Early April, the silent alarm that awakens black bears from their winter slumber, is here — and the bears will be hungry.

Bears occasionally search for something to eat around homes until natural foods become available.

“Early to mid-April, they're going to start to emerge from the dens. The biggest thing is when they come out of the den, they're looking for food. In the early spring, there's not a lot of food,” said Randy Pilarcik, the Pennsylvania Game Commission game warden for southern Butler County.

Skunk Cabbage is the first food in a bear's natural diet to sprout, but bears will eat the leaves remaining from the previous summer before the plants flower in the spring, said Chip Brunst, who served as game warden for northern Butler County for 26 years until becoming the information and education supervisor for the commission's northwest region last year.

Some bears will seek out garbage, bee hives, grills, bird food and pet food left outside of homes until natural foods appear in the woods.

“Garbage cans left out at night, could be bird feeders, which is a big attractant, pet food left outside — that will definitely draw them in,” Pilarcik said.

State law requires residents to remove bird feeders if bears show up and eat the bird food, Brunst said.

“So many people call and say they keep getting into their bird feeder. Bears can't read the label. If bears get into bird feeders, then it becomes a bear feeder and, by law, it has to come down,” Brunst said.

Intentionally putting out food to attract bears, deer or other animals is considered illegal baiting.

“Baiting is illegal for any animal,” Brunst said.

Feeding bears can be dangerous.

“They get acclimated to people and food, and if you quit feeding them they might look more aggressively for food around the house,” Pilarcik said. “In the spring, a mom will bring her cub and they learn from mom. People know that and try to lure bears, which is illegal.”

However, bears tend to be shy around people and spook easily, so most people won't have surprise visits.

But the bear population in the county is increasing, Pilarcik said.

“Every township in the county has bears. A few years ago, I couldn't say that. There's still a pretty slim chance of seeing one,” he said.

Brunst agreed that the population is growing and said the harvest is increasing.

The commission does not have county population numbers, but the statewide population is estimated at 18,000 to 20,000. Bears inhabit every county in the state, according to the game commission.

The statewide 2018 hunting season harvest totaled 3,153 bears, which was the 11th highest, but also was the lowest bear harvest in the past 11 years.

In the northwest region — which includes Butler, Mercer, Armstrong, Lawrence, Clarion, Crawford, Venango, Jefferson, Erie, Warren and Forest counties — the harvest was 517 in 2018, up from 388 in 2017. In Butler County, 26 were killed last year and 18 were killed in 2017.

“I've had them in Cranberry Township, Adams Township, all the southern townships. I've had them in the city of Butler,” Pilarcik said.

People who encounter a bear should make noise, so it becomes aware a person is near.

“If you see one while outside, don't run,” Pilarcik said. “If you see one just make a lot of noise and get their attention, so you're not surprising them. Once it realizes you're a person, it will run. Back away and yell if you see one.”

Even female bears with cubs will try to avoid people.

A mother bear will make a “woof” or puffing sound as a warning and to signal her cubs to climb up a tree if she encounters people, he said. People who encounter a female with cubs should back away, he said.

The first actual bear attack in the state occurred in December in Lycoming County, Pilarcik said.

A female bear with cubs attacked and seriously injured a woman in her yard after her dog chased after one of the cubs and the woman intervened to save her dog, he said.

The game commission has a live bear cam set up in Monroe County where a mother bear and at least one cub live. A link to the camera is on the commission website.