Stowe Land Trust's Tom Rogers recently shared his guest perspective with the Stowe Reporter on bear conflicts in Stowe.
I’ve spent much of my life studying bears - tracking their movements, analyzing their behavior, and learning to understand them. While earning my graduate degree in wildlife biology, I worked in the Yellowstone region studying grizzly bears and the vast, wild landscapes they roam. When I moved to Vermont, my first job was radio-collaring black bears for a research project.
That experience instilled in me a deep respect and appreciation for these animals, and it’s part of what makes me appreciate Stowe so much. Here, we live in a place where nature is still part of daily life. Moose wander the woods, bobcats prowl the hills, and black bears - majestic, intelligent, and resourceful - are part of our backyard landscape.
But our relationship with black bears is fraying. In recent years, Stowe has become the number one town in Vermont for bear-human conflicts. This summer is already shaping up to be another record-breaker. There are reports of one bear breaking into ten cars in a single parking lot, and more accounts of bears entering homes. This is dangerous, not just for people, but for the bears.
When a bear starts relying on human food, whether it’s birdseed, trash, or snacks left in an unlocked car, it begins to associate people with meals. That kind of bear is often labeled a ‘problem,’ but in reality, these situations often stem from human behavior. Bears are smart, curious, and highly motivated by food. Once they learn that a car, garage, or kitchen might offer an easy meal, they’ll keep coming back. And eventually, when the risk becomes too great, these bears are often killed to protect human safety.
The tragedy is that these conflicts are preventable. The guidance is clear: remove bird feeders from April through November, secure trash, clean grills, and never leave food or scented items in your car. Many in our community already follow these practices. The challenge is making sure this information reaches everyone—especially visitors and newcomers who may not realize just how common and close our wildlife encounters can be.
As Stowe grows and evolves, it’s more important than ever that we make wildlife awareness a shared community value. Town government, HOAs, lodging owners, and local businesses all have a role to play. Vacation rental owners can include bear awareness materials in every property. Property managers can inspect trash storage for bear safety. And everyone, whether they’ve lived here for decades or are new to town, can take small steps that make a big difference for wildlife.
Living in a place like Stowe is a gift. Not everyone gets to wake up to the sound of a hermit thrush or spot bear tracks on a morning walk. With that privilege comes the opportunity to be good neighbors to the wildlife that surrounds us. If we want to keep wildlife as part of our lives, we need to make thoughtful choices.
It’s also essential that we protect open space and habitat corridors. As development spreads, we squeeze bears into smaller and more fragmented patches of land. Bears need to move across large areas to find seasonally available food - dandelions in spring, berries in summer, and acorns in fall. When natural pathways are blocked by development, bears are left with fewer choices, and human food becomes more tempting.
A bear that can move safely from one mountainside to another is far less likely to raid a kitchen or dumpster. Protecting land and maintaining habitat connectivity isn’t just about preserving scenic views, it’s about giving wildlife the space they need to stay wild. Conservation and coexistence go hand in hand.
I’ve spent enough time around bears to know they’re not villains, but neither are they pets. They are wild animals trying to survive in an increasingly human world. If we want to keep bears in our forests and out of our homes, we need to respect that wildness.
Because when a bear breaks into ten cars in one night, it’s not a bear problem. It’s a people problem.
Let’s rise to this occasion - for our safety, for our community, and for the bears who call this place home.