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Michigan Leads Nation with 12,400 Black Bears: How to Bear-Proof Your Home

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  //house-home.news-articles.net/content/2025/11/1 .. 400-black-bears-how-to-bear-proof-your-home.html
  Published in House and Home on Tuesday, November 18th 2025 at 11:50 GMT by MLive

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Michigan’s Black Bear Population and How to Keep Your Home Bear‑Proof

Michigan is home to an impressive 12,400 black bears—an amount that places the state at the top of the United States for black bear numbers. The news piece published on MLive.com on November 2, 2025 not only highlights this remarkable statistic but also serves as a practical guide for homeowners who want to protect their properties from unwanted bear visits. By pulling in information from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and other reputable sources linked within the article, the piece builds a comprehensive picture of bear behavior, the risks they pose to human habitats, and concrete steps people can take to reduce encounters.

Why the Numbers Matter

The article opens with a concise explanation of how Michigan’s black bear population has been on the rise over the past decade. The DNR’s latest surveys indicate that habitat improvements, legal protections, and decreased hunting pressure have contributed to the species’ growth. The piece points out that, while the bears are primarily forest dwellers, the expanding suburban belt—especially in the Upper Peninsula—has increasingly overlapped with human communities. The result is a growing number of reports of bears raiding gardens, dumpsters, and even occasionally breaching house walls.

Typical Bear Behavior in Residential Areas

The article delves into the typical motivations behind bear intrusions. Black bears, being omnivores, are attracted to a variety of food sources that become readily available near human dwellings: garbage cans that are not securely capped, pet food left outside, bird feeders, compost piles, and even the scent of human pets. The piece cites a 2024 DNR study that found 78 % of bear–human conflicts involved some form of attractant.

While most bears will flee when confronted, the article notes that habituated bears can become bold. When a bear has repeatedly found food near a home, it can start to view the house as a safe location, and in rare cases, bears have even been known to create temporary dens inside abandoned attics or crawl spaces. The author stresses that such incidents are not just a matter of nuisance but also pose safety risks—especially for children and pets that may inadvertently trigger a defensive response.

Key Prevention Strategies

The bulk of the article is devoted to prevention. It follows a “four‑step” framework that aligns with DNR’s guidelines:

1. Secure Food Sources
   - Garbage: Use bear‑proof bins or double‑bagged trash that can’t be opened with paws.
   - Pet Food: Store treats indoors or feed pets at dawn and dusk when bears are less active.
   - Bird Feeders: Install feeders with built‑in bear deterrents or place them high on poles to keep bears at bay.

2. Physical Barriers
   - Fencing: Electric fencing rated for wildlife can be a reliable deterrent around vulnerable areas such as vegetable gardens or compost piles.
   - House‑Level: The article recommends adding motion‑sensor lights and keeping windows closed or screened to reduce the chance that a curious bear will enter.

3. Remove Attractants
   - Compost Management: Keep compost piles sealed and away from living spaces.
   - Pet Waste: Promptly pick up pet waste to eliminate the scent that attracts bears.
   - Trash Bans: Ensure that bins are not only bear‑proof but also kept off the ground; raised platforms or “bear‑proof” designs are highlighted in a DNR link that the article references.

4. Community Collaboration
   - The piece encourages homeowners to work with local wildlife authorities to report bear sightings and to coordinate community‑wide bear‑proofing initiatives.
   - It notes that some municipalities now offer free or discounted “bear‑proof” garbage cans and have implemented neighborhood watch programs that monitor bear activity.

Practical Tools and Resources

Embedded within the article are a handful of hyperlinks that lead to supplementary resources:

• Michigan DNR Bear‑Proofing Toolkit: A downloadable PDF containing detailed instructions on installing electric fencing and installing bear‑proof trash containers.
• Local Wildlife Rehabilitators: A list of licensed professionals who can safely remove bears from properties without harming the animals.
• Citizen Science Projects: Links to apps and reporting tools that allow residents to log bear sightings, which helps the DNR refine its monitoring efforts.

The article also highlights a new initiative announced by the DNR: a “Bear Awareness” campaign that will roll out educational pamphlets and webinars in the coming months. The campaign aims to inform the public not just about preventive measures, but also about how to react if a bear actually enters a home—emphasizing calm, leaving the premises immediately, and contacting local wildlife authorities.

Real‑World Stories

To humanize the data, the author recounts a handful of recent incidents. In a suburban neighborhood in Marquette, a bear entered a back‑yard shed, causing a minor fire when it was inadvertently lit by a malfunctioning fireplace. In another case, a bear in Saginaw’s outskirts was found sleeping in a backyard garden. These anecdotes, pulled from local news reports and DNR incident logs, serve as cautionary tales that illustrate how quickly bear encounters can spiral into property damage or personal injury if not addressed promptly.

The Bottom Line

Michigan’s black bears are an integral part of the state’s natural heritage, but with a population of roughly 12,400, human‑bear interactions are becoming more frequent. The MLive article delivers a clear message: the key to coexistence lies in proactive prevention. By securing food, installing barriers, removing attractants, and engaging the community, homeowners can drastically reduce the likelihood that their houses become a temporary bear den. The article’s blend of statistical context, practical advice, and actionable resources offers a solid starting point for anyone living in or moving to a Michigan neighborhood where bears roam.

Sources
- Michigan Department of Natural Resources: Bear Management & Population Reports
- DNR’s Bear‑Proofing Toolkit (PDF)
- Local news stories cited within the MLive article
- Michigan Wildlife Institute publications referenced in the article’s links

(All information was paraphrased from the original article and its linked resources. No direct excerpts exceed 90 characters in length.)