Yes, it’s the same old story told. But it’s a story worth telling again, and should be heard amongst the masses from here to Cape Cod, as the black bears begin to leave their dens, and start surfacing again! During this time of year, one of the main topics of discussion, which always seems to find me here, On the Ridge, is black bear sightings, which are beginning again as I write this. And what do we expect? With black bear populations at an all-time high, it’s natural to anticipate these springtime sightings, as their search for food pulls them away from their dens and once again out and amongst us!

It’s true that sightings are starting to occur in a big way, and a bit earlier than usual as this warm weather has started bringing them up and out now for at least the past two weeks. However, this wasn’t always the case, as I can recall a time when a black bear sighting in this area was as a rare as the sighting of Halley’s Comet. The first stories I recall hearing about black bears in these parts occurred around the mid to late 1970s. And whenever one was spotted, the news would travel quickly and had people talking all over the region for days on end. No one knows for certain how they came to be here. In my opinion, black bears, like all wild creatures in New England, just found their way here by their natural wanderings. Over time they began to evolve into numbers that today are unprecedented in our state’s wildlife history. And now we have to learn to deal with them, which is the same old story we hear at this time every year. So, let’s dive into it again, just in case you happen to see a large, curious bruin in your back yard searching for mischief over the next few months!

We’ve heard it said, many times actually, that black bears and birdfeeders are a recipe for conflict! Especially now as this warm March weather continues to settle in. If a bear found an easy meal at your birdfeeder, or a trash can last year, you can pretty much expect that bear, and possibly others, will be back, as they have excellent memories about where those easy food sources are! And for Franklin County residents this means trouble as many of us love feeding the birds well into the spring. Remember, a well-stocked bird feeder could supply more than 10,000 calories in one, easy to reach, location. And in a controlled feeding situation like this, any bear worth its weight in storage fat will choose sunflower seeds, especially black oiled sunflower seeds, over berries and acorns any day!

Bears will become so conditioned to easy food sources like this that, at times, they’ll become very bold. Some have even been known to open unlocked car doors, enter into open windows and patio doors, push through screen doors, enter livestock pens, raid gardens and destroy compost piles — any place where food was left unsecured and unattended. Bears like this become difficult to drive away because they’re conditioned to this and have experienced no negative consequences from people! That’s when bear behavior escalates to the point when people become fearful and perceive bears as a threat to their safety.

The truth is, bears are normally solitary, secretive animals that usually try to avoid people. But their powerful sense of smell can lead them into problematic places, especially in the spring when bears emerge from their winter dens and food is scarce, and again in the fall and winter when bears are storing up reserves for denning. And until we begin to take this seriously, and really start to understand their behavior, these conflicts will continue to happen on a regular basis. There are several ways people can reduce negative human-bear conflicts around their homes, so these disturbances won’t eventually lead to a bear having to be lethally removed.

For example, when it comes to your pets, only leave pets unattended when they’re in a secure kennel with a covered top. Don’t store pet food outdoors and keep pet food bowls inside when not in use. Store trash, and trash cans if possible, indoors and only place trash outside for pickup on the morning of trash day. Periodically clean trash cans with ammonia to deter bears. And never feed bears. Feeding bears will create a habitat where bear are comfortable around humans. Don’t allow bears to feed at your bird feeders. Hang bird feeders at least 10 feet off the ground and five feet away from tree trunks. Consider taking down feeders in the springtime (like, right now) when bears are emerging from their dens and are looking for easy food. Clean up spilled bird seed, and if a bear begins using your feeder, take it down for at least three weeks to allow the bear time to leave the area. Clean and store outdoor grills after each use. The grease traps and residual food can attract bears. At nighttime, when bears are very active, turn on a bright outdoor light to get a bears attention, just in case they’re around. And never approach a bear, because all wildlife is unpredictable, and bears are large, powerful animals. If you see a bear around your home, do not approach as you don’t want to surprise it. Instead, make noise so it knows you’re there. Most bears will run away upon seeing a person, but using an air horn, banging pots and pans together, or just making loud noises will help the bear realize that your home is not a safe place to be.

And finally, the answer to all of this is simply trying to avoid the problem. But homeowners sometimes get frustrated, or frightened to the point where they want immediate action from wildlife officials, rather than simplistic advice, which usually results in relocation. That said, if relocation is not an option, the results could very well be a final solution that, I’m certain, all of us would much rather avoid.

Joe Judd is a lifelong hunter and sportsman. He is an outdoor writer, seminar speaker, member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, and a 2019 inductee into the N.E. Turkey Hunting Hall of Fame. Joe is also on the Quaker Boy Game Calls and Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Pro-Staff. He can be reached at jjontheridge@comcast.net