DO NOT FEED THE BEARS: feeding bears may place you or your family, friends, and neighbors in danger because bears accustomed to handouts lose their instinctive fear of humans and become unpredictable. You may also place the animal in danger of having to be destroyed.
When camping, store all foods and wastes properly: don't store food in your tent, trailer, or other inhabited space; secure food in bear-resistant containers or hang it high between two trees or poles. Avoid cooking in, or immediately near, your tent where food odors may accumulate and attract bears. Dispose of all waste in bear-resistant dumpsters or bury deeply well away from the campsite.
REMOVE OR SECURE ALL POTENTIAL SOURCES OF FOOD: don't tempt bears by leaving or providing food within easy reach. Be sure all pet foods will be completely consumed at a feeding and not left in the dish. Remove bird feeders (especially those with suet) by early April. Store all garbage in a secure indoor location or in a bear-resistant receptacle.
DO NOT APPROACH ANY BEAR IN THE WILD: maintain a safe distance between yourself and any wild animal to avoid threatening it or instigating a confrontation. Be particularly aware of seemingly abandoned young cubs - the adult female probably is nearby.
BE ALERT IN AREAS WHERE BEARS MAY BE ACTIVE: avoid traveling in gullies, along hedgerows, or in thick cover - bears frequently use these areas as travel corridors.
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