginning to venture out of their dens, stretch their legs, and look for their first meals of spring.

Adult male bears are usually the first to emerge and may have lost up to 30 percent of their body weight, while females with nursing cubs emerge later and may have lost up to 40 percent of their body weight. Bears are especially hungry in the spring due to depleted fat reserves and will search extensively for easily obtainable, calorie dense foods.

While bears have access to plenty of natural foods in the spring, they will readily utilize human food sources such as bird feeders, unsecured garbage, chicken coops, apiaries, or messy grills and pet food left outdoors.

Continued access to human food sources can make bears bolder, which can lead to an escalation in human-bear conflicts around homes and residential areas.

If you choose to feed birds in areas with bears, begin emptying and cleaning up spilt seed from feeders in mid-March, and let nature feed the birds from spring through fall.

It’s also a good time to make sure garbage cans are secured and stored in a sturdy building. Clean or remove all residual grease and food from grills and store all pet food inside. Consider installing an electric fence around chicken coops or apiaries to protect your flock and hives.

By taking some time to remove and/or secure food sources that might attract bears you’re helping keep bears away from people, homes and neighborhoods, and that helps keep bears healthy, wild, and safe. Do your part and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

New Yorkers living in bear country, which includes much of upstate New York, are asked to take a few simple steps this summer to protect their communities and bears from harm:

• Secure garbage indoors or in a locked outbuilding until the morning of pickup

• Remove birdfeeders

• Clean grease from grills

• Secure livestock/pet food that may be stored outdoors

• Properly store scented items when camping or backpacking

For more information, visit https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6995.html.