Somewhere roaming through the woods of Niagara County there are at least three black bears, according to state officials.

Erie County is now home to at least 20 bears.

"I just want to know if I encounter a bear, what should I do?" asked Wilson resident Bruce Muck.

It's a question many are asking these days, after several high profile cases involving black bears.

Two were killed recently by vehicles, including one that was struck on Interstate190 in Buffalo. In suburban Rochester, a bear climbed up a tree and had to be tranquilized by DEC officials.

And they've been popping in other odd places.

"Bears on porches is the hot thing right now," said Tim Spieto, Senior Wildlife Biologist with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. And it's almost related to bird seed."

If you see one? "Throw something at them," Spieto recommends. "I've had people throw frying pans at bears. The bear will leave. They don't want to be near us. They don't want to have an interaction with humans. And if we make ourselves known they will generally leave."