It’s that time of year again in Washington — the unofficial, unsanctioned, and entirely bear-run “Bear-Eat-A-Thon.” You won’t find it on any events calendar, but every fall — especially in September and October — bears across the state are in full-on competitive eating mode, chowing down like they’re training for their all-you-can-sleep hibernation buffet.

Unlike humans, bears don’t have cheat days. They spend autumn consuming up to 20,000 calories a day, bulking up for their long winter nap. And while that’s adorable in a nature-documentary kind of way, it also means bears are extra active, extra hungry, and occasionally, extra curious about your trash cans, bird feeders, and pet food.

In Washington, black bears are the most common contestants, found everywhere from the Cascades to subu

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