Vermont officials urge residents to take caution as bears reemerge

HARTFORD — As black bears are starting to emerge from their dens for the spring, state officials are urging Vermonters to put away bird feeders and take other cautionary steps.

Residents have begun reporting bears’ reemergence around the state to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department, according to a Monday news release.

To “coexist” with bears, the agency asks that residents take several steps, including taking down bird feeders until December, storing trash in bear-resistant containers, feeding pets indoors, never feeding bears, and putting electric fences around chickens and honeybees.

Bear activity has increased in recent years as the population grows. Because of shortening winters, bear activity now often begins in mid-March, about two weeks earlier than what is “traditionally” bear season in Northern New England.

Vermonters should submit reports of bears “engaging in potentially dangerous behavior like targeting bird feeders and garbage, feeding on crops or livestock, or investigating campgrounds” to the state’s Living With Black Bears web page, at https://anrweb.vt.gov/FWD/BearIncidentPublic/AddMyIncident.aspx