Milton presentation urges residents to secure trash, avoid feeding bears and consider legal ban on intentional feeding

Ranger Jen, the outdoor recreation supervisor for the City of Milton, opened the virtual Wildlife 101 session by noting Milton’s preserved green space and the increased chance of human–bear encounters as wildlife move into residential areas.

Gerald Hodge, founder and CEO of the Appalachian Georgia Friends of the Bears, told attendees the most common cause of human–bear conflicts is human behavior and urged residents to remove food attractants. “There is no such thing as nuisance or or, nuisance or problem bears. Bad human behavior begets bad bear behavior,” Hodge said.

Hodge walked listeners through BearWise guidance — a set of practices developed by wildlife agencies — and gave specific recommendations widely repeated during the presentation: secure trash containers, remove food and grease from recycling and food packaging, keep windows and car doors locked, leash dogs, use bear-resistant storage while camping, and carry bear spray. He warned repeatedly, “Please do not use firearms to haze a bear,” saying firearms can injure people or property and lead to the bear being euthanized.

The presentation summarized bear biology and behavior relevant to neighborhoods: black bears are opportunistic feeders that can open car and house doors, climb and run faster than humans, and may become food-conditioned when they repeatedly access human food. Hodge explained that food-conditioned bears often become active in daylight and that learned behaviors passed from adults to cubs can increase conflict and mortality.

Hodge also discussed vehicle strikes and other causes of bear death. He said his volunteer group has responded to dozens of vehicle-bear mortalities and urged drivers to slow down in bear country, especially at dawn and dusk. He described wildlife vehicle collisions as “bear vehicle mortalities” rather than “roadkill” and asked residents to report carcasses and traffic hazards to 911 when they pose a public-safety risk.

On disease and welfare, Hodge described mange and other threats, saying mange begins on the face and can progress to severe infections that sometimes result in euthanasia. He also noted avian influenza (H5N1), chronic wasting disease in cervids, and other pathogens as concerns for wildlife health and cross-species transmission.

Asked about policy, Hodge said Georgia law currently bans feeding wild alligators but does not prohibit feeding bears, and he urged advocacy for a change: “In Georgia, state of Georgia, it is illegal to feed wild alligators, but it's not illegal to feed bears. And we wanna change that,” he said, asking attendees to watch the group’s social media for calls to action ahead of the next legislative session.

The session closed with practical reminders: inspect yards before letting pets out at night, consider electric fencing or bear-resistant storage for livestock and poultry, cap French drains and other rodent-entry points, and photograph bears at a safe distance to supply accurate location information to authorities. Ranger Jen said the city records and posts Wildlife 101 sessions on the city website for later viewing.

The presentation combined public-safety advice, wildlife biology, and advocacy for stronger local and state measures to reduce human–bear conflicts. No formal municipal actions or votes were taken during the online program.