As residents are reporting more bear sightings across Ohio, wildlife biologists are trapping, tagging and tracking the black bears as they roam the fields and forests.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Gantchoff lab at the University of Dayton have put GPS collars on five black bears and ear tags on two others. It's part of an ongoing five-year study.
In 2025, Ohio had 537 reported bear sightings in 69 counties, according to the May 2026 issue of Ohio Black Bear Monitoring Report. That's the highest on record for the state, and up from 370 sightings in 55 counties in 2024.
Black bears disappeared from Ohio before beginning a comeback about a decade ago.
Katie Dennison, bear expert for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and her team are studying how many bears are living and reproducing, how individual bears are related to one another, how far they roam and how they behave.
The study has produced some surprises.
Dennison said there are more bears in Ohio than she thought, including a 576-pound male captured in June. "When it's lying down, it didn't look too big," she said. "Then when it started waking up and you start seeing its muscles and everything − that was really impressive. Definitely an intimidating bear. Not one I'd want to meet when it's fully awake."
Another goal of the study is to educate the public about how to avoid conflicts with the large carnivores.
"Attacks on people are incredibly rare but because they're attracted to human foods and things like that, there is a potential for conflict between humans and bears," Dennison said. "So if we have a good understanding of what they're doing in the state, we can kind of get on top of that and help educate the public."
Wildlife biologists get tips from property owners about bear sightings and then set out traps baited with corn, syrup and baked goods such as cinnamon buns or pastries.
"They really like sweet food," Dennison said.
Trail cameras aimed at the traps alert researchers whenever there is movement nearby. If a bear is trapped, researchers head into the field with a toolbox of equipment to anesthetize the bear. Once trapped, researchers attach a battery-powered GPS collar and ear tag, insert a chip, take fur, blood, tissue and scat samples and take measurements.
Scientists monitor the bear under anesthesia until it is awake enough to stand and move. The bear is released in the same location where it was captured.
Dennison can check the bears' locations in real time. But she is hesitant to reveal that information to the public, lest people decide to seek them out.
The first male bear collared in Ohio two years ago shows he traversed hundreds of miles in Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York before being fatally struck by a car last summer.
Both males and females increase their movements during mating season, which is between mid-May and late June. Adult males have a home range up to 300 square miles, while females' home range can cover up to 50 square miles. The range depends on available habitat.
"That's why the home range estimate is important to us because it tells us a lot about how many bears the state could potentially support," Dennison said.
Dennison and her team are permitted to trap bears for research and conservation purposes. In Ohio, trapping bears, which are an endangered species in the state, is illegal.
"If you try to do it and not knowing what you're doing, that could definitely be a dangerous thing to do," Dennison said.
The state has a link at wildohio.gov to report bear sightings and upload photos.
Bears want to steer clear of humans. Removing or securing food sources near your home such as garbage cans, bird feeders and grills are important steps if bears are in your area.
Darcie Little of Montville in Geauga County caught a glimpse of a black bear wandering past her front door on June 23. Her porch camera confirmed what she saw with her own eyes: a bear wearing a collar ambling through her rural neighborhood.
It marked the third time the camera documented bears, she said. "We're a little more cautious now. We have a dog. We're more cautious about making sure he's inside by dusk," Little said. She and her husband also had a bear safety talk with their daughters, ages 8 and 11.
"They'll go back in the woods and play outside. They're tough. They're country girls," Little said.
State government reporter Laura Bischoff can be reached at [email protected] and @lbischoff on X.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Ohio black bear sightings hit record as researchers track them