I have been in Michigan for forty years, which has been my entire life, and yet, I have not seen one black bear in person. This has included multiple trips to the Upper Peninsula, always keeping a watchful eye out for black bears, as they are more prevalent in the Upper Peninsula than in the lower.
But regardless, you would’ve thought by now that I would’ve at least seen one. The reason I may be having a hard time finding these animals in the wild may pertain to a notification that the Illinois Department of Natural Resources recently sent out, issuing a warning about the potential danger of encountering a black bear.

According to one report, there was a black bear that was spotted in May 2025 in Illinois, in Saint Clair County, which prompted the IDNR to confirm the sighting, but offered advice to Illinois residents:
IDNR encourages people to avoid direct encounters with bears and to check their property for food sources that could attract a bear if one is reported in the area. Bears can follow their powerful noses to food sources and can pick up nearly anything with an odor from more than a mile away. Through learned behavior, bears often investigate anything that may yield a food reward, such as bird feeders, barbeque grills, garbage cans, and dog food. Once a bear finds a food source, they will likely return, so prevention is key.
Is this why I haven’t seen a black bear in Michigan yet? Are our Michigan black bears leaving Michigan and moving to Illinois?