With a Facebook Group dedicated just to local reported sightings, Black Bears are a frequent topic of conversation around here. As part of our nature lecture series co-sponsored with Bloomfield Leisure Services, State-certified master wildlife conservationist Paul Colburn discussed how we can live with Black Bears with minimal conflict despite their expanding population.

Black Bears are the only bear in Connecticut. Clear-cutting of old growth forests from 1650 through 1850 and unrestricted, often systematic, hunting nearly extirpated them from Connecticut. As our mixed forests regrew and bears wandered in from Massachusetts, their population rapidly recovered everywhere except the coastline and Connecticut River floodplain. A handful in the 1980’s became over 1,000 today, and is projected to double every six years.

They’re opportunistic omnivores. About 85% of their diet is comprised of grains, fruits, and nuts. If wetlands are nearby you might see them eat skunk cabbage, the first prolific, tender greens of Spring. They’ll take advantage of colonizing insects such as the larva and honey in bee hives. Though unskilled hunters, they still may prey on small mammals, deer, and livestock. And of course they’ll scavenge carrion and raid bird feeders and garbage cans any time of day, in many places learning to be more active at night for greater success.

Up close their glossy black coat can reveal brownish tones and tan muzzles. Their five-toed feet with claws leave tracks larger than anything else here, in a human-like pattern. Less than a pound at birth, nursing cubs grow quickly in their first seven months (Black Bear milk is the most nutritious in the animal kingdom) and reach 45-100 pounds in a year. Adult sows weigh 110-250 pounds and boars 150-450, reaching five feet long. Their short, thick legs can climb an 80 foot tree in a few seconds, run 100 yards in 5 seconds, and swim well.

Mating occurs in late June-early July. They’re not monogamous, and boars traveling extensively in search of sows may fight rivals and unreceptive sows. In well-nourished sows fertilized eggs attach to the uterus by November, and they’ll give birth to 2-3 cubs a short time later in January. By Spring they’ve grown teeth and claws to accompany their mother on foraging trips, learning everything they need by observation and great memories (returning to easy food sources for generations). They’re subject to predation by Great Horned Owls, Coyotes, Bobcats, and even male Black Bears. But by their second summer they’ll disperse in search of their own territories, females typically within 5-10 square miles and males wandering 10-60 square miles.

To survive the unfavorable weather and lack of food winter brings, Black Bears usually den late-November to mid-March. Dens lined with leaves, grass, or rotted wood come in all shapes and sizes: a hollowed out or fallen tree, brush pile, under a porch or a rocky ledge, or in a Mountain Laurel grove. They generate energy from fat rather than eat, metabolically recycle nitrogen into lean muscle instead of urinate, and experience a lower body temperature and heart rate. But unlike true hibernators like squirrels, they can become alert very quickly if disturbed. And newborn cubs remain awake and nursing.

Black Bears now are found across the state, including major urban centers. Thus they seldom are relocated unless truly trapped in an urban area, and only the rare persistently dangerous bear may be euthanized. Rather the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) baits traps with donuts, currently tracks 30 sows with radio collars, and with the help of citizen reported sightings tracks many more with ear tags.

Paul stressed there is no such thing as a problem bear. Rather it’s important we take precautions and learn to adapt to their presence to avoid damage and problems. For example, major culprits are garbage not properly secured, meats or fruits in compost, pet food left out overnight, and bird feeders left out mid-March through November. There are millions of bear encounters each year without incident. But if you have a rare encounter with one, make noise (e.g. airhorn), make yourself look big (e.g. wave arms or jacket above head), and back away slowly rather than turn to run. They’re more likely to warily amble away than run, but slowly learn your yard is more trouble than it’s worth.

DEEP’s Living with Black Bears webpage provides a wealth of additional resources: “Do’s and Don’ts”, Bear Aware posters to print and share, kids pages, webinars, and citizen reported sightings. Paul also recommended Dave Taylor’s Black Bears: A Natural History.

Thank you for helping to learn and share what we need to do to co-exist with and enjoy our Black Bear neighbors!