Black Bear Population in Northern Lower Peninsula Has Increased

Personally speaking, I've been to the Upper Peninsula and the lower Peninsula several times and I can honestly say, that I've never seen a black bear or a brown bear at any given time.

Even though I haven't seen any bears, the black bear population has risen 29 percent in the region since 2012 and almost 50 percent since 2000, according to wildlife management specialist Kevin Swanson of the Department of Natural Resources.

According to the Associated Press, Swanson says complaints about nuisance bears are increasing, especially in the Baldwin management unit, which extends from Muskegon County north to Leelanau County.

There are about 9,700 bears in the U.P. and over 15,000 statewide.  I'm not going to give up and stop looking for black or brown bears.  Here locally, I see deer all the time.  One of these days I will head back to the L.P. or U.P. and find me a bear.