Black bears feeling right at home in Jackson

Lack of natural food supply forces bruins to head to town looking for food

Mother Nature has not provided her usual smorgasbord of berries and acorns, prompting black bears to head into populated areas looking for easy meals. Such is the case in Jackson where a mother bear and her two cubs have become the talk of the town in recent weeks. They've interrupted a soccer game, become regulars at the Jackson Grammar School playground and have been seen just about all over town."A sow and her two cubs have been all over the park," Frank DiFruscio, a Jackson resident, said. "I know they were at a soccer game and have been seen hanging out in the village. They're not the only bears, though. The other day I had a big bear run across the street right in front of me, in broad daylight, near Chase's service station... It's true there are a lot bears in Jackson this fall."Anne Kebler, principal at Jackson Grammar School, said students are taking the bruin sightings in stride. "We have had bears all over the village, not just here at school," she said. "There have been a lot of sightings down by the pond and we've had them here at the playground. It's not a huge surprise for the children to see them, they're fairly accustomed to seeing wildlife in Jackson. I think it was more of a shock for one of our new teachers. I don't think they expected having to be on the look out for bears before we go out to the playground... Fish and Game has been very good at telling us what our best options are to take everyone is alert."N.H. Fish and Game Conservation Officer Brian Abrams is well aware of the mother and her cubs. "I know they're spending a lot of time in the village," he said. "The good thing is they're not causing an damage or real problems. What we're asking is for people to give them their space and hopefully they'll return to the woods sooner or later. Our fear is that they'll get spoiled with people feeding them."Abrams said if it were just a single bear, Fish and Game would probably set a trap, tranquilize and then relocate it, but with a mother and two cubs they need to take a different approach. "It's unlikely we could trap all three at one time," he said. "We're trying to give the mom as much space as possible. She hasn't caused any problems. We ask that people just let her be."Fish and Game has received a large volume of bear calls this summer and early fall. "It's been a very poor year for beechnuts, berries and other natural foods," Abrams said, "and that's forced the bears to look other places, like coming into town, for food."According to Fish and Game there are approximately 4,900 black bears in the Granite State. Officials are urging folks to put backyard birdfeeders away, keep barbecue grills in a secured area and don't leave trash cans out.One of New Hampshire's most fascinating wild animals, the black bear has a highly evolved sense of smell and an uncanny sense of direction. Bears often travel for miles in search of critical food. A male black bear might range over a 100-square-mile area. Females generally range from 6 to 8 square miles. Unfortunately, bears that learn to rely on human sources of food quickly lose their sense of wildness and can become a nuisance to people.According to Fish and Game wildlife biologist Eric Orff, raiding a bird feeder, a bear finds quick satisfaction with a fat-rich meal and soon starts looking for other feeders in the neighborhood. Female bears will often teach this habit to their cubs, according to Orff. Once bears become emboldened, they learn that human habitations offer sources for many kinds of food, including trash bins, compost piles and barbecue grills. Pestering humans can be a tough habit for a bear to break.To avoid problems with black bears, follow a few simple tips from Fish and Game:Put away your birdfeeders now; clean up seeds below feeders. Don't begin feeding the birds again until Dec. 1. Plenty of natural food is available for birds. Keep garbage in airtight containers inside your garage or storage area. Insist on bear-proof dumpsters. Put garbage intended for pickup out on the morning of collection, not the night before.Never put meat or other leftover cooked foods in your compost pile. Don't leave pet food dishes outdoors at night.Clean up or store outdoor grills after each use.Never intentionally feed bears. This activity is illegal and dangerous, and can result in the bear being killed.When camping, keep campsites clean. Keep all food in airtight containers in vehicles or well out of a bear's reach never inside a tent.Abrams said the bears tend to start hibernating in early December.For more information on preventing conflicts with black bears, visit N.H. Fish and Game's website, where you'll find a new set of Frequently Asked Questions about black bears in New Hampshire: www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Wildlife/faqs_black_bears.htm. People with questions about bear-related problems can get advice by calling a toll-free number coordinated jointly by U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Services and N.H. Fish and Game Department: 1-888-749-2327 (1-888-SHY-BEAR).