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State wildlife biologist: black bears now established in Nottoway County; secure trash to reduce conflicts
Summary
Katie Martin, the state deer/bear/turkey biologist, told the Board of Supervisors that black bears have made a strong comeback in Nottoway County, with most human-bear conflicts caused by unsecured trash and bird feeders. She urged residents to secure food sources and reported two local sightings of mange.
Katie Martin, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources' statewide deer, bear and turkey biologist, told the Nottoway County Board of Supervisors on June 26 that the county now has a "robust bear population" after decades of recovery. "Sixty percent of our calls about bear conflict is just trash," she said, and she urged residents to secure garbage, remove bird feeders when bears are present and call the department's conflict line at 1-855-571-9003 for advice.
Martin described how the state manages bears by 22 zones and said Nottoway sits in Zone 12, where harvest seasons were lengthened in 2023 to stabilize the population. She gave recent harvest counts for Nottoway ("35 bears" last year, "45" the year before) and noted year-to-year fluctuation tied to food resources. Martin also flagged sarcoptic mange as an emerging health issue and said the department has received at least two reports with photos from Nottoway residents of bears showing hair loss and crusty skin.
The board and residents asked practical questions about timing and prevention: Martin said June and July are prime months for yearling bears dispersing from their mothers, and recommended electric fencing for chicken coops and better management of roadside dumpsters. She left brochures and reiterated that most bears avoid people when easy food sources are removed.
