Dealing with Bears

Bears are making a comeback in our state and being seen more frequently in Ridgefield.  This is mainly due to reforestation, which gives bears a wonderful natural habitat.   This is the time of year that bears start to become active again.  After their winter nap, the first though on their minds is food.  Bears are intelligent animals with keen sense of smell and hearing.  They also have good memories.  If they found food somewhere before, they tend to repeatedly revisit the area.  Birdfeeders, especially those that contain black oil sunflower seeds are an immediate draw.  This is ideal food because it contains high levels of fat and protein, factors missing in a bear’s natural springtime food sources.  If you wish to avoid a bear incident in your yard, here are some tips to follow:   Now is the time to take down your birdfeeder and rake up all spilled birdseed.  If you compost, do not put meats or sweet-smelling fruit rinds in it.  Sprinkle lime on your compost pile to reduce the smell and discourage bears.  Do not leave pet food outside overnight and store livestock food in airtight containers.   Secure all garbage in airtight containers and store it inside a secure shed or garage.  Dumpsters should have metal locking tops and doors.  Bears tend to feed at night (but can be active during the day).  Putting out you garage in the morning for pickup will avoid overnight visits from all forms of wildlife.  Clean grills after every use and store inside.  Most importantly:  DO NOT FEED BEARS.  Spreading the word and hopefully your neighborhood will be bear free.  If you do see a bear on property, leave it alone.  Wait for it to leave and remove whatever attracted it.  In order to better manage bears, the State DEP requests that you report bear sightings to:  http://www.depdata.ct.gov/wildlife/sighting/bearsight.asp.  By avoiding interactions between bears and humans, you can save a bear’s life.  When a bear becomes labeled a “nuisance bear”, unfortunately it will likely to be put down.  Relocation has limited results.