Black Bears in CT
Black Bears in Connecticut with Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist Paul Colburn, October 10, 2023
All species require habitat that includes cover, space, food, and water. The forests, wetlands, lakes and ponds of Connecticut provide excellent habitat for bears. These spaces supply everything that bears need to live.
Bears are omnivores. They are smart, adaptable and opportunistic. A bear who spends time around a house is attracted by food. Bears can smell food from more than a mile away. They are drawn to birdfeeders, trash, beehives, compost, grills, and backyard chickens. Bears can get the calories they need more quickly from human food than they can from what they consume in nature. Cubs learn from watching their mothers. If a mother bear eats human food, her cubs will too.
Biological Carrying Capacity refers to the number of a given species who can be supported in the wild by our habitat. The estimated carrying capacity for black bears in Connecticut is 2,000. There are currently 1,200 black bears in the state. People have seen bears in all 169 towns in Connecticut.
Cultural Carrying Capacity refers to how much people will do to learn about other species, and what we will do to change our behavior.
Residents reported approximately 9,300 conflicts with bears in 2022. Most of these occurred in northwestern Connecticut. Bears can be killed because of conflicts with humans. Paul urged us to do what we can to keep bears from being attracted to our properties.
Paul asks us to “think about the Dos and Don’ts so that we can save bears.” The following Do’s and Don’ts come directly from his slides.
Paul’s Advice - DO NOT:
Intentionally feed bears or other wildlife;
Try to take pictures or videos of bears;
Leave pet food out overnight;
Keep food in your car;
Add meat scraps or sweets to your compost pile;
Cook or store food near your tent when camping; and,
Climb a tree or run if you see a black bear.
Paul’s Advice – DO:
Remove bird feeders and bird food from late March to late November;
Keep garbage cans in a garage or shed. Put garbage cans out on the morning of pickup. Sprinkle ammonia on trash or place a rag soaked with ammonia in the bin;
Clean grills and store them in the garage;
Be attentive when driving. Bears may eat roadkill. Their black fur makes them difficult to see at night, so they are likely to be killed by vehicles;
Make noise and wave your arms if you see a black bear;
Keep your dog on a leash. Bears may chase or swipe at dogs;
Walk slowly if you surprise a black bear;
Hang food from a tree at night when camping;
Clap your hands and make noise if you are approaching a blind spot while hiking. Bears use hiking trails too; and,
Make yourself larger and talk in a calm voice if you surprise a black bear.
If you see a bear, report your sighting to DEEP:
Please report sightings of bears, bobcats, fishers, moose, and turkey hens with young to DEEP by using https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Report-a-Wildlife-Sighting.
Paul also recommends:
Find articles about black bears and other wildlife on the DEEP website. https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP
Connecticut Wildlife Magazine. Online copies at https://portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Connecticut-Wildlife-Magazine
Paul’s website: https://paulcmwcpinct.wixsite.com/website.
“Black Bears: A Natural History” by Dave Taylor.
February 26, 2015: Return of Black Bears in Connecticut by Felicia Ortner
Some four hundred to eight hundred black bears roam the woods and hills of Connecticut, primarily in the Northwest area
The reforestation of Connecticut over the last 150 years has provided a great habitat for black bears. Depicted as a threat to humans in movies and in many magazines the reality is that these black bears seek to avoid confrontation. Normally they retreat from humans. The real problem is that they are a nuisance. Their appetites are voracious. They target our bird seed, our garbage buckets, our camp food. Ms. Ortner concluded that the black bear is much more a nuisance than a danger.
In neighborhoods frequented by bears, Ortner recommends that birds be fed only in the winter when the bears hibernate. Garbage buckets should be kept inside. In the woods campers should not leave food in their tent.
Whenever, a black bear is encountered, Ortner suggests that loud noises usually will scare off the bear. As a last resort pepper spray should be used.
Bears can run thirty miles an hour and can climb trees better than lumbermen. They can’t be outrun or out climbed. She recommends that hikers carry pepper spray.
Occasionally, a black bear will wonder into a suburb or city. This bear should be monitored by the local authorities. Neighbors should be warned. The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection should be advised. In the event that the black bear appears dangerous then it should be tranquilized. The State DEEP will return the tranquilized bear to the woods. Ortner emphasized that it is unlawful to shoot a black bear. With the use of a tranquilizer gun it should be unnecessary to kill the wandering or lost bear.
