Bears Heard We Were Choosing Them
And they’ve sent a delegate to investigate. This week, a black bear has visited several spots in Moore County. Given the bear’s size and the time of year, N.C. Wildlife Officer Garrett Gooch thinks it could be a mama covering a lot of ground to figure out dinner after another long day at work.
“They’re big animals, looking for a food source that doesn’t require much effort,” says officer Gooch, who has obviously seen our DoorDash history.
- Around dinnertime on Sunday, Julianne Clodfelter’s trail camera caught big mama looking for a forest picnic on Dowd Road in Seven Lakes. On Monday, a beehive was broken into at Gary Kunce’s nearby Magnolia Lane Farms. On Tuesday, this video was captured in Southern Pines. On Wednesday night, beehives were destroyed near downtown Carthage. You can’t deny she works hard for the honey.
Will there be more sightings? Maybe. Black bears live in NC’s mountains and at the coast but sometimes pass through Moore County, like this one in 2019. Gary hasn’t seen any evidence of bears since he started beekeeping nearly 10 years ago; Julianne says her kids have seen tracks around her house, but her chickens, dogs and berry bushes have never been bothered.
Gooch says bears are typically just as afraid of you as you are of them — yes, really — but if one overstays its welcome or starts acting weird, you can call the state wildlife hotline at 866-318-2401. If only there was a hotline for your Tinder date who does the same. Scavenge for more tips here.
