More Bears, More Encounters: What History Can Teach Us

It seems to me that black bears have been making news headlines rather frequently over the past few months. Stories such as Florida implementing its first black bear hunt in a decade, fatal bear attacks in Arkansas, and a rise in human-bear conflicts have shined a brighter light on this species as of late. I’ve heard firsthand accounts of black bears appearing in places they have never thought to be before. Millions of people even witnessed a viral video of a man defending his home from a black bear that had wandered into his kitchen in the middle of the night.

This uptick in bear interactions prompted me to pull my copy of Joe Van Wormer’s 1966 publication titled The World of the Black Bear off the shelf and revisit how knowledge from nearly six decades ago continues to shape outdoorsmen’s understanding of these animals today.

I believe a primary factor behind the recent surge in black bear activity is the significant increase in their populations. Wormer provides data from a 1957 report published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that lists state-by-state black bear population estimates, with examples such as Florida reporting around 450 bears and Arkansas reporting only 100 bears. Today, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission estimates more than 4,000 black bears in their state, while the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reports populations exceeding 5,000.

So when Wormer wrote in 1966 that “unprovoked attacks upon man by black bears are so rare as to warrant the statement that black bears are not dangerous,” it raises the question—does that still hold true today, when populations have grown as much as fiftyfold?

Regarding the recent bear attacks in Arkansas, the Arkansas Times spoke with the Game and Fish Commission about the two fatal incidents that occurred within the past few months, as well as a misleading report of a separate non-fatal attack that turned out to be false. The publication released an article on October 8, 2025, highlighting several key details.

According to the report, the first attack involved a bear that was severely underweight. In contrast, the bear from the second incident appeared to be healthy, though officials are awaiting test results to determine whether its stomach contained any human food.

Wormer writes in his book that “of all the documented unprovoked attacks on humans… most apparently came from starving or extremely hungry bears.” This 1966 insight could very well explain the first recent bear attack. But what about the second? Perhaps the results expected in the coming weeks will shed light on whether human factors played a role—because while black bear populations have increased, so too have human populations, which can weaken natural food sources or introduce bears to human food they grow accustomed to.

It seems that outdoorsmen across all regions of the U.S. would do well to refresh their knowledge of black bears and gain a better understanding of the species as their numbers grow and encounters become more frequent. I believe this concluding statement from The World of the Black Bear still holds true today:

“While it may seem that we have compiled a rather large list of black bear conflicts with man’s interests, it should be remembered that only the occasional bear is a criminal, not the entire species—and that more often than not, the ‘crime’ may be inspired by human actions.”

Resources:

Arkansas Times. (2025, October 8). Reports of third bear attack in Arkansas aren’t accurate, Game and Fish says. Arkansas Times. Retrieved from https://arktimes.com/arkansas-blog/2025/10/08/reports-of-third-bear-attack-in-arkansas-arent-accurate-game-and-fish-says

Arkansas Game & Fish Commission. (n.d.). Bear. Retrieved from https://www.agfc.com/hunting/more-game/bear/ agfc.com

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. (n.d.). Florida black bear. Retrieved from https://myfwc.com/hunting/bear/