| |
May 6, 2002 |
|
Bears
|
Well Spring has definitely sprung here in the central Catskills. The colorful buds are now apparent, further inching their way up mountainsides each day. Flowers like red trillium and the trout lily that signifies warmer weather are visible, as are the white of apple blossoms and the yellow of dandelion lawns. Certain birds and mammals have recently made an appearance. Turkey vultures have been gliding through Catskill skies now for a couple months, while the many species of warblers have just recently appeared. On May 1st, we were pleasantly surprised to see a pheasant wandering through our yard and on Saturday we were treated to a snowshoe hare (with brown fur) on Cornell Mountain.
Birds aren't the only animals that make their presence known this time of year. Our good friend and largest animal in the Catskills, the black bear (Ursus americanus), has already been causing some commotion. The NYSDEC has received numerous reports of bears being a nuisance. Unfortunately this will continue to be a problem for the NYSDEC, local residents, and the bears for years to come until locals final realize the consequences of their actions and habits. It is really a simple formula: humans providing a food source + suitable bear habitat + hungry bears = detrimental bear activity to both humans and bears. It is this simple folks, 'a fed bear is a dead bear'. Bears that continually visit houses and businesses for food often suffer diet deficiencies, are hit by cars, or illegally shot by people who believe bears are the problem and not humans.
Black bears are truly one of the most interesting animals in the Catskill region. There are around 5,000 in the state. Hunters in the Catskills take roughly 200 each year. Adult males average 300 pounds but can reach upwards of 600 pounds. Black bears are omnivores, consuming both plant and animal foods. They prefer plant material, however they are very opportunistic and take advantage of any readily available food source. Most of us in the Catskills have seen bears, however your chances of seeing one in the wild are very slim, as they have a strong instinct to avoid people. We were lucky enough to see bears while hiking on Tremper Mountain and Kaaterskill High Peak last summer.
People must realize that when you intentionally put food out for wildlife (birds, deer, etc.) it is not species specific; you cannot choose which wildlife will feed there. At certain times of the year, the NYSDEC says that bird feeders are involved in bear problems over 80% of the time! There is no need to feed birds during the warmer months, especially if you live in bear country. Residue on barbeque grills and garbage cans and unprotected livestock feed will all attract bears. By removing the attraction, you will remove the bear.
Preventative measures for black bears are common sense. Do not feed birds throughout the summer, do not leave garbage outside (until pick-up morning), clean garbage cans with ammonia or bleach regularly, clean barbeque grills thoroughly after use, and do not feed family pets outside. Under no circumstances should you purposely place food outside to attract animals for photographic purposes (it is illegal to feed bears within 500' of any occupied building). These situations can get out of hand - resulting in unnecessary damage.
We hope that you all realize that the only result from feeding these creatures, intentional or not, is a negative one. Please, for the sake of the bears, your neighbors, and the NYSDEC, do your very best to keep bears at bay this summer - and if you do get the unique opportunity to see one, we hope it's in a more meaningful place, we hope it's on the trail.
- Chris and Aaron
|
|
