Connecticut officials are “strongly urging” residents work to avoid conflicts with black bears after a record number of bears have entered homes in the state this year, including one incident in which a resident was bitten.
The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection recently issued the warning to residents to follow best practices to reduce the likelihood of a conflict with a black bear this fall. Officials said that, so far, 2024 has featured a record high of 68 documented home entries by bears, as well as a bear that bit a resident in Cheshire in July.
Conflicts with bears have tripled in recent years in Connecticut and bears have been observed in all of the state’s 169 cities and towns.
Given the already high rate of human-bear conflicts in 2024, DEEP is urging residents to practice vigilance this fall, a time of year when bears are particularly active as they increase feeding ahead of the winter denning season.
During fall months, bears become very active as they seek to maximize their food intake to add needed fat reserves prior to the winter denning season. Bears forage for calorie-packed nuts and seeds for up to 20 hours a day in a race against the clock.
This annual power-eating marathon is called “hyperphagia.” During hyperphagia, bears can eat upwards of 20,000 calories a day – 10 times the calories they normally consume.
While Connecticut’s landscape provides plenty of natural food for bears, officials said just one bird feeder full of black oil sunflower seed or one garbage container with leftovers can reward a bear with a day’s worth of calories for less than an hour’s work, making human-provided foods very attractive for bears during the fall.
Black bears that consume human-associated food (e.g., birdseed, trash, pet food) on a regular basis become “habituated” (comfortable around people) and “food-conditioned” (associate humans with food). As the bear population continues to grow, and bears become increasingly habituated and food-conditioned, conflicts with humans will continue to increase. Food-conditioned and habituated bears in particular pose a risk to themselves as well as public safety, and often cause property damage to houses and cars, or attack pets and livestock.
DEEP officials recommend several best practices for reducing the likelihood of an encounter with a bear, which can be found online on DEEP’s “Living with Black Bears” website. DEEP has also created a video incorporating many of these best practices. You can also use the Be BearWise Checklist to learn how to avoid attracting bears and how to keep bears way from your home and property.
How to Avoid Bear Conflicts
If you encounter a bear while in your yard or hiking, make your presence known by yelling or making other loud noises. Never attempt to get closer to a bear. If a bear does not retreat, slowly leave the area. If in your yard, go into your house, garage, or another structure. If the bear persistently approaches, go on the offensive—shout, wave your arms, and throw sticks or rocks. If your dog accompanies you on a hike, it is imperative that you keep the dog on a SHORT leash and DO NOT let it roam free – this is for the safety of your dog, yourself, and bears.
The most important step in reducing encounters and potential conflicts with bears is to remove food attractants, such as bird seed and unsecured garbage:
- NEVER feed bears. Intentionally feeding bears is illegal in Connecticut.
- Never toss leftover food outside “for the animals to clean up,” as that can be a source of food for bears.
- If you choose to put out bird feeders, do so in the winter months from December through late-March when bears are in their dens. Although most bears enter dens at some point, some can remain active during the winter if food is available. It is important to clean up spilled seeds from the ground when feeding birds during the winter and to remove bird feeders at the first sign of bear activity. If you live in an area with bears, it is best to avoid bird feeders altogether.
- Store garbage in secure, airtight containers inside a garage or storage area. Adding ammonia to cans and inside bags will reduce odors that attract bears. Periodically clean garbage cans with ammonia to reduce residual odor. Garbage for pickup should be put outside the morning of collection and not the night before.
- Do not store leftover bird seed, suet cakes, or recyclables in a porch or screened sunroom as bears can smell these items and will rip screens to get at them.
- Keep barbecue grills clean. Store grills inside a garage or shed and remove any fuel source before storing.
- Supervise dogs at all times when outside. Keep dogs on a short leash when walking and hiking. A roaming dog might be perceived as a threat to a bear or its cubs. Dogs are required to be on a leash when visiting State Parks, State Forests, and Wildlife Management Areas. Check dog and leash regulations for town properties, land trusts, and other public properties before heading to those areas.
- Do not leave pet food outdoors or feed pets outside.
- Use electric fencing to protect beehives, agricultural crops, berry bushes, chickens, and other livestock.
- Avoid placing meat scraps or sweet foods, such as fruit and fruit peels, in compost piles.
In the rare instance when a bear appears to be aggressive toward people, residents should immediately contact DEEP’s 24-hour Dispatch Center at 860-424-3333.
Bear sightings reported by the public provide valuable information to assist DEEP in monitoring changes in the black bear population. Anyone who observes a black bear in Connecticut is encouraged to report the sighting on DEEP’s website at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Report-a-Wildlife-Sighting, or send an email to the Wildlife Division at [email protected].
Information on the presence or absence of ear tags, including tag color and numbers, is particularly valuable. A common misconception is that a tagged bear is a bear that was involved in conflicts, and a bear with two ear tags was caught on two different occasions because of conflicts. Every bear receives two ear tags (one in each ear) the first time it is handled by DEEP biologists. Most tagged bears have not been caught due to human-bear conflicts, but rather as part of a project researching the state’s bear population.