A black bear and her two cubs seem to have made themselves at home at Horseshoe Lake.

Recently, campers have reported sightings of a sow with two cubs meandering around the popular campgrounds southwest of Tupper Lake, rooting through their improperly hung food bags and other items stored in tents. Now, wildlife staff and forest rangers are using informational signs and educating campers in-person to raise awareness and teach them how to bear-proof their campsites.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation’s Region 6 press office, the agency has no immediate plans to trap these bears, largely because capturing a mother with cubs is more challenging that trapping a single bear. Instead, staff and forest rangers are applying aversive conditioning techniques via non-lethal ammunition, like rubber bullets, to keep the bear away from humans.

I saw mom and the cubs there in mid June. While the bears and the two cubs followed social distancing protocol it was pretty wild to be sitting at camp and watch mom and the cubs play in the tree.