As “hungry” black bears emerge from hibernation, it’s time to press paws and make sure you take steps to keep the large animals away from your home and neighborhood.
That’s the message from MassWildlife, as thousands of black bears leave their winter dens and seek out food.
Wildlife officials have gotten reports in recent weeks of bears killing chickens.
“They (black bears) haven’t eaten for four to five months, so they’re very hungry and out looking for food,” said Dave Wattles, black bear and furbearer biologist at MassWildlife.
“There’s not a lot of natural food out there, so they’re drawn to any food around our homes,” he added. “So it’s really important for the public to make changes to their behaviors and remove food sources so bears are not around their homes — which can lead to conflicts.”
Around 4,500 to 5,000 black bears live in Massachusetts, and their range is expanding eastward.
Removing bird feeders
Residents with bird feeders should take them down, Wattles stressed as the thousands of bears emerge from hibernation. Bears will often ignore seasonally available natural foods, like acorns and nuts, in favor of an easy meal at a backyard bird feeder.
“Bird feeders are basically the gateway drug, where they’re training bears to come to backyards,” Wattles said. “They train them that the best place to find food is right next to the home, so they get more comfortable there, and that leads to breaking into sheds and garages.”
Other species, including wild turkeys and coyotes, may also frequent bird feeders — which can lead to more human-wildlife conflict.
Securing chicken coops and livestock
Beyond bird feeders, residents need to protect backyard chickens, hives, and other small livestock. This season, there have already been reports of bears killing chickens in Worcester County.
“Chickens are an easy source of food for bears,” Wattles said. “Every single bear will take advantage of these meals.”
Coops and chicken wire provide inadequate protection from black bears.
People should secure bee hives, chickens, and livestock with properly installed and maintained electric fencing.
“We’re begging anyone to be using electric fencing,” Wattles said. “It’s the only thing that will protect your backyard livestock.
Storing garbage
People also need to secure other human-associated food sources, including by storing garbage in closed containers in a garage or outbuilding.
Residents should bring their garbage out to the curb on the morning of pick up.
Also, compost responsibly by not putting meat scraps, greasy, oily or sweet materials in your compost pile. Clean grills after each use and do not leave food scraps, grease containers, or spilled grease in your yard.
Bear encounters
If you come across a bear in your yard or nature, slowly back up and give the bear space. Do not approach bears or get between a female bear and her cubs. Also, do not run.
“Don’t try to get closer to take a photo,” Wattles said. “Let the bear do its thing before it wanders away.”
Fight back if a bear makes contact with you.
If you spot a bear in your yard, wait for the bear to leave — then remove or secure food sources on your property.
Also, supervise your pets outdoors. The presence of a dog could trigger a bear to be aggressive. Check your yard for bears before letting your dog outside. Keep dogs leashed when they’re outside, and never let dogs chase or interact with bears.
In most situations, if left alone, the bear will return to the forest on its own. If a bear is in a populated area, contact the Environmental Police Radio Room at 1-800-632-8075 or the nearest MassWildlife District Office to report the sighting.
Environmental Police or MassWildlife will provide advice and determine if a response from the Large Animal Response Team (LART) is necessary. In most cases, bears in residential areas do not need a LART response and will leave the area on their own.