No Reports of Bear Sightings Since Wednesday in Forsyth

The black bears seen in south Forsyth County on Wednesday have created a lot of conversation, but no additional bear sightings have been reported since, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.

Officials said "two cubs and a mommy bear" were seen Wednesday evening along McGinnis Ferry Road near the Chattahoochee River. FCSO received no reports of bears Thursday, but said the bears appeared to be traveling south.

A group of four bears—possibly a mama bear and her cubs—were seen late Wednesday in and around the Shakerag Farms subdivision in the Suwanee area of Forsyth County, according to media reports.

Parents' calls about bear sightings Tuesday in the Haw Creek subdivision led Mashburn Elementary School Principal Tracey Smith to cancel recess for her students, reports northfulton.com.

Forsyth residents report several earlier bear sightings near Cumming.

"I wonder if those were the same bears that were over off of Hopewell Road near Wild Meadows subdivision a week ago last Sunday," Jessica Hiott said on Facebook of the bears sighted in Shake Rag. "They were very close to many people but the farm owners were keeping a VERY close eye on the bears."

Several other recent bear sightings in the area also have been reported.
 
Amanda Sarmiento said her friend saw a mother bear and three cubs at Tallant Road of Bramblett and Bethleview, and a "school bus driver had to call her to get her kids off the bus," according to FCSO's Facebook post.

 "I saw one in the Kroger parking lot last Tuesday off exit 17," commented Katie Craigmyle Gault.

"We have had a single bear in our neighborhood off Matt Highway near Old Federal Road, " Matt Gass commented. "A few times each year. So far, it seems to be the same bear; young and not very big. He's done a great job of co-existing and leaving us alone."

Tracy Bartys Flanagan said she was driving on Old Atlanta from Sharon Road and saw a black bear crossing Old Atlanta into the woods behind Northern Oaks tennis courts! 

Adrianne Mong Donaldson said she saw Tuesday night a bear "across (from) her house coming towards my house. It was in the road. A car came and it went back into woods. I live near Bethelview and Castleberry roads." 

"They were on Charleston Park right off of 369 last Friday," commented Danielle Clifton.

Black bears—omnivorous animals whose diet consists of whatever is readily available at the time—can be found in the north Georgia mountains and along the Ocmulgee River drainage system, according to the DNR. Their numbers have increased to a "healthy" population of more than 5,000 in Georgia.

When homes are within their range, bears are naturally attracted to the smells associated with cooking and garbage disposal. 

"Most problems can be resolved through simple actions such as taking down bird feeders, taking in pet food, or storing garbage in an area unavailable to bears like a garage," according to the DNR. "Removing or making attractants unavailable to bears is a critical step in resolving bear/human conflicts. 

In her blog, Dotson offers these tips to deter black bears looking for an easy meal:

1. Empty your bird feeders. Bears love bird food. 
2. Take any and all pet food inside. Bears love dog food.
3. Maybe hold off on grilling out if you've had sightings nearby. Bears love a good barbecue. 
4. Don't have your trashcan out any longer than necessary and try to rinse out your recyclables so that they don't smell like food. Bears love recyclables. (okay, maybe not, but I had a theme going)
Just be smart about it, and enjoy the pictures friends are posting.  

Other non-natural attractants include suet, compost piles, gardens, beehives and cornfields, according to the DNR.

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