CT DEP Offers Black Bear Safety Advice for Hikers
A few weeks ago, two coyotes trotted into the beams of my headlights as they crossed Route 80 in North Branford. This wasn’t far from the place where I once spotted a coyote wandering a residential neighborhood like a lost dog. My very first coyote sighting, though, was a few years ago in the Texas panhandle as my wife and I followed Route 66 across the country.
What all these encounters have in common is not necessarily the animal, but from where I observed that animal- a car. In other words, certain species that have been historically reclusive are adapting to- or at least dealing with- life in developed areas. The Department of Environmental Protection reports that the first coyotes migrated into Connecticut only fifty years ago, but since then, it seems that everyone has a coyote story to tell.
Who I’m really envious of, though, are the nearly 1,000 Connecticut residents who have been lucky enough to acquire black bear stories in the past year. According to the DEP, between July 28, 2005 and July 27, 2006, there have been 986 black bear sightings reported in Connecticut. The town with the most sightings is Avon with 103.
Even if this includes bears that have been spotted numerous times, it is certainly more than what was being reported just a few decades ago. After the Connecticut population of black bears was nearly destroyed in the 1800's, the state’s numbers have significantly grown in the past twenty years and that trend is supposed to continue.
Once only seen in the northwestern corner of the state, black bears have become more and more commonplace throughout the rest of Connecticut, including reports from New Britain, Durham, Haddam, East Haddam, East Hampton and Southington. Just this past May, a 175-pound male bear (males can weigh up to 400 pounds) had to be removed from a tree near a Meriden elementary school.
So, if seeing a black bear while toting a lunch box to school is possible, then meeting one while cooking a freeze-dried meal in the Connecticut woods isn’t too unlikely either. For instance, hikers on the Appalachian Trail near Sage’s Ravine- at the bottom of Bear Mountain no less- have reported numerous encounters with bears while camping in recent years.
The DEP, therefore, provides hikers and campers with some helpful "Do’s and Don’ts" for any black bear encounters you may have while in the woods.
First of all, black bears usually smell you coming and head the other way when they do. If, for some strange reason, it misses your scent, you should announce your presence by making noise and movement.
It is common knowledge that mother bears are particularly protective of their young, so the DEP suggests that all dogs be kept on a leash while hiking so not to present a threat to any cubs in the area. If you do surprise a bear, you are supposed to walk away from the area slowly. With speeds up to 35 mph, it is unlikely you’d be able to outrun a bear. Also, resist the temptation to climb a tree, as black bears are renowned climbers.
Black bears are not known for attacking humans, but they are eating machines, and where there are people, there is usually food. The bears’ great sense of smell will find that food, too. My good friend spotted his first black bear in New Hampshire recently, and while he is an avid hiker, his encounter was with a bear that was eating from a garbage can. Therefore, any food waste accumulating while camping must be properly handled, either by storing it in a car or tied up in a tree out of the reach of a bear. In response to the amount of bear spottings around Sage’s Ravine, a lockable bear box was installed for food storage while camping.
Finally, the DEP reminds hikers to admire bears from a distance. If you do see a bear, you should report it to the DEP’s Wildlife Division at (860) 675-8130.
Despite the fact that all my encounters with coyotes have been from a car, I know that if I keep going to the woods with the numbers that are being reported, I am bound to see a black bear. You are, too. If we act responsibly when that opportunity does present itself, we will have great stories to tell.
What all these encounters have in common is not necessarily the animal, but from where I observed that animal- a car. In other words, certain species that have been historically reclusive are adapting to- or at least dealing with- life in developed areas. The Department of Environmental Protection reports that the first coyotes migrated into Connecticut only fifty years ago, but since then, it seems that everyone has a coyote story to tell.
Who I’m really envious of, though, are the nearly 1,000 Connecticut residents who have been lucky enough to acquire black bear stories in the past year. According to the DEP, between July 28, 2005 and July 27, 2006, there have been 986 black bear sightings reported in Connecticut. The town with the most sightings is Avon with 103.
Even if this includes bears that have been spotted numerous times, it is certainly more than what was being reported just a few decades ago. After the Connecticut population of black bears was nearly destroyed in the 1800's, the state’s numbers have significantly grown in the past twenty years and that trend is supposed to continue.
Once only seen in the northwestern corner of the state, black bears have become more and more commonplace throughout the rest of Connecticut, including reports from New Britain, Durham, Haddam, East Haddam, East Hampton and Southington. Just this past May, a 175-pound male bear (males can weigh up to 400 pounds) had to be removed from a tree near a Meriden elementary school.
So, if seeing a black bear while toting a lunch box to school is possible, then meeting one while cooking a freeze-dried meal in the Connecticut woods isn’t too unlikely either. For instance, hikers on the Appalachian Trail near Sage’s Ravine- at the bottom of Bear Mountain no less- have reported numerous encounters with bears while camping in recent years.
The DEP, therefore, provides hikers and campers with some helpful "Do’s and Don’ts" for any black bear encounters you may have while in the woods.
First of all, black bears usually smell you coming and head the other way when they do. If, for some strange reason, it misses your scent, you should announce your presence by making noise and movement.
It is common knowledge that mother bears are particularly protective of their young, so the DEP suggests that all dogs be kept on a leash while hiking so not to present a threat to any cubs in the area. If you do surprise a bear, you are supposed to walk away from the area slowly. With speeds up to 35 mph, it is unlikely you’d be able to outrun a bear. Also, resist the temptation to climb a tree, as black bears are renowned climbers.
Black bears are not known for attacking humans, but they are eating machines, and where there are people, there is usually food. The bears’ great sense of smell will find that food, too. My good friend spotted his first black bear in New Hampshire recently, and while he is an avid hiker, his encounter was with a bear that was eating from a garbage can. Therefore, any food waste accumulating while camping must be properly handled, either by storing it in a car or tied up in a tree out of the reach of a bear. In response to the amount of bear spottings around Sage’s Ravine, a lockable bear box was installed for food storage while camping.
Finally, the DEP reminds hikers to admire bears from a distance. If you do see a bear, you should report it to the DEP’s Wildlife Division at (860) 675-8130.
Despite the fact that all my encounters with coyotes have been from a car, I know that if I keep going to the woods with the numbers that are being reported, I am bound to see a black bear. You are, too. If we act responsibly when that opportunity does present itself, we will have great stories to tell.
posted by Scott | 5:56 AM
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