This Adorable Black Bear Made A New Home In A WNY Backyard [PHOTOS]

I guess I never really thought about what I would do if I encountered a bear in the woods. I have been hunting and hiking through the outdoors for as long as I can remember and have never seen a bear up close when I was in the woods. I’m not sure if that’s good luck or bad luck?

A listener sent us this picture gallery of a bear that they found in their backyard near the Town of Eagle in Western New York.

Honestly, some of the pictures make the bear look as if it is a person in a black bear costume. The bear seems very playful and it searches around the yard for something to snack on.

This is just another reminder of the importance of making sure that your backyard is buttoned up as this one appears to be. The owner of this home has covers and lids and trash cans and doesn’t appear to have any signs of birdfeeders lingering around the yard either. Hey bear like this is just strolling through to find a quick snack.

There have been more and more bear sightings in recent days and months around the Western New York area. Wildlife officials in the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation remind everyone that you should not approach wildlife and stay at a distance from animals like bears, raccoons, fox and other wildlife you may encounter.

This bear seem to have made a comfy little play area in this backyard. My favorite photo of this collection is the one with the bear standing next to the archery target with his paw up on the crossbar. It’s almost as if the bear is asking the homeowner "hey, what are you using this for"? Now that fall is here and winter is only weeks away, bears may be on the move searching for meals to fill their belly before they start to hibernate.