Stowe Land Trust's board member, Suzanne Danzig, shared her guest perspective with the Stowe Reporter about the responsibility of living with bears.
Here in Stowe, we are experiencing a lot of reports of encounters with bears. A bear walking across the yard isn’t a concern but one getting into your garbage, grill or breaking into your house certainly is. Bears are taught where to find food and there is a whole generation in Stowe that knows how to look at homes and cars as places to find food.
Bears are naturally wary of people. What attracts them to homes isn’t us, it is the easy meal we unintentionally provide. Once a bear discovers a reliable food source, it is likely to return, becoming increasingly comfortable and even bold around people creating problems for neighbors and the bear alike. If you see them around your property let them know that you are there and that this is your home: ring bells, make loud noises, bang pots and pans. This may sound silly, but it will let them know humans are around. Do not approach them, use these practices from a distance, preferably from inside your home.
Whether you are a year-round resident, own a second home or are visiting Vermont for the weekend, you can help keep bears out of our spaces by taking a few simple steps:
- Store garbage securely until the morning pickup. You can use a bear proof garbage bin, add an ammonia-soaked rag and store it in a locked shed.
- Do your best to utilize more than one strategy.
- Do not feed the birds at this time of year. Not even a hummingbird feeder. There is enough natural food for our birds and that is what the birds should be eating. Plant pollinators in your garden or in pots.
- Clean grills after every use. That grease can smell mighty good. Burn off all food scraps and empty the grease trap.
- Store food for pets inside.
- Lock your cars, even in your driveway.
- Use electric fencing around chickens, beehives and compost.
- To those vacation rental owners, in your welcome packet please provide a note to your guests sharing the importance of being bear aware and working to help prevent the development of a problem bear. This is on all of us.
Living alongside wildlife is one of the things that makes Vermont special. Our actions determine whether a bear becomes conditioned to finding food around people. By removing attractants and sharing this message with neighbors and guests, we can help ensure that both people and bears thrive. It is up to all of us, so even if the bear hasn’t found your feeder or garbage yet, you too need to do your part. C’mon Stowe — we can do this!