The bears seem to be particularly bad news in the region this year.

A number of residents have reported bears tearing into bird feeders and other enclosures they suspect might harbor something edible, or otherwise being destructive pests. A trap has been set in the Kingsford area to try to remove a bear that’s become a little too comfortable wandering among homes and down streets.

And earlier this month a bear bit a Nature Conservancy employee doing a bird survey in Florence County, though that attack was thought to have potentially been a sow that thought its cub was threatened.

Of the estimated 12,000 bears living in Michigan, 10,000 wander the Upper Peninsula, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Still, local DNR officials don’t believe the bears in the region are more numerous or more of a problem than in a normal spring, when the animals emerge from hibernation skinny and hungry but don’t yet have a full array of natural foods to refill the tank.

Removing bird feeders is “an easy answer to bear problems,” the DNR stressed this week.

“When situations occur concerning a bear, some form of food has usually attracted the bear into the area,” DNR wildlife communications coordinator Katie Keen said. “The common element is usually a bird feeder — seed, suet and even hummingbird feeders.”

Bears have a great sense of smell, so can sniff out even an enclosed food source, such as pet food, garbage, barbecue grills and bee hives, along with the popular backyard bird feeders.

“Bear are smart, so we have to be smarter,” Keen said. “They are wild animals that are unpredictable and can travel many miles.”

Bears eat most items found in the forest, including plants, berries, nuts, acorns, insects and, occasionally, small mammals. Because bears will eat most anything, their behavior and normal travel patterns will change if an easy food source is discovered.

As a major predator of young fawns, they’re roaming now, too, in search of newborns that instinctively stay motionless and hidden, said Bill Scullon, DNR field operations manager.

So if they come across something else while making the rounds — such as bird feeders — they won’t pass up an easy meal, Scullon said.

“Don’t wait for the first time a bear knocks down your bird feeder or garbage can; be proactive and don’t let a habit form,” Keen said.

By late June, the fawns will be able to run fast enough to escape and the bears will switch to other foods in the field, which usually cuts the human complaints, Scullon said.

Along with removing all bird feeders and other potential food sources around humans, Scullon suggests when outdoor in bear country:

— Make plenty of noise, as most bears will simply leave the area rather than risk a confrontation. Most instances of black bears harming humans stem from surprise encounters.

— If a bear is seen, give it plenty of space and a clear route to escape. That’s actually a good practice for wildlife in general, Scullon said.

For more information on preventing bear problems, go to https://www.michigan.gov/documents/preventing_bear_problems_in_MI_111110_7.pdf.