One dog was killed and another severely injured during two recent bear attacks in Mahoning Township, but state game officials said "nuisance bear" calls are on the same pace as 2013.

"We're seeing what we expect to see," said Pennsylvania Game Commission officer Bill Williams."In the northeast region, we received 1,679 calls in 2013 and, through the middle of July, we received 866 calls this year."In late August, a bear mauled and killed a 20-pound terrier mix dog on Westside Road. A short distance away, on Pine Hollow Drive, an American bulldog was attacked and injured on Sept. 19.Game commission officials, after both Lehighton attacks, set traps in an attempt to catch and relocate the bear.According to the Penn State Extension, however, traps often prove futile if the bear wants to return to the same general area.Some bears have been known to return from as far away as 100 miles after relocation."If we catch a bear, we try to take it to an area with plenty of food sources, such as state game lands," Williams said."Most of the time they don't return, but if the bear wants to go back, there is little we can do to prevent it."When bears visitIn mid-July, Williams explained, the young of the previous year begin to disperse as female breeding season begins."That is when the males start traversing more and getting out of their home range," he said. "When you start getting into fall, a bulk of the food collection is taking place for the winter."Bird feeders are the top draw for bears visiting residential backyards. Williams said they are big fans of black sunflower seeds."Bears almost exclusively visit residential areas looking for food," he said. "In addition to bird feeders, dog or cat food on the back porch or an uncleansed grill will also draw them in."Why they attackBears don't go on the hunt for dogs, Williams said. Instead, it's usually a chance encounter."For example, a bear jumps over the fence into a yard and finds itself in close proximity with a dog," Williams added. "It's usually a quick thing where a dog surprises a bear and the bear takes a swipe."Many residents commenting on Facebook acknowledge many areas of Carbon County are a natural habitat for bears."We live in bear country, always did," said Franklin Klock, of Summit Hill. "This is bound to happen when we forget that."Danielle Balent warns that winter is coming, meaning bears are collecting food to store for hibernation."It's that time of year," she said. "The winter is supposed to be bad. If you live in the woods or in an area where bears are known to live, you need to be careful."Even those individuals who have felt the affect of a bear attack are aware they are sharing the land.What they do"A bear killed all of my chickens about two weeks ago," said Lehighton's David Hauser. "It ripped the whole coop apart. Oh well, it's what they do."Angela Rugg has spotted a mother bear and two cubs around her Palmerton residence."They never bother with me," Rugg said."Don't feed them. I wouldn't have it any other way. Have a fenced in yard for your dog and keep garbage in the garage."During a June walk along a country road in Franklin Township, Tricia Blose came upon a black bear, between 250 and 300 pounds."I was never so scared," she said. "I don't think the bear saw me and I hid so I could call my husband to pick me up. I'm not sure why this year has been worse than other years."When it will stopHibernation time differs from year to year based on the availability of food and the weather, according to Williams.Late November or early December, however, is the average.Until then, they will be hungry.Bears eat 15,000 to 20,000 calories a day shortly before hibernating."We try to set hunting season, which usually starts the week before Thanksgiving, when a significant amount of bears will be still available to hunters," he said.Pregnant females hibernate earlier than other bears."If we have a year with a drought, bears will hibernate a little earlier, but that shouldn't be the case this year," Williams said.