An Elizabethtown resident on Sportsman Lake Road found a surprise on their security camera Wednesday morning as they saw a young black bear wander through their back porch.
Kentucky Fish and Wildlife Bear Program Coordinator John Hast says while such a sighting is a surprise, it is not that uncommon.
“Although we’ve not had one out there for a couple years, that seems to be a fairly common place to get them passing through,” Hast said. “I think probably 2018 was kind of our first big year where we had a few between E-Town and Louisville. We’ve had one road killed on 31-W there, kind of between Fort Knox and Louisville. It’s kind of just a point where they seem to converge right there.”
Hast says this is the first year since 2020 that the state has seen increased reports of roaming bears, but it is just part of how the animals go about their lives.
“It’s just kind of the evolutionary plan of bear populations,” Hast said. “They send their young males out. So right now is the start of the breeding season in the bear range in the mountains of Kentucky, and really this is the point where those year and a half old males kind of get the boot, and when that happens they go in search of new habitat and mates and let’s call it one out of every 100 or one out of every 200 just ends up walking out of the mountains.”
Hast says if you happen to spot a bear, use common sense, but enjoy the moment.
“Honestly, I tell people, especially folks in E-Town and outside the typical bear range, consider yourself lucky that you saw one, and just take it for what it is,” Hast said. “Get a quick video on the cell phone or something. Obviously, don’t approach.”
Hast says in nearly all cases the bear returns to the mountains by September or October, but residents can help to make sure the only bear that is taking up residency in the area is Central Hardin’s mascot.
“The biggest thing with keeping these bears wild, and this bear in E-Town we don’t have any record of him getting in any garbage or getting a meal in any way so he’s just truly roaming, which is what we want to see, but if you’re in that area, secure your garbage for a couple weeks, just to be on the safe side,” Hast said.
Hast says the estimated Kentucky bear population is between 1,000 and 1,500. Information on bears and what to do if you spot one can be found at www.bearwise.org.
