Forum Explores Black Bear Population

LITCHFIELD - There has been a lot talk about the growing bear population in Connecticut over the last several years. I recently had the opportunity to participate in an informative discussion at a public forum on black bears in our state. We were joined by CT DEEP Biologists Jason Hawley and Kyle Testerman, and CT DEEP Deputy Commissioner of Environmental Conservation Mason Trumble. A myriad of topics were covered, including: information and statistics on bear populations in our state; issues that people face in Connecticut compared to surrounding states; and mitigation and cohabitation efforts, such as proper storage of garbage; and how to prevent bear entries into homes.

The black bear population in Connecticut is currently around 1,200, although conflicts that include bears entering people’s homes happens at a higher rate than in neighboring states that have higher overall black bear populations. One suggestion to curb bear encounters offered was the safe storage of garbage, including using bear-resistant garbage containers to help prevent bears from rummaging through garbage cans. Other mitigation efforts suggested included electric fences, especially in defense of pets and other animals such as livestock, and eliminating or minimizing the use of bird feeders, as some municipalities have already done via local ordinances