DEEP Urges Residents to Avoid Conflicts with Bears this Fall

Press Releases 10/09/2025 DEEP Urges Residents to Avoid Conflicts with Bears this Fall Help Protect Your Neighborhood by Avoiding Feeding Bears (HARTFORD) - The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) strongly urges residents to follow best practices to reduce the likelihood of a conflict with a black bear this fall. Conflicts with bears continue to follow a long-term increasing trend in Connecticut, and bears have been observed in all of the state's 169 cities and towns. One of the leading public safety indicators of rising human-bear conflicts in Connecticut is the number of bear home entries. So far in 2025, DEEP has documented nearly 40 bear home entries across 16 municipalities. While these numbers can vary from year to year, this year's data continue to show a concerning long-term pattern demonstrated in DEEP's annual State of the Bears Report: bear home entries have risen significantly over the past six years and remain far higher than those reported in neighboring states. By comparison, data shared with DEEP by the Massachusetts Department of Natural Resources documented only four bear-home entries in Massachusetts in 2024, despite Massachusetts having a much larger black bear population than Connecticut. Black bears attempt to enter homes because they have consumed human-associated food (e.g., birdseed, trash, pet food) on a regular basis. These bears become "habituated" (comfortable around people) and "food-conditioned" (associate humans with food). Food-conditioned and habituated bears in particular pose a risk to themselves as well as to public safety and often cause property damage to houses and cars or attack pets and livestock. Unfortunately, bears become habituated and food-conditioned when they gain access to human-sourced foods, which are far more calorie-rich than natural options. Each day in the fall, bears enter hyperphagia, an annual power-eating marathon when they consume up to 20,000 calories per day to prepare for winter. Connecticut's landscape provides ample natural foods such as acorns (about 2,100 calories per pound) and blueberries (256 calories per pound), but it takes many hours of foraging to meet this daily goal. By contrast, a single bird feeder or unsecured garbage bin can provide as many calories in less than an hour as a bear would acquire foraging all day in the wild, making human-sourced foods especially tempting. The best way to keep your neighborhood safe is to prevent bears from ever getting a taste of these easy meals - every resident has a responsibility to secure potential food sources, protect their community, and help ensure that Connecticut's bears remain wild. "When bears find food in our trash, birdfeeders, or pet dishes, they lose their natural fear of people and end up in our backyards- putting our families and pets at risk," said DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes. "Every resident has a role to play in protecting our communities. Be a good neighbor - keep people safe and keep bears wild." "Bears lose their natural fear of people when they eat food from trash, birdfeeders, grills, or other human sources, causing them to spend more time in neighborhoods and near people, creating public safety risks and increasing the possibility that the bears may be hit and killed by vehicles," said Jenny Dickson, DEEP Wildlife Division Director. "Never feed bears - don't be the reason your family or neighbors are put in a dangerous situation. Please do your part to keep both bears and people safe." How to Avoid Human/Bear Conflicts NEVER feed bears. Intentionally feeding bears is illegal in Connecticut. Never toss leftover food outside "for the animals to clean up," as that can be a source of food for bears. Avoid putting out birdfeeders when bears are active, as they attract bears across all areas of Connecticut. Support birds instead by planting ecologically valuable native plants, which provide food and shelter year-round and benefit far more species than bird seed. Adding a clean source of water with a bird bath also will help birds and create enjoyable viewing opportunities. Store garbage in secure, airtight containers inside a garage or storage area. Garbage for pickup should be put outside the morning of collection and not the night before. Periodically clean garbage cans with ammonia to reduce residual odor. Consider investing in a bear-proof trash can. Properly designed bear-proof containers are a proven method for breaking the habituation cycle by preventing bears from easily accessing human food. Discuss options for bear-proof trash receptacles with your local trash hauler, since bear-proof trash cans can be compatible with trash collection trucks. Do not store leftover bird seed, suet cakes, or recyclables in a porch or screened sunroom as bears can smell these items and will rip screens to get at them. Keep barbecue grills clean. Store grills inside a garage or shed and remove any fuel source before storing. Supervise dogs at all times when outside. Keep dogs on a short leash when walking and hiking. An off-leash dog might be perceived as a threat to a bear or its cubs. Dogs are required to be on a leash when visiting State Parks, State Forests, and Wildlife Management Areas. Check dog and leash regulations for town properties, land trusts, and other public properties before visiting those areas. Do not leave pet food outdoors or feed pets outside. Use electric fencing to protect beehives, agricultural crops, berry bushes, chickens, and other livestock. Avoid placing meat scraps or sweet foods, such as fruit and fruit peels, in compost piles. DEEP recommends several best practices for reducing the likelihood of an encounter with a bear, which can be found online on DEEP's Living with Black Bears section of the website. DEEP also has created a video incorporating many of these best practices. The Be BearWise Checklist helps residents learn how to avoid attracting bears and how to keep bears way from homes and property. If you encounter a bear while in your yard or hiking, make your presence known by yelling or making other loud noises. Never attempt to get closer to a bear. If a bear does not retreat, slowly leave the area. If in your yard, go into your house, garage, or another structure. If the bear persistently approaches, go on the offensive - shout, wave your arms, and throw sticks or rocks. If your dog accompanies you on a hike, it is imperative that you keep the dog on a SHORT leash and DO NOT let it off leash - this is for the safety of your dog, yourself, and bears. Everyone can be a good neighbor and take steps to reduce encounters and potential conflicts with bears. The most important step is to remove food attractants, such as bird seed and unsecured garbage: In the rare instance when a bear appears to be aggressive toward people, residents should immediately contact DEEP's 24-hour Dispatch Center at 860-424-3333. Bear Reporting: Bear sightings reported by the public provide valuable information to assist DEEP in monitoring changes in the black bear population. Anyone who observes a black bear in Connecticut is encouraged to report sightings online or send an email to the Wildlife Division at [email protected]. Information on the presence or absence of ear tags, including tag color and numbers, is particularly valuable. A common misconception is that a tagged bear is a bear that was involved in conflicts, and a bear with two ear tags was caught on two different occasions because of conflicts. Every bear receives two ear tags (one in each ear) the first time it is handled by DEEP biologists. Most tagged bears have not been caught due to human-bear conflicts but rather as part of a project researching the state's bear population. A portion of this press release was provided by BearWise®, a program created by bear biologists and supported by state wildlife agencies. Twitter: @CTDEEPNews Facebook: DEEP on Facebook Contact DEEP Communications [email protected] 860-424-3110 Twitter Facebook Email Print