Winsted bear sightings highlight population boom

WINTSED — A large adult black bear made himself at home here in Winsted Tuesday, Sept. 8, lounging in cluster of bushes between Bank Street and Mountain Avenue for several minutes before lumbering up and disappearing into the wooded mountainside off Hill Street.

Police on the scene estimated the bear weighed 700 to 800 pounds. The sighting was reported at about 5:30 p.m. Apparently, the animal was attracted to the area by a large backyard bird feeder.

After police arrived at the scene, the bear retreated to a large patch of bushes alongside a stone wall shared by a group of homes between Bank and Mountain.

After about 20 minutes, the bear came back out into the open, contemplated climbing a tree, but changed its mind and ambled toward Hill Street before retreating to the woods.

Tuesday’s incident is the second bear sighting in town in the last several days. A black bear was sighted roaming along Cook Street, near the corner of Woodland Avenue up by Highland Lake, around 9:30 p.m. Aug. 31.

The incident was reported to local police, but the animal was gone by the time the responding officers arrived on the scene.

Black bears sightings throughout the state — particularly here in the Northwest Corner — have steadily risen over the last several years.

“The frequency of sightings is definitely up,†Paul Rego, a Winsted resident and wildlife biologist with the state Department of Environmeental Protection (DEP), said.

Rego said 30 years ago it was extremely rare for a bear to be sighted in Connecticut.

“But sightings are even more common now than they were five years ago,†he said, adding that the number of reported sightings of black bears has increased an average of 20 percent a year over the last few years.

Although Rego said a variety of factors have contributed to the steady jumps in sightings — such as improved reporting methods — the main reason is there are just more bears.

Over the past 12 months, there have been 39 reported black bear sightings in Winchester/Winsted, 92 sightings in Barkhamsted, 75 in New Hartford, 26 in Hartland, 16 in Colebrook and 10 in Norfolk.

“The number of bears here is increasing, and they are spreading,†he said. “I don’t think there’s any disputing that.â€

But that wasn’t always the case.

“Black bears were completely eliminated from the state by the mid-1800s,†Rego said, adding that most of the area’s surviving animals retreated over the border to rural portions of western Massachusetts.

According to the state DEP, their return is due, in part, to the regrowth of forestland throughout the region following the abandonment of farms during the late 19th century.

In addition, Rego said the advent of wildlife management and animal protection laws have also played an important role in the bears’ resurgence.

“These things have allowed an increase in their numbers,†he said. “We now have a resident bear population here.â€

But a steady growth in their population has led to increased interactions between humans and the forest animals.

According to the state DEP, black bears are generally shy, secretive and usually fearful of humans. And unlike grizzly bears, black bears seldom show aggression toward humans.

However, if they regularly find food near houses and areas of human activity, they can lose their fear of humans, wildlife officials say.

And so, Rego said, the best way to discourage a bear from coming onto your property is not to encourage it to come there in the first place.

“Remove those things that attract the bear,†Rego said.

Items that attract bears include birdseed, trash cans filled with kitchen scraps and garbage, as well as pet food left outdoors.

Bears normally leave an area once they have sensed a human. And, although aggression by bears toward humans is exceptionally rare, the DEP urges residents who see a bear to enjoy it from a distance. If, however, you encounter a bear:

• Make your presence known by making noise and waving your arms if you see a bear while hiking.

• Keep dogs on a leash and under control. A roaming dog might be perceived as a threat to a bear or its cubs.

• Walk away slowly if you surprise a bear nearby.

• Do not climb a tree, but wait in a vehicle or building for the bear to leave the area.

• Also, do not cook food near your tent or store food inside your tent. Instead, keep food in a secure vehicle or use rope to suspend it between two trees.

For more information about black bears or to report a sighting, visit ct.gov/dep, or call the DEP’s 24-hour hotline at 860-424-3333.

The bear facts

According to the state Department of Environmental Protection, during the last three decades, the resident black bear population has become established in Connecticut, primarily in the northwestern region. Bears have also wandered into heavily populated residential areas.

Below are a few steps residents can take to reduce the likelihood of a bear becoming a problem around their homes:

• Remove bird feeders from late March through November. If a bear visits a bird feeder in winter, remove the feeder.

• Wait until the morning of collection to bring out trash. Add a few capfuls of ammonia to trash bags and garbage cans to mask food odors. Keep trash bags in a container with a tight lid and store in a garage or shed.

• Do not leave pet food outside overnight. Store livestock food in airtight containers.

• Do not put meats or sweet-smelling fruit rinds in compost piles. Lime can be sprinkled on the compost pile to reduce the smell and discourage bears.

• Thoroughly clean grills after use or store in a garage or shed.

• Never intentionally feed bears. Bears that associate food with people may become aggressive and dangerous. This may lead to personal injury, property damage and the need to destroy problem animals.