Bear pokes head in door

#MiddleburyCT #BlackBear

A black bear prepares to take down a bird feeder. Backyard bird feeders draw black bears to your yard while trash containers out front of your house can draw them there. (LuAnn Handlewich Uszakiewicz photo)

By MARJORIE NEEDHAM

July 28 brought another quiet Sunday morning to the Uszakiewicz home on Brook Lane in Middlebury. Chuck was sitting in the living room recliner; his wife, LuAnn, was catching up on her sleep. Then Chuck heard a loud noise from the adjoining kitchen. Jumping up from his chair, he looked into the kitchen to see a black bear had torn the screen off the open slider, had its head poking into the kitchen and was about to step into the house.

Chuck grabbed a kitchen chair and threw it at the bear, then used it between him and the bear as he closed and locked the slider. He said he was yelling at the bear through the slider, but the bear at first continued to try to enter the house.

Awakened by all the noise, LuAnn came into the kitchen and pushed a heavy table against the slider. They called the police and animal control, but when they arrived the bear had gone on its way. Chuck said he thought it weighed around 350 pounds. LuAnn noted it was not the bear in the photo above, one she photographed at her bird feeder on Thursday, the day she decided to take down her feeders.

“I learned my lesson,” LuAnn said. “I’m an avid birder. I love my birds. I said I’m hanging my bird feeders out regardless.” For her, Sunday was a reality check.

LuAnn said, “I was selfish. I wanted my bird feeders. Don’t be selfish.”

Chuck said “Listen to what DEEP tells you. Leave nothing out that attracts bears, like bird feeders or trash. If you see bears, make a lot of noise.”

LuAnn said Middlebury Animal Control Officer Rusty Bona advises residents to keep all windows and doors closed and locked. He also said using an air horn at a distance just gets bears used to the sound. Instead, air horns should be used only when bears are about 10 feet away.

LuAnn said windows and doors at their home were always closed and locked except for a short time in the morning when they opened windows to get some fresh air in the house. Now they will remain locked all the time. She also has acquired a can of bear spray and a compressed air horn in case another bear comes looking for a close encounter.