Bear sightings are on the rise in Ohio. The Cleveland Plain Dealer reports there were 119 sightings in 2009 and 164 in 2010. Official estimates of Ohio’s black bear population remain quite low. Increased sightings, if evidence of growing bear numbers, would be a positive sign. On the other hand, increased sightings could also be due to increased pressure on bear habitat.
I’ve yet to see a bear in Ohio. (Zoos don’t count). I’m in Montana for much of the summer, however, so my chances of bear sightings are up.