SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. — Justin Mix was sitting on the couch Wednesday around 7 a.m. when he saw something not too unfamiliar to East Tennesseans.
Black bears had come into the front yard, shimmying through a fence and making their way down to his cabin's front porch.
The bears then wandered around, with one even getting up on its hind legs at the front door, looking like it was trying to get into the cabin.
When it couldn't get inside, it wandered off. Later on, one of the bears tried to get into a truck parked in front of the cabin.
The whole encounter was captured on Mix's Ring security camera.
Mix said his cabin is located off Upper Middle Creek in the Summit View community and wanted people to be aware of the bears in the area.
"Tourists need to keep an eye out," he said in a Facebook message.
Mix isn't the only person to have recently captured some close encounters with black bears in East Tennessee, including bears in hot tubs and trucks.
The bear population seems to booming, as well. A record year for bear hunters in 2018 indicates the bear population is growing in the area.
Another sign of an increasing bear population is number of bear calls that TWRA has received. There were more than a thousand incidents in East Tennessee last year, everything from general sightings and nuisance complaints to aggressive behavior and property damage.
________________________________________________________________
With all these bears around, it's important to remember black bears are wild animals. It's not unheard of for black bears to go roaming about towns near the Smokies, or even uncommon.
But it is important to remember your responsibility for taking care of one of Tennessee's state treasures when in the area, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency explains on its website.
"They have been called a charismatic mega-fauna and for good reason – everyone from non-hunters, to hunters, to wildlife watchers - we all love bears in our own special ways," the website reads. "For these reasons, it is everyone’s responsibility to keep them wild and keep them alive."
So, what are the best ways to co-exist with the bears?
TWRA recommendations:
-Never feed or approach bears-- this includes carefully managing sources of human food or garbage to make sure the bears can't access it or aren't attracted to the area. When camping in bear country, keep all food stored in a vehicle and away from tents.
-If you live in a town near black bear habitats, you should not store food, garbage or other recyclables in areas accessible to bears. You also should avoid feeding birds or other wildlife where bears are active.
-Outdoor pets should only be fed a portion they will completely consume, and keeping grills and smokers cleaned and stored securely will also help deter bears.
-If you do encounter a bear, remove whatever attracted the bear to come into your area. There is almost always a safe escape route when bears enter towns. Crowd control is the initial concern as the behavior of a cornered bear can be unpredictable. Immediately report to the TWRA or local police any sightings of bears within areas of human population centers.
-While black bears are usually tolerant of humans, they should always be treated as wild animals, whether in residential or backcountry areas. Black bears are rarely aggressive towards people and typically go out of their way to avoid contact, however as human development continues and bear numbers increase, occasional interactions will be unavoidable.
-If you see a black bear from a distance, alter your route of travel, return the way you came, or wait until it leaves the area. Make your presence known by yelling and shouting at the bear in an attempt to scare it away.
-If approached by a bear, stand your ground, raise your arms to appear larger, yell and throw rocks or sticks until it leaves the area. Never run from a black bear! This will often trigger its natural instinct to chase.
For more information on how to peacefully co-exist with black bears, visit www.tn.gov.