Bears wander around town

#Middlebury #Bears

This momma bear didn’t hesitate to approach the bird feeder hanging close to the Rafford’s back door on Clearview Knoll. After she snacked for a while, she and her cub went on their way with a little encouragement from Bob Rafford, who was banging a spoon on a pot. (Robert Rafford photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

Middlebury’s bears are running through back yards, crossing streets and showing up in unexpected places. One resident posted on Facebook that she was loaded down with packages and heading from her garage to her car, not looking where she was going, when she ran right into a bear. She said her packages went flying, she froze, the bear looked at her and then lumbered off.

Bears have been reported on Steinmann Avenue, in the Brookside subdivision, on Nick Road, Porter Hill Road, Mirey Dam Road, White Deer Rock Road and out by Abbott Farm Road, along with other locations around town. Most photos are at a distance, but the one we share here, thanks to Dr. Robert Rafford, is the closest we’ve seen yet.

Rafford said he and the bear were social distancing as the bear was about 6 feet away when he took the picture. The bear was occupied with the bird feeder, and Rafford said she didn’t seem to notice when he opened a nearby door just enough to get a good photo.

Rafford said his property backs up to 53 acres of undeveloped land owned by the Catholic church. Because the land sits idle, he and his wife have a variety of wildlife come through their yard – deer, bobcat, turkey and, of course, the bears. Incidentally, the Raffords don’t leave their feeder out all the time, just part of each day so the cardinals can enjoy it. It still seems to attract bears.

He said about five years ago a large bear tore down the bird feeder and he had to glue it back together again. In contrast, this year’s bear, a momma bear with a cub, licked seed delicately from the feeder and did not damage it. “At least she was polite,” he said.

Rafford has learned what it takes to get a bear to leave his yard. “Shoo” doesn’t work, he said. You need to get a pot and a metal spoon from the kitchen and bang on them to get the bears to move along.

He said he still gets nervous when one shows up. He was raised in Brooklyn and had only seen bears in a zoo before living in Middlebury.

“When you realize this is a wild animal on your back patio, it is a very unnerving experience,” he said. “You don’t know how unpredictable they are. You don’t know if they are going to charge you or what.” Those who have come to his yard have shown no aggression, but he said the male a few years ago was looking pretty disgusted as it lumbered away without getting to finish its snack.

I mentioned to a friend in Virginia how bears here get into people’s trash and destroy their bird feeders. She said she grew up at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains where there is a large bear population. She said people there are taught from an early age how to live in peace with bears. She offered the following tips for those of us relatively new to sharing our space with bears.

Trash should be placed in bear-proof cans, and yes, there really is such a thing. Dogs should be kept on leads or inside pens or their homes. We should not put out feed for birds or squirrels, nor should we leave out uneaten pet food if we feed our pets outside.

Bears are looking for an easy meal. If they don’t find one, they move on. She also said TV stations in Virginia regularly run “Bear Aware” features during their news programs.

Readers can find Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection black bear guidance at portal.ct.gov/DEEP/Wildlife/Nuisance-Wildlife/Living-with-Black-Bears.