Utah’s black bear sightings are on the rise for this sweet reason

With a nickname like the Beehive State, it’s fitting that honey-loving bears call Utah home.

And lately, they’ve been making more appearances than usual.

In June, a black bear attracted gawkers in Salt Lake City’s Marmalade neighborhood. In July, another bear bit a man in Big Cottonwood Canyon. And later that month, one of the creatures checked out some American Fork Canyon campsites.

Wildlife experts have noticed the influx of sightings, and they suspect it’s more closely related to jams and jellies than many might expect.

More sightings this year

Only black bears reside in Utah. Because of a few late-spring freezes, Utah Division of Wildlife Resources officials believe the animals are moving into lower elevations to find their favorite snack: berries.

“People that are out on the mountain, they’re not seeing a lot of berry crop — I think we’ve lost some of that,” said Darren DeBloois, game mammals coordinator for DWR. “This time of year, that’s what bears would be focusing on to eat. So I think they’re moving around more to try to find things to eat, and I think that that increases the chances they’ll come into conflict with people.”

DeBloois, who serves as the state’s bear biologist, said there are likely about 4,000 black bears in Utah, but it’s hard to count the animals due to their elusive nature.

“We do try to estimate a trend based on what we see the hunters bring in, and our population probably maxed out in about 2016,” he said. “Since 2018 we’ve seen some declines, probably drought-related more than anything. And it’s declining, but it’s more bears than we had probably 20 years ago.”

Utah’s bear concentration

So far this year, the state has logged 66 reports of bear sightings, already eclipsing last year’s 53 reports.

In 2022, however, the state logged 104 reports of bear sightings.

“[That year] was probably all in southern and southeastern Utah,” DeBloois said. “It was probably a year with the drought. They were probably moving around a lot and getting into agriculture — they’ll eat watermelons all day, do stuff like that. So that’s a big problem for people that are trying to grow and sell watermelons.”

Utah officials have about 25 active tracking collars on black bears in the Beehive State. Most of those tracked bears reside in the southeast part of the state, but four or five hang out in the Salt Lake City area.

The biggest population centers for the state’s black bears are in the La Sal and San Juan mountains along the Colorado state line. Numbers in northeast Utah have increased over the past decade, but the animals are likely just moving around for a good food source, DeBloois added.

As for this year’s increased sightings, officials don’t believe there’s a higher bear population than any other year.

“People see more bears into Cache [County], for example, than they have for a long time,” DeBloois said. “There are probably some areas where there are more bears than people have had in the past, and that seems like there’s a lot of bears everywhere, but that’s not necessarily true.”

DWR’s response to bear sightings varies. If someone simply sees one of the animals engaging in normal behavior in the wild, officials will advise the caller to keep the area clean and their trash secure.

If a bear has gotten into garbage or is in an area with frequent human conflict, they’ll relocate the animal, DeBloois said. But if the sightings are “chronic” and the bear is starting to become comfortable around people, officials may have to euthanize the creature.

Attacks are rare

Utah State University wildlife biology professor Nicki Frey, who specializes in human-wildlife conflict, said she’s encountered a couple dozen bears in her profession.

She said although she’s seen the bears, they’re always trying not to see her — and she’s had zero interactions with an animal where she’s had to figure out what to do next.

“I always joke that I never actually see a bear’s face; I always just see the bear’s butt as it’s running away from me,” Frey said. “The bears are pretty shy. They try to stay away from humans. They just try to keep a low profile. And I try to remind people that the reason why it’s very sensational when there is a bear attack, is because it’s rare.”

To avoid encounters while in bear country, hikers and campers should secure supplies in bear-proof containers, keep their campsite clean and remove items — such as bird feeders or barbecue grills — that could attract the animals to the area.

In case of a bear encounter, individuals should not run away. Instead, they should stand their ground and prepare to use bear spray, if they have it. Black bears standing up or grunting aren’t inherently aggressive, experts say. These are the ways a bear gets a better look and expresses interest.

In case of a black bear attack, officials advise, people should always fight back using anything they can. Bear sightings in the foothills or canyons should only be reported if the bear is being aggressive or getting into trash.

Any bear in lower-elevation areas or within city limits should be reported to DWR for relocation.