Bears like honey

                                             NC Wildlife Resource Commission

The range of the black bear in NC has been steadily expanding over the last several decades.
Here is a map from the NC Wildlife Resource Commission which shows the range expansion in our state.



A friend of mine whose husband has deer feeders in place says the bears have wreaked havoc on the feeders.  She lives in one of the areas that, at the time of the map, was "unoccuppied."  I expect that the next time the map is updated, the range will have increased again.
My brother-in-law the beekeeper lives in Raleigh.  He said a bear walked right up his driveway, went around to the beehives, and proceeded to harvest himself some honey.  My brother-in-law has been keeping bees for many, many years.  I wonder if he ever anticipated dealing with bears at his house in Raleigh.
There are transient bears (young male bears that no longer live with Mama Bear) which wander beyond the occupied range.  Of course, I suppose if they find a suitable place, they will stay there.  My county is included in this year's bear hunting season.  (I think this might be the first year, but I'm not sure.)
I have enough problems with the small pests like stink bugs and rabbits.  I don't know what I would do with bears!