THE DAILY WIRE · NORTH CAROLINA, USA · 2026-10-02
County Officials Finally Read the Room on Bear Feeding
Buncombe County has issued an emergency rule targeting bear feeding, a regulatory development this column views as roughly a decade overdue, according to WLOS.
The rule comes after a sustained run of local bear activity this year, including break-ins, dumpster feasts, and at least one bakery booth incident, that has made the county something of a recurring dateline for anyone covering wildlife. Officials have not detailed the specific penalties attached to violations, though this reporter assumes fines are involved, which bears, notably, cannot be made to pay.
The underlying logic is sound: a bear that learns a backyard equals dinner does not file that information away as an isolated incident. It treats it as a standing reservation. Regulators appear to have finally arrived at the same conclusion long held by every raccoon in America.
This reporter reached Captain Rusty, a red fox who has observed the county's feeding habits — human and ursine alike — from a respectful distance for several seasons, for an assessment of the new rule's chances of actually working.
Their account of events differs from the official record.
Enforcement begins now. This reporter will be filing updates as the bears, inevitably, test the policy. Spun and done.
“About time somebody regulated the buffet — I've watched tourists leave out pie, sandwiches, you name it, like it's a drive-thru for bears. Foxes have been eating responsibly out of garbage for generations and nobody wrote us an emergency rule.” — Captain Rusty, red fox
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