A Hudson Valley woman was shocked to find a number of bears hanging out in her backyard.

Hudson Valley Post reader Tammy Futral tells us she spotted the bears in the backyard of her home on Cedar Knolls Road in Pine Plains Tuesday night.

Futral shared these photos with us.

Tammy Futral
Tammy Futral
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Tammy Futral
Tammy Futral
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It's unclear, but Futral believes the second photo may include a cub. She says the photos were taken with her a deer camera she set up because she was curious to figure out who or what was getting into her trash cans.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation recently warned about bears coming out of hibernation in search of food.

"Due to poor natural food availability last fall, many black bears went into their dens with low fat reserves and as they begin to emerge from winter dens, have already begun seeking out food sources around homes," the DEC said in a press release.

The DEC recommends Hudson Valley residents take down bird feeders, store garbage inside secure buildings and feed pets indoors.

Allowing bears to find food naturally keeps them out of trouble and reduces negative interactions with people and property, according to the DEC.

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