New Hampshire wildlife officials are expecting significantly more bear activity this spring.
That's because wild food, like fruit and nuts, was scare this past fall, and the animals will emerge from hibernation hungrier than usual.
"It's fair to say that this is something that happens once in a decade," said Mark Ellingwood, wildlife biologist with New Hampshrie Fish and Game. "It's not something we look forward to, and not something we have to deal with every year."
He's urging residents to remove their birdfeeders and other food attractants, such as trash cans, to prevent bears from foraging in back yards.
Officials recommend birdfeeders be taken down by March 15 in the southern part of the state and by April 1 in the North Country.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
