By CHRISSY PRICHARD

Express News Staff

As summer continues, the bears in the Old Forge area are continuing with their shenanigans. The DEC and local law enforcement has intensified their efforts to keep the interactions between bears and humans to a minimum, and although there has been some progress made, reports of bear break-ins are still being received.

Bears have been over-stepping their bounds and trying to get into peoples porches, houses, cars and garages. Bear nuisance and damage reports are being received in high numbers, about 10 to 15 per week by DEC Region 6 Law Enforcement and Wildlife staff.  The Old Forge-Inlet corridor has been especially active with nuisance complaints. The Old Forge Police Department reports that from June 27 to July 31 it has answered 42 calls in reference to bear complaints. Wildlife and Law Enforcement staff respond with technical advice as quickly as possible, but local residents and visitors are responsible for preventing bears from gaining access to food items such as bird food, garbage and unattended coolers.

Bears have been causing trouble elsewhere in the state, particularly in the Catskills region, but not to the extent as what has been seen in the Old Forge area.

Black bears will take advantage of almost any readily available food source. Once bears learn about human food sources, it is not easy to recondition them to the wild and this can lead to conflicts between bears and people.

Recently, a bear attempted to get inside the Candy Cottage in Old Forge by ripping off the siding, an incident that was widely publicized. This has been the most blatant damage reported so far this year, but property damage is ongoing on a lesser level, typically involving outbuildings and vehicles.

Bears that repeatedly cause damage can become more and more aggressive over time, which often leads to the bear having to be eliminated. In order to protect public safety, DEC biologists may determine it necessary to euthanize an offending bear. It is always a last resort to take a bear. So far this summer, five bears have been euthanized in the area.

“Euthanizing is always a last resort, we never want to put down an animal and only do it when public safety is threatened,” said DEC Region 6 Spokesperson Steve Litwhiler.

Since some of the more problematic bears have been eliminated, there has been a small drop in the number of incidents reported, but the problem is far from being solved.

“It appears to be quieter, but complaints continue to come in from Old Forge to Eagle Bay,” said Litwhiler.  

Trapping and transferring nuisance bears may seem like a solution, but it’s not always that easy. Bear relocations can work if the bear isn’t solely feeding from human sources. Relocating bears is extremely time consuming and does not solve the problem if people are feeding them. Bears are extremely mobile and have an excellent sense of smell and homing abilities and may return to the original capture site or start a new problem where there was none. If food attractants are not managed correctly, new bears will be quickly attracted and the problem will persist.

The key to preventing or solving most problems between bears and people is to eliminate the artificial food sources provided by people.

Once a bear learns to get food from people, it can be difficult to change the animal’s behavior.

“None have been tagged or transferred this year,” stated Litwhiler. ”No bears that we have handled were considered candidates for trap and transfer.”

On Aug. 2, DEC Environmental Conservation Officer Russell Ritzel responded to a call at the Old Forge Camping Resort. A bear was roaming around the campground, and the management became concerned that the bear might be heading towards the Enchanted Forest/ Water Safari, which is adjacent to the campground. Ritzel tracked the bear and drove it off into the woods with the help of rubber buckshot. He succeeded in getting the bear to leave the area, but according to some folks staying at the campground, bears are seen there on a regular basis.

So what is causing this increase in nuisance activity this year? Some of it can be attributed to the difficulty bears are having finding natural food sources, due to the dry weather this year. But most of the problem stems from humans intentionally feeding bears or luring them closer with food, as well as attractants like garbage, food and birdseed left unsecured.

“The major issues we are seeing this summer with nuisance activity has been exacerbated by the intentional feeding by campers and visitors who think it is fun to feed bears for pictures or to be close to bears,” said Region 6 Big Game Biologist Steven Heerkens.

Educating the public has been a big priority this year, but many people seem to be disregarding the advice they are given.

“The bigger problem is dealing with the issue of human behavior. Visitors and campers are feeding bears,” says Litwhiler. “It is currently against DEC regulations to directly or indirectly feed bears. We are working to educate communities on the best way to live in areas occupied by bears.”

Flashing road signs have been placed along the highways that bring people into the area, reminding visitors that feeding wildlife is against the law.

It is against DEC regulations to directly or indirectly feed bears and people who feed bears, intentionally or otherwise, are doing bears a great disservice. In June and July, law enforcement wrote eight tickets for bear feeding, as well as one written warning. Tickets can be written not only for direct feeding, but also for leaving garbage and other attractants where they can be accessed by bears.

“Residents and tourists alike are asked to respect bears as wild animals so everyone can enjoy them with a minimum of problems,” Heerkens said. “If bears are fed by people, tickets will be issued and the bears will ultimately become pests that lose their natural avoidance of humans. These nuisance bears then become a problem for the neighborhood and local municipalities.”

Homeowners and tourists are strongly encouraged to follow guidelines, not only to keep from getting a ticket, but to ultimately protect the wildlife that is an integral part of the Adirondack Park. The DEC makes the following recommendations to discourage bears from becoming a nuisance:

• Dispose of garbage as frequently as possible. Store it in clean, secure containers (top-latched, tied or chained). Double bag meat scraps in a zip lock bag. Use ammonia soaked rags inside the garbage bag before closing. Tie off garbage bag before placing in container.

• If your garbage is picked up at the curb, put the garbage out just before the scheduled pickup or place it in a roadside bear-resistant container.  Don’t put garbage out the night before pick-up at the curb.

• If you live in an area frequented by bears, periodically disinfect or scrub garbage cans with lysol, ammonia or bleach and water, store garbage cans in a secure place such as a garage, cellar or a bear-resistant container, instead of a porch if possible. Place moth balls in the bottom of garbage cans to mask lingering food odors.

• When camping, keep food out of sight and secured in a vehicle if one is available. Hang food and garbage from a tree, out of reach (8 feet or higher). Also, keep picnic tables, utensils, fireplaces and the area around them clean. Do not leave coolers unattended.

• Remember that the smell of cooked foods may attract wandering bears closer to your house. Clean up after your picnic or barbecue. Keep barbeque grills as clean as possible and after they cool down store them inside. Do not overlook cleaning the grease trap.

• Don’t leave food visible for bears to see in through windows. Close blinds if necessary.

• Feed pets and store foods indoors. If you must feed pets outdoors, give them only enough food for one feeding, and take in all uneaten food and dishes before dark.

• Do not feed birds through the summer. Birds don’t really need supplemental food this the time of year when their natural food is most abundant.

• Don’t add meat scraps, bones or melon rinds to your compost pile.

• Do not leave dirty diapers or diaper pails outside.

Bear feeding activity or issues with nuisance bears should be promptly reported to the DEC by calling 1-877-457-5680. For more information about bears, call the DEC Region 6 Wildlife Office at (315)785-2261 or visit DEC’s web site at www.dec.ny.gov.