Fore... bears

Family of bruins scamper across Black Mountain Golf Course

The Valley Echo
March 28, 2021

There wasn’t much time to react when Ron White glanced at the 12th fairway of on the Black Mountain Golf Course, March 26.

He grabbed his iPhone, steadied himself and snapped a picture.

The image he captured depicted a beautiful early spring day in the mountains, and a family of four bears out on a quick jog across the bright green grass.

A family of black bears jogs across the 15th fairway on the Black Mountain Golf Course on March 26. Photo courtesy of Ron White

American black bears, which are common throughout the Swannanoa Valley, emerge from their dens every year in the spring. Mature males typically conclude their winter hibernation first, followed by adolescent males, mother bears with yearlings and lastly mothers with newborn cubs.

The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission offers six basic steps to live responsibly with black bears: never approach or feed them; secure food, garbage and recycling; remove bird feeders when bears are active; never leave pet food outside; clean and store grills and let neighbors know when a bear has been spotted nearby.