Did you know that Maine is host to the biggest population of black bears in the Eastern United States? Yup! The bears are most active from April 1 to November 1, according to Maine.gov. 

Here's the thing. If food is scarce and they are having trouble finding it out in the wild, black bears will start making their way into residential areas seeking out things like garbage cans, bird feeders, and more.

We've seen this several times where someone's home security cam will pick up footage of a black bear having a snack from their bird feeder. It's fun to watch, as long as you are far away.

But what if you weren't far away?

What do you do if a black bear is in front of you?

According to National Park Services, if you find yourself in front of a brown or grizzly bear, playing dead is a good idea.

But if you are dealing with a black bear, it's the WRONG MOVE, per the article. Do not play dead if you are charged by a black bear.

If a predatory black bear attacks, fight back hard. Do everything you can. Kick, punch, use sticks, rocks, or anything as a weapon to save your life.

Additionally, according to Bear Smart, if you are dealing with a mama grizzly in particular, they are even more protective of their cubs, so lying down and not moving would be beneficial.

Have you ever seen a bear in real life?