By CHRISSY PRICHARD

Express News Staff

The local bear population has been very busy so far this summer. According to Environmental Conservation Officer Russ Ritzel, he has been receiving an above average number calls reporting bear activity in the area.

This increase in reports led to a meeting between Ritzel, DEC Wildlife Biologist Steve Heerkens, Town of Webb Police Chief John Russell and Town of Webb Supervisor Ted Riehle on Monday, June 25.

The group discussed the need to educate residents and visitors about what they can do to avoid encounters with bears and how to keep them from breaking into cars, garages, porches, etc.

Heerkens says bear activity tends to come in cycles. They’ll be a few quiet summers followed by a year with a lot more bears causing a lot more problems in neighborhoods and campgrounds.

Not all bears are nuisance bears. By nature, they are timid and will avoid contact with humans. However they are very intelligent, and it doesn’t take much for a bear to realize that people can provide them with an easy meal. Once a bear has learned that they can find garbage on peoples porches, in unsecured dumpsters, or left out overnight for garbage pickup, they will focus on this as a primary food source.

It is in the best interest of both bears and people for bears to get their food solely from wild sources. Once a bear learns to associate certain structures with food, it can become a serious nuisance to people and a threat to itself. Bears that lose their natural fear of humans are much more likely to be illegally shot, hit by an automobile or destroyed under a DEC nuisance permit. Some studies suggest that when a bear is fed (either directly or indirectly), its life expectancy is cut by as much as 50 percent.

Bears not only use their sense of smell to find a tasty treat, they recognize many things by sight, such as coolers and bird feeders. In order to keep bears from learning that humans equal food, people are urged to take the proper steps to prevent bears from looking to us for an easy meal.

“A fed bear is a dead bear”, according to the campaign that was enacted locally a few years ago. When bears habitually visit residences and campsites for food, they can become more aggressive and persistent, which can lead to bears breaking into cars and porches. Not only is this destructive, it can pose a threat to people. When a bear becomes brazen enough try breaking into a residence, it can often lead to bear having to be euthanized.

Just last week, it was reported that a bear was attempting to enter an Inlet residence with such persistence that the homeowner ended up shooting the bear. Also last week, an Old Forge resident reported waking up to a bear trying to get in the house through a window. After scaring the bear away it returned for another try, at which point the homeowner had to use pepper spray to get it to leave.

The simplest way to avoid a nuisance encounter is to remove all food sources. Removing the food source will remove the bear, according to the DEC. In order to keep bears at bay, it is essential that the public handle garbage, food, coolers and birdfeeders with care.

Garbage should be kept indoors, not on a porch, in a vehicle, or outside. Leaving garbage out for collection should not be done the night before, but on the morning of pickup. Riehle encourages people to bring their trash straight to the transfer station whenever possible. The transfer station is located on the McCauley Road and is open six days a week.

Other food sources like pet food and birdfeeders need to be put away as well. The DEC recommends that bird feeders be taken down during spring, summer and fall. Pets should be fed indoors. Barbecue grills should be cleaned after use and stored indoors as well. Adding bones, melon rinds or meat scraps to a compost pile will also attract bears.

When camping, keep food out of sight and secured in the trunk of a hard topped, locked vehicle if one is available. If a vehicle is not available, hang food and garbage from a tree at least eight feet off the ground. Keep picnic tables, utensils, fireplaces and the surrounding areas clean. Cook and eat as far from your tent or sleeping area as possible.

Depending on how the rest of the season goes, Heerkens said it may become necessary to start trapping bears locally so they can be tagged. This would help the DEC tell the bears apart in order to determine which bears are causing the most trouble. If a particular bear becomes a habitual nuisance, lethal force may become necessary.

Not only does the careless handling of food sources attract bears to residential areas and campsites, directly feeding bears is a big contributor. While many visitors come to the area in hopes of a seeing wildlife, people need to be aware that it is illegal to feed bears, deer, ducks, raccoons, or any other animals that they may encounter. Wild animals need to find their food in the wild. According to Ritzel, feeding wildlife can lead to a ticket carrying a fine of $250, or even a 15-day stay in jail, depending on the circumstances.

It is not only illegal to intentionally feed bears, it is also illegal to inadvertently feed them. Specifically, after written notice from DEC, the incidental or indirect feeding of bears through food attractants such as garbage, pet food or bird seed is illegal. DEC has the authority to require the removal of these and other food attractants when bears become problematic.

Nuisance bears and bear feeding should be promptly reported to the DEC by calling 1-(877) 457-5680. Callers do not have to give their name, and all calls are kept confidential. For more information about black bears, visit the DEC website at www.dec.ny.gov and type “black bears” into the search bar. Further information, including posters that can be displayed in businesses and rental properties, is available at the Town of Webb Visitor Information Center.