THE BAR IN THE WOODS…… is digging up the fields and disturbing
the tent campers in the night! Some
campers in a site alongside the athletic field left early saying they heard
noises behind the site which sounded like bear and a dog screeching. Campers on either side also heard noises, but
didn’t hear a dog screeching. So…….not
really knowing what the dog sounds were ……. we do know there are “bars in those
woods!”
I did a little research on these Vermont Black Bears so now
I can at least talk somewhat intelligently about them, if asked.
The Black Bear is the smallest of the three bear species in
North America and the only bear found in Vermont. Vermont black bears are relatively shy and
are seldom seen by people (only heard by campers in the dark of the
night).
Live weights for adult females average 120-180 lbs and males
can be 300-400 lbs. Black bears have
excellent sense of smell and hearing but their sight is not well
developed. Could be the good news and bad
news! Major food sources are
seeds and insects but are opportunists and eat anything that crosses its path (although
not humans as a rule … more likely garbage in dumpsters!)
They work to keep nutritionally sufficient foods from birth
to mid July hanging around wetlands streams and riverbanks. However by midsummer they have gained an
adequate level of nutrition and begin to move down to roots and berries. They will prey upon young deer but don’t
actively hunt these foods. As summer
progresses, they feast on raspberries, blueberries and blackberries (no
doubt in competition with humans feasting on the same!)
By late August they seek highest nutritional value to store
as much energy as possible so will eat up to 24 hrs a day (I get that!). Beechnuts and acorns attract them to
productive beech and oak stands. Other
fall foods include cherries, apples, succulent plants and berries (same
things that attract us in the fall with exception of succulent plants). They also help themselves to crops of corn (oh no ... not my corn on the cob) and oats and commonly raid bee hives. Winnie
the Pooh??
They are wary and elusive and prefer rough, wooded habitats
with a good water supply nearby. Usually
they are silent (except around campsites) and travel alone. (again
good news) They can climb trees
to eat ripening fruits and escape danger.
They are not true hibernators; although their respiration and metabolic
rate do decrease during winter sleep, body temps remain close to normal…..so
they wake up fast if you stumble into their den! Depending on their food supply, they may den
earlier in the fall or keep eating and den later (why sleep when you can eat) .
A sustained bear pop is between 4,500-6,000 animals. Largest number is found in the center spine
of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Canada and in the NE part of
Vermont (I believe we’re close to the spine).
So…..what is the moral of the story?
If you hear a bear … let it be.
If you are confronted with a bear …shout … you might scare it away. Don’t head for a tree …. they probably climb
faster than you can shimmy up a tree! Good
News…..they ain’t Grizzlies!
An old hunting friend of mine once told me that the best way
to get away from a bear is to run downhill.
Let the bear build up the momentum that 300 lbs can do, and then make a
sharp 90 degree turn to the side. Hopefully
the bear will be barreling down so fast, he’ll keep on going! Hopefully!
Anyway, everything I’ve heard is that black bears are shy
and reclusive and will do whatever they can do stay hidden. That’s cool with me. I don’t need a picture of a black bear up
close and personal!
FACTOID: Before European settlers, Vermont was densely forested. By 1850’s 75% of VT’s land was cleared for
farmland. From 1850 to present, the land has reverted to woodland (except for the
occasional shopping center) with over 80% of Vermont once again
forested. I remember hearing that
statistic about the Berkshires when I was living there! I guess some things do go back …. and …. that
is not a bad thing!
Bearly Truly Yours...
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