DEEP and Audubon Society Urge Residents to Take Down Birdfeeders as Bear Activity Increases

Press Releases

04/09/2024

DEEP and Audubon Society Urge Residents to Take Down Birdfeeders as Bear Activity Increases

Residents Reminded to Discourage Bears' Bad Behaviors and Be Bear Aware

(HARTFORD) - As black bear activity in early spring increases following winter denning season, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) reminds residents to do their part to protect both their communities and bears by not reinforcing behaviors that result in human-bear conflicts. Simple steps will reduce the likelihood of encounters, conflicts, and potential harm to people and bears.

At an event today in Southbury at the Bent of the River Audubon Center with representatives from the National Audubon Society's Connecticut office, speakers highlighted an important reminder to help reduce bear conflicts with people; taking down birdfeeders. Birdfeeders are an easy and tasty source of calories for bears, which regularly bring bears close to homes and condition bears to be comfortable in residential neighborhoods.

A key part of reducing human-bear conflicts is preventing bears from gaining access to human food. As the nation's 14th most forested state, much of Connecticut's landscape is suitable bear habitat, with plentiful natural foods. However, Connecticut is also the fourth-most densely populated state, so Connecticut residents must learn how to live with bears within or near our communities.

DEEP also reminds residents that it is now illegal to intentionally feed bears.

Human-bear conflicts continue to rise and become more severe in our state - in 2023, bears entered people's homes 35 times. These numbers are a sharp contrast to eight years ago, when bears entered homes fewer than 10 times annually.

No matter where you live in Connecticut, you could encounter a bear, as sightings have been recorded in all 169 towns and cities. Bears are also reproducing across almost half of the state, continuing a long-term trend of expansion into more cities and towns. Just seven years ago, bears with cubs were reported in fewer than 50 towns, while over the last several years, bears with cubs have been reported in more than 90 towns.

Human-associated foods (e.g., birdseed, trash, pet food) are calorie-rich and attractive to bears. Once black bears start to consume these human-associated foods, they become habituated (comfortable near people) and food-conditioned (associate humans, houses, and neighborhoods with food). Food-conditioned bears pose a greater risk to public safety and often cause more property damage to houses, cars, pets, and livestock than non-food-conditioned bears.

"Human-bear conflicts are increasing - both in frequency and severity," DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said. "It is critically important to the health of our bear population, and for the safety of Connecticut residents, that residents understand how to co-exist with bears in our communities; we want people and bears to be safe. That starts with making sure our homes are 'no-bear-food-zones' and keeping our pets supervised and leashed."

"In the spring and summer breeding seasons, birds rely on caterpillars, insects, and other natural food sources to feed their young. To help resolve the issue of human-bear conflict, we support the recommendations shared by DEEP to remove bird feeders-including hummingbird feeders-as a precautionary measure," said Michael Burger, Executive Director of Audubon Connecticut and New York. "This temporary change will not have a negative impact on the birds you love, and you can always attract birds to your home with the addition of native plants: Black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Cardinalflower (Lobelia cardinalis), and Bee Balm (Monarda didyma) are some local favorites."

"Black bears should never be fed - either intentionally or unintentionally," said Jenny Dickson, Acting Chief for the DEEP Bureau of Natural Resources. "Bears that are attracted to homes by easily accessible foods lose their fear of humans. Your bird feeders should be down by now, and residents should keep garbage secured and indoors until collection day. Rewarding bears with easy meals means they spend more time in neighborhoods and near people, increasing risks to public safety, the likelihood of property damage, and the possibility that the bears may be hit and killed by vehicles. It is up to all of us to help prevent bears from learning bad behavior."

DEEP has several best practices for residents to follow to reduce the likelihood of an encounter with a bear, available on DEEP's "Living with Black Bears" webpage, https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP-Living-with-Black-Bears. DEEP has also created a video incorporating many of these best practices, available here.

In 2023, the Connecticut General Assembly passed, and the governor signed into law Public Act 23-77, which bans the intentional feeding of potentially dangerous wildlife (such as black bears) and also provides additional ways to address increasing conflicts associated with Connecticut's expanding black bear population. Several municipalities have also adopted ordinances implementing feeding bans which, when paired with widespread adoption of the best practices outlined below, can help reduce human-bear conflicts in Connecticut.

Make Your Place a No-Bear-Food-Zone

Everyone can be a good neighbor and take steps to reduce encounters and potential conflicts with bears. The most important step is to remove food attractants, such as bird seed and unsecured garbage:

1. NEVER feed bears.
2. Take down, clean, and put away bird feeders by mid-March, or even earlier during mild weather. Store the feeders until late fall and clean up spilled seed from the ground. Store any unused bird seed and suet in a location not accessible to bears, such as a closed garage. Do not store bird seed in screened porches or sheds where bears will be able to rip screens or break through windows to access the seed.
3. Store garbage in secure, airtight containers inside a garage or other enclosed storage area. Adding ammonia to trash refuse before tying the bag and then on top of the bag inside the can will reduce odors that attract bears. Periodically clean garbage cans with ammonia to reduce residual odor. Put garbage for pickup outside the morning of collection and not the night before.
4. Do not store recyclables in a porch or screened sunroom as bears can smell these items and will rip screens to get at them.
5. Keep barbecue grills clean. Store grills inside a garage or shed.
6. 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 check leash regulations for town properties, land trusts, and other public properties before heading to those areas.)
7. Do not leave pet food outdoors or feed pets outside.
8. Use electric fencing to protect chickens, other livestock, beehives, agricultural crops, and berry bushes. Find information about installing electric fencing at https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/wildlife/pdf_files/outreach/CT-BearWise-Bulletin-3-Electric-Fencing.pdf.
9. Avoid placing meat scraps or sweet foods, such as fruit and fruit peels, in compost piles.

What to Do if You Encounter a Bear

If you encounter a bear while in your yard or hiking, make your presence known by yelling or making other loud noises. Use a bear whistle to let bears know you are nearby. 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 other structure. If the bear persistently approaches, go on the offensive-shout, wave your arms, and throw sticks or rocks. If your dog is hiking with you, 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 the bear. If you are in close proximity to a bear, DO NOT try to first get a photo or video. Your first priority should be getting a safe distance between yourself and the bear.

In the rare instance when a bear appears to be aggressive toward people, residents should immediately contact DEEP's 24-hour dispatch line at 860-424-3333.

Report Bear Sightings

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 [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 problem bear, and that a bear with two ear tags was caught on two different occasions because it was causing problems. Actually, 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 as problem bears, but rather as part of a project researching the state's population.

More Information

To learn more about Connecticut's black bear population, read our current Bear Report here: 2024 The State of the Bears (ct.gov). A portion of this press release was provided by BearWise®, a program created by bear biologists, and supported by State Wildlife Agencies.

Photos: Connecticut black bears getting food from bird feeders in residential yards.

All Connecticut residents need to become "Bear Aware" to prevent teaching bears bad habits that put their safety-and yours-at risk.

Twitter: @CTDEEPNewsFacebook: DEEP on Facebook

Contact

DEEP Communications
[email protected]
860-424-3110

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