Watch For Bears While Walking Your Dog In South Louisiana

(KMDL-FM) Even though the likelihood of an encounter is very small, there is still a legitimate chance that a resident of South Louisiana could have an encounter with a black bear in South Louisiana. One of the more common bear encounter scenarios comes when people are walking their dogs either early in the morning or at dusk.

The reason we bring the dogs into the picture is that bears will usually shy away from people. However, a barking dog could alert the bear and prompt a more aggressive posture.

What Do You Do if Your Dog Starts Aggressively Barking at a Bear?

A Black Bear is looking out of a Forest in Canada

Should that happen, experts have some important words of wisdom that you should be aware of. And there are some portions of the state where a bear encounter is more likely to happen than others.

Louisiana Department of Wildlife officials estimate Louisiana's black bear population to be about 1,500 statewide. The bears, even though they are found statewide, tend to be more populous in two different geographic areas of the state.

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In northern Louisiana, the parishes around the Tensas River Basin have been found to have a larger number of black bears than other parts of the state. The exception to that might be the area in southern Louisiana where the black population is above average. That part of the state is the Atchafalaya River Basin.

Why Do Black Bears Come Around Where People Live?

The obvious common denominator that brings bears in proximity to people is food. Since many people who have pets keep those pets and their food in outside kennels or backyard patio shelters, there is a temptation for a hungry bear to explore the food options around your home.

black and tan german shepherd puppy on green grass field during daytime

The first and best course of action a person walking a dog can take when a bear is spotted, or there is a potential encounter, is to simply go inside. Get your pet indoors as quickly as possible so the cacophony of barks won't spur the bear into aggressive behavior.

What to Do If Your Dog Gets Into A Physical Encounter With a Black Bear

If it's too late and your dog gets into a physical encounter with a bear, this is where you'd want to have bear spray handy. If you live in the areas we've described where the bear populations are the highest, you should be carrying that on walks in the wilderness or in rural areas at dusk or at sunrise when bears are most likely to be foraging for food.

You'll only want to use the bear spray if you can use it from a distance, because getting too close to the fracas between the bear and your dog could bring you into the fight, and a battle with a bear is not a fight you want to get into.

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Chances are, if you live in bear country, you know these tips and others, but if you're not that familiar with bear safety and happen to be vacationing at a campground, VRBO in the woods, or an off-the-beaten-path location, having thought these scenarios through could play a huge part in your personal safety and the safety of your pet.