CONNECTICUT — At the half-way mark of 2023, all signs indicate it will be a banner year for bears.
Connecticut’s black bear population has been out of hibernation (or, more accurately, torpor) for about three months, and residents of all but 15 towns have filed sighting reports with the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
In total, there have been 5,433 black bear sightings in Connecticut between June 27 and the start of the year, according to data provided Patch by DEEP.
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The glimpses of Yogi and his clan have been clustered in the north central area of the state, which is typical. Simsbury grabbed the lion’s share of 372.
As bears have become more habituated to man-made structures and human behavior, Connecticut residents can expect to see more and more of them, season after season.
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Some wildlife experts predict that a shift in climate and shortening winters in the Northeast will set black bears’ internal alarm clocks earlier, perhaps before adequate food sources are available. If they awaken before their table is set for them in the wild, it’s a fair bet they will be making their way to yours.
Exhibit “A”: The town of Avon, currently second in the bear sighting standings, with 317 reported. At least two of those reports were made when a couple of the creatures crashed the town’s annual Memorial Day parade this year. Earlier that month, a bear broke into a home in Avon and helped itself to some food. And an Avon bakery worker learned the hard way that bears love cupcakes, too, when one of them broke into her shop and started throwing its weight around.
A little less Looney Tunes: a few days later in Bloomfield, a bear was euthanized after it had broken into a home in town. The bear could have made a clean getaway had it not dawdled around the property, following its heist.
To minimize your chances of waking up to find a bear browsing your fridge, DEEP officials suggest you hide away your bird feeders and trash cans.
Not only do the sight and smells of your backyard bird feeders attract bears, but they reward them for coming close to your home. That same principle applies to trash cans that aren’t tightly covered.
DEEP officials advise Connecticut residents to remove birdfeeders and bird food from their yards from late March through November. And not only should homeowners keep garbage cans inside, the state wildlife biologists advise adding ammonia to your trash to make it unpalatable.
Remember that not all of your trash is in a plastic bag inside a bucket. Make a point of cleaning your grills after use, and the wildlife scientists at DEEP recommend you store them, minus their propane cans, in a garage or shed when they are not being used. Outside compost piles should not contain meat or sweets.
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