Black Bear in the House

One of my cousins who lives in Orange County, New York, with his wife and son had an unwanted houseguest for dinner one day last summer. We’ll just call my cousin “Mike” now for anonymity purposes. On this particular day Mike’s wife “Dotty” left the house to go shopping. On her return and while driving up to the house she realized that she had left the garage door open. As she started to drive into the garage she saw a fair sized black bear that had entered the garage and had tipped over a garbage can that was used to store sunflower seeds for the birds. The bear paid no attention to her and just kept eating. Both Dotty and her son sat in the car waiting for Mike to come home which was supposed to be about an hour later. The bear eventually filled-up on sunflower seeds and left the premises - without saying thank you. The bear returned several weeks later to get into their garbage cans that sat next to their garage. Dotty is careful now about leaving the garage door open when she leaves home. They also had a previous visit when a bear ripped open one of their outdoor bird feeders. These incidents may never make the papers but it plays out more often than most of us realize. I also heard a story recently from a reliable source that last year somewhere in Ulster Co. a bear climbed into someone’s home through a kitchen window and in the process knocked off the water faucet and flooding the house.

Two years ago a black bear visited our community of Winona Lake in Orange County. This particular bear stayed only a short time as far as we know. Knocking down at least one fence and climbing a tree in a neighbor’s back yard, then coming down in a hurry to land on a boat that was stored near the tree. This type of interaction with bears is happening more than most of us realize. Other types of mammals, deer, coyotes, raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels etc. are living closer to people than ever before. Or is it the other way around? Most people who live in rural, semi-rural and even cities have no clue to what might be coming into their yards, up on their decks and living under and in their homes day and night. It has also been reported that some homeowners even have deer and bear coming up on their decks for a quick meal or a handout by some homeowners. This feeding of some wildlife is against the law in some states and regions. Some people who like to feed these large animals sometime set wildlife up for a short life span. Feeding birds and other wildlife feels good to some and seems to be the right thing to do. The experts say that once you start feeding birds be prepared to continue throughout the winter. The bird seed industry does very well but a homeowner should know when to stop. Bird feeders naturally attract black bears and other creatures. So you may want to take down the bird feeder when spring arrives and bears are out of hibernation, then put it back up in the winter. And speaking about hibernating bears - I recently viewed a documentary about some bears in Pennsylvania that were hibernating under the protective decks of some homeowners and in natural den sites within sight distance of occupied homes.

 

It is my opinion, and that of many experts, that populations of deer, bear and many mammal species are higher today than in the last 20, 30, 40 years or more. In fact we most likely have more deer today than in colonial times. This overpopulation seems to be occurring mostly in populated urban areas. Remote areas like the Catskill and Adirondack State Parks don’t appear to be experiencing this “overpopulation“ but seem to have populations that are normal to low - whatever that means - and depending who is making the assessment. The reasons for high densities are many and varied and it will most likely get worse in the future. Over populations and high densities of any wildlife species no doubt creates impacts to people and the environment just as much as over populations and high densities of people creates many impacts to wildlife and the environment in one form or another. We can expect increased rates of Rabies, Lyme Disease, automobile/deer/bear collisions, insurance costs, damage to crops, gardens, homes and property. Impacts to non-mammal species and myriad other impacts will eventually wake-up a lot of people who may have never seen the light to these increasing problems.

As many of us already know and agree - modern day humans have created some the worst impacts to our environment than any other species that we know of.

Last year I appeared as a guest on a regional TV Cable Show called “Direct Line,” regarding the overpopulation of deer in NYS. Two other guests appeared at the same time - a lady representing anti-hunting/anti-gun groups and a wildlife manager from the New York State Department of Conservation. It was very interesting to be on the show with this lady. But even more interesting to talk to her before the show started. She was loaded with misinformation and misconceptions regarding wildlife, hunting/fishing and the DEC. I hope to be writing more on these subjects in the future but thought you might like to hear the story about the “bear in the house.” Luckily that story had a good ending with no major problems and only a storage container being turned over - this time. I advised my cousin to be prepared for the next time. Recommending to him - to make sure that you have enough firepower to protect yourself, your family and your home. I also advised him to take the available courses in hunter and gun safety and also to maybe even buy his hunting and fishing licenses to be able to harvest some of natures bounty like the creator intended and as humans have been naturally doing since the beginning of mankind. Even though bear and large animal attacks are very rare they can and do happen. If you do encounter any of the larger wild animals in your yard or home - give it a wide berth especially if it has young. Don’t corner it or try to close it in. Call your town’s Animal Control Department, the NYSDEC or the police if you feel that you are in immediate danger or the animal is acting in a strange manner.

The Hudson River PCB Saga continues. Before you make a decision as to whether you feel the “hotspots” in the upstate portions of the river should be removed or left alone. Please get as much information about the remediation plan as possible. In the past couple of months I have been to six different informational meetings or hearings- all related to PCB’s, contamination of the Hudson River, its fish and wildlife and PCB impacts on people. I can’t accept the reasoning and excuses of GE, the company who dumped the chemical into the Hudson for years and who may have to pay the bill for the clean-up of the “hotspots.” While the clean-up operation is underway the river will be monitored downstream by the EPA. I accept the reports of the scientists who have come forward to report on the seriousness of PCB contamination in our environment. Many of our so-called public servants are being very quiet about PCB’s, GE and the cleanup. Now do you think it is because they may have received thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from GE? A few are speaking-up though - for GE. I’ll never forget how our late Governor Rockefeller once said he would drink a glass full of PCB’s. This was in response to state employees refusing to go back to work in a building, in Albany, that had a fire in a transformer that contained PCB’s.

I hope to see you at this year’s “Sportsmen’s March On Albany” - March 21st. As sportsmen/women and gun-owners we certainly have a lot to complain about this year e.g., the license fee increase, Pataki’s anti-gun laws, the Hudson River PCB Cleanup etc.

Please take someone hunting, fishing, target shooting, hiking or to an important meeting.