Black bears aren’t just wandering through Ohio anymore. Some are here to stay, wildlife officials say.
Bears were spotted in Ohio as recently as April 25, 2026, in Ashtabula County, Fox 8 News in Cleveland reports. Going back to December 2025, a black bear was caught twice on a trail camera in Knox County, about 60 miles northeast of Columbus, according to Knox Pages. It’s the first time a bear has been spotted in that county since 2021. Also, bear tracks were spotted in the snow during deer gun season (Dec. 1 to 7, 2025) in Wayne National Forest in Southeast Ohio.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources ODNR says there is “consistent evidence” that black bears are reestablishing themselves in the state. The ODNR Division of Wildlife put out a call May 6 for sightings on Facebook to help track that population.
Here’s where bears have been spotted in Ohio, and what to know about them.
Black bears, once gone from Ohio, are settling the state again
Black bears were considered gone from Ohio by the 1850s, per ODNR, due to deforestation and hunting by Ohio settlers. However, they have been spotted wandering through the state as populations in Pennsylvania and West Virginia grow, according to the Ohio Black Bear Monitoring Report from November 2023.
Many bears wandering Ohio are transient males who don’t stay long, according to the Division of Wildlife. However, the agency has “consistent evidence” that female black bears call the northeast corner of the state home. Photographs confirm a black bear with cubs in Ashtabula County in 2016, and again each year from 2018 to 2022. And that means they have settled in.
“Adult female bears show strong home range fidelity, meaning once they establish a range, they tend to stay there,” the Division of Wildlife writes in its recent Facebook post.
ODNR estimates an in-state population between 50 and 100.
Ohio bear sightings: Four spotted in Ashtabula; first black bear in 20 years seen near Pataskala
In the Ashtabula County sighting, David Knopsider told Fox 8 News that multiple bears were roaming his backyard, climbing trees to get at bird feeders. They wandered back to the woods but returned about 20 minutes later. He noticed about four bears in total.
In other sightings around Ohio, a black bear was spotted near Pataskala, the ODNR confirmed in a June 2025 Facebook post. It was the first black bear sighting in Licking County since 2003, and the sixth in the county since 1993.
Elsewhere around Ohio in 2025, a pickup struck a black bear in Richland County, about 14 miles south of Mansfield; the bear didn’t survive. Bears also were spotted outside Dayton, in Greater Cincinnati and in Gallia County in Southern Ohio. Two were spotted in Northeast Ohio, one in Geauga County and another in Streetsboro in Portage County.
Black bears in Ohio
The name “black bear” can be misleading, because they can be black, chocolate brown, cinnamon brown, blue-black, and even white.
An adult can weigh anywhere between 150 and 700 pounds. Males average 300 pounds while females are smaller, averaging around 175. Males, when standing upright, measure between five and six feet tall. And again, females are smaller, measuring four to five feet.
Adult males have a home range of 100 to 120 square miles in upland hardwood habitats, while females’ home range can cover 24 to 50 square miles. Movements of 125 miles from a denning site have been documented.
Bears are omnivores and will eat a variety of foods; grasses, berries, carrion and insects are typical. Bears will also raid crops, if available.
Do black bears hibernate?
Yes. The bears hibernate in their overwintering dens from November to March, according to Cleveland Metroparks.
However, bears may remain active during their typical hibernation period if temperatures remain warm, according to the National Wildlife Federation.
How to protect your house, backyard from black bears
Black bears can cause significant damage in search of an easy meal. Here’s how you can protect your backyard if one is in your area, per ODNR:
What to do if you see a black bear
Black bear attacks are rare; they are usually fearful of people. As long as they are given space and not cornered, bears do not attack or kill children or pets. The bears are generally not aggressive and prefer to flee if they are aware of your presence.
So if you see a black bear, remain calm. If it hasn’t noticed you, back away slowly and leave the area. If it is aware of you, avoid direct eye contact and give it an easy escape route. Don’t run away or climb a tree, which may provoke a chase.
ODNR recommends remembering this using the acronym AWARE:
Spot a bear in the wild? The Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife wants to know
Did you see a bear? The ODNR Division of Wildlife wants to know. Report sightings online at wildohio.gov or the Wildlife Species Sighting Report. You can also contact your local county wildlife officer or regional District Wildlife Office.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Black bears spotted in Ohio again. Here’s where, how to protect yourself
Reporting by Chad Murphy, Columbus Dispatch / Akron Beacon Journal
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