Black Bears are Booming in These Three Massachusetts Counties

While Massachusetts is home to many beloved attractions and historical culture, the Bay State is also home to a fairly sizeable black bear population.

Black Bear Population Continues to Increase

Have you seen any this year?

Gallery Credit: Jesse Stewart, Townsquare Media

The black bear population has been growing since the 1970s. As a matter of fact, the statewide population of black bears in Massachusetts is over 4,500. There are three counties in particular that share the largest black bear population. According to Mass.gov, those counties are Worcester County, northern Middlesex County, and Berkshire County.

This doesn't come as a surprise to me. I live in the Berkshires, and over the years I have encountered many bear sightings, from four (4) bears all at once roaming around in my backyard to bears crossing the road on my way to and from work. Plus, there have been a few times I have seen bears crossing through my neighbors' yards.

How You Can Keep Bears Off Your Property

Most of the time, the bears are just looking for food and aren't out to harm anybody, but if you don't want a pest on your hands, it's a good idea to seal up your trash cans (I learned this hard way), remove bird feeders from your yard, and clean up any food spills on your property, including decks, patios, etc. If food or food remnants linger on your property, you may end up dealing with uninvited guests.

Reminder: Keep Your Pets Safe and More Tips

In addition to removing food from your property, it's also recommended that you limit how long your pets are outside and never leave them outdoors unsupervised, especially during the most active season for bears, which is April through November. If you see a bear, keep your distance, stay calm, and let the animal move on. You can get more tips by going here.

LOOK: Here are the pets banned in each state

Because the regulation of exotic animals is left to states, some organizations, including The Humane Society of the United States, advocate for federal, standardized legislation that would ban owning large cats, bears, primates, and large poisonous snakes as pets.

Read on to see which pets are banned in your home state, as well as across the nation.

Gallery Credit: Elena Kadvany

RANKED: Here Are the 63 Smartest Dog Breeds

Does your loyal pup's breed make the list? Read on to see if you'll be bragging to the neighbors about your dog's intellectual prowess the next time you take your fur baby out for a walk. Don't worry: Even if your dog's breed doesn't land on the list, that doesn't mean he's not a good boy--some traits simply can't be measured.

Gallery Credit: Sabienna Bowman