(WGHP) -- Black bears are in their winter dens in North Carolina and could be closer than you think. "When people think of dens, they always think of caves," said Justin McVey, a district wildlife biologist with the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. "That's not really the case." Here are the most venomous snakes to look out for in North Carolina and what to do if you get bitten Bears can be very resourceful when making their dens. In the wild, bears will use rock and tree cavities or holes under fallen trees for their dens or ground nests, according to an NCWRC news release. But McVey says that bears have been denning under houses, crawlspaces and decks more often over the last 10 years. Bears have even been known to sleep in backyard brush piles. Bear den under house (NC Wildlife)Bear den under house (NC Wildlife)Bear den under house (NC Wildlife)Bear den (NC Wildlife)Bear den (NC Wildlife) “Over the last decade, we have had both an increasing human population and bear population, resulting in an uptick in bears denning under houses and decks as well as unleashed dogs disturbing bears in dens,” said Colleen Olfenbuttel, NCWRC’s bear expert. “And in western North Carolina this year, there are plenty of debris piles and fallen trees as a result of Hurricane Helene, which offer additional ground dens for bears and other wildlife.”  If a bear den is discovered in a populated area, people can co-exist through the denning season, which usually ends in April.  “Homeowners can safely coexist with denning bears until they leave in the spring,” Olfenbuttel said. “Bears are only interested in getting their winter rest or, if it’s a female, caring for her cubs. Denning bears are not interested in engaging with people as long as people leave the bear den alone.”  ‘Alarming’: Unexpected pathogen spread by infected chiggers found for 1st time in North Carolina McVey says they avoid kicking out mother bears who have cubs as the cubs are not yet old enough to be on their own. "The fun part of the job is to convince a homeowner that it's OK to have a bear under their house," McVey said. In McVey's experience, homeowners are often fine with having bears under their homes after they learn cubs are unlikely to survive if separated from their mother and that bears spend large amounts of time sleeping. "Sometimes, you get homeowners who want to put cameras down there and monitor the progress," McVey said. "I've never had a homeowner yet when I advise that we need to leave it ... say, 'No. Absolutely not.' They've all been understanding." If a bear has to be kicked out of a home, the NCWRC will use a variety of methods until one works. "It can be as easy as just turning on radios ... and turning on lights," McVey said. "When bears den up underneath decks, ... we can run a water hose on top of the deck and let it drip down. ... Other times, we have to use pyrotechnics. ... Sometimes, just yelling at the bear from the other side of the house is enough to get them to go on. ... We have special firecrackers that we use that flash and bang and make a whole lot of racket." When the bears leave, NCWRC officials seal up the den and advise homeowners. Female bears usually leave their dens around late March and early April after a months-long hibernation period that often starts in December. Don’t get diseases from ‘vampires’; What you should know about ticks in North Carolina from an expert What should I do? Black bears are typically shy, not aggressive towards humans and will avoid confrontation unless fed or provoked. If you see a den in the wild, the NCWRC urges you to stay calm, leave the den alone and leave the area. If you find a den under your deck, shed or crawl space, leave the area and call the N.C. Wildlife Helpline at (866) 318-2401 or get in contact with your district wildlife biologist.  If you see a cub, note where you saw it and contact the N.C. Wildlife Helpline or contact your district wildlife biologist. The NCWRC does not trap and relocate bears, and the agency wants people to know what they can do to avoid interacting with them: Do not feed a bear or get close to one Do not leave pet food out Do not put out a bird feeder while the bears are active Make sure your garbage is secured Clean and store your grill Tell a neighbor if you see a bear NCWRC co-founded the website BearWise to provide information about living responsibly with black bears.