Be Bear Aware, Be Part Of The Solution, Not Part Of The Problem
Gary Moore
April 02, 2026
As I wrote last week, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department is receiving reports of bears coming out of their dens and is urging Vermonters to remove their bird feeders and take additional steps now to prevent conflicts with bears over the spring and summer.
“Do not wait to take down your bird feeders and bear proof your yard until a bear comes to visit,” said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s bear biologist. “You need to act now to head off bear conflicts over the spring and summer, even if you have never had a bear visit your property before.”
“Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods is key to successful coexistence with these long-lived and intelligent animals,” said Comeau. “Bears can be found in every corner of Vermont other than the Champlain islands. Put bluntly, most Vermonters live in bear country.”
The department asks Vermonters to take the following proactive steps for coexisting with bears:
Take down birdfeeders between mid-March and December. Store garbage in bear-resistant containers or structures, trash cans alone are not enough. Follow the steps on the department’s Living with Black Bears web page for composting in bear country. Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe. Request a bear-resistant dumpster from your waste hauler. Feed your pets indoors. Never feed bears, it is illegal.
Fish and Wildlife also asks Vermonters to submit reports of bears engaging in potentially dangerous behavior like targeting bird feeders and garbage, feeding on crops or livestock, or investigating campgrounds. Reports can be submitted on the web page. The data help biologists keep track of bear incidents and provide early interventions to head off conflicts.
New Hampshire officials urge the taking down of bird feeders no later than April 1 in all areas of the state, or earlier if bears are already present in your region.
“Bears denned rather late last fall due to an abundance of natural foods and then remained inactive throughout the cold winter months,” said Dan Bailey, Bear Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “However, with the loss of snowpack over the past few weeks, bears are becoming active throughout the state. This is a common sign of spring in New Hampshire and should not be a cause for concern to residents and visitors. It simply means that it is time to prepare for foraging bears and remove or secure all outdoor food sources.”
“Increased human responsibility, a proactive attitude, and increased tolerance are the most effective tools for coexisting with bears.” said Bailey. “Bears have an extremely acute sense of smell, long memories, and high intelligence. We really need the help of residents to inhibit emerging bears from returning to locations where they have been previously successful in finding backyard food sources. People can largely control bear behavior and activity in residential areas by controlling food attractants around their homes. If bears are not rewarded with food in communities, they do not continue to frequent those locations.”
Despite continued pleas asking homeowners not to feed birds during the non-winter months, bird feeders are typically the direct cause of 20% of annual human–bear conflicts in New Hampshire.
If you have questions regarding bear-related issues, you can get advice by calling a toll-free number coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department: 1-888-749-2327 (1-888-SHY-BEAR).
Bits and Pieces
Tune in to WYKR 101.3 FM or 1100 AM on Thursday at 6 p.m. for The Outdoor Edge. Thoughts on the Out-of-Doors airs as a segment of the program on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.
My guest will be Robert W Averill who, along with Kris Pastoriza, has written twelve books about Mt. Moosilauke and the region around it.
I have enjoyed all the books and have learned a lot about my favorite mountain and its history as well as that of the surrounding towns.
The Moosilauke History Series Books published between 1998-2025 are loaded with historic photographs and maps and can be found in local libraries and some bookstores.
April 1 marks the official start of the open-water fishing season on New Hampshire’s large lakes, which are managed for landlocked salmon, including Big Squam Lake, Lake Sunapee, and Lake Winnipesaukee. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department also manages other waterbodies for landlocked salmon, including First and Second Connecticut, Conway, Francis, Merrymeeting, Newfound, Ossipee, and Winnisquam lakes. Pleasant Lake in New London is also managed for landlocked salmon but is classified as a designated trout pond with an opening date of the fourth Saturday in April.
I look forward to participating each year even though there is often very little open water to fish. It just seems like all I see are enjoying the start of the season even if the weather may not feel or look like spring.
Learn how to hunt turkeys by attending the turkey hunting seminars being offered by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the National Wild Turkey Federation of Vermont volunteer instructors on April 7, 22 and 29.
The seminars, titled “Learning to Hunt Spring Turkeys,” are designed specifically for new hunters and will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
April 7 – Waterbury-Stowe Fish & Game Club, 5365 Waterbury-Stowe Rd, Waterbury Center, VT 05677.
April 22 – Sportsmen Inc, 2081 Creamery Rd., Guilford, VT 05301
April 29 -- Mendon Fish & Game Club, 19 Chittenden Rd., Pittsford, VT 05701
For more information about the seminars, contact Nicole Meier at Nicole.Meier@vermont.gov or call 802-828-1193.
Registration for the seminars is available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website in the list of Upcoming Events on the right side of the home page.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife is asking drivers to slow down and be cautious when traveling at night in early spring or to take alternate routes to avoid driving roads near wetlands and ponds that salamanders and frogs cross during their breeding season.
Every year, typically in early spring, many of Vermont’s amphibians leave their overwintering sites and migrate to the wetlands and ponds where they will breed and lay eggs. The timing of this annual event, termed Big Nights, coincides with melting snowpack, thawing soils, relatively warm evening temperatures, and rainfall.
Vermonters who wish to contribute to the Fish and Wildlife Department’s work to conserve frog and salamander populations can donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form or on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.
Mark Breen reports in the Fairbanks Museum's Skywatch Almanac that on
March 31, 2001: “12 to 18 inches of snow brings and end to a snowy March, leaving 3 to 6 feet of snow depth on the ground.”
Mark also provided the March Extremes
Warmest: 40.7°/2012 Coldest: 20.8°F/1900
Driest: 0.30”/1915 Snowiest: 46.2”/1956
Parting Shots
The feedback from last week’s column about the three local women and their trip to Antarctica has been overwhelming. If you want to listen to the interview that we did on WYKR go to: https://www.wykr.com/adventure-starts-here-nek-to-antarctica.
I saw my first caterpillar of the season last Wednesday on our walk. I do not know much about the species but the one I saw was very hairy and with brown on both ends and black in the middle. Perhaps a wholly bear?
Honoring Vietnam Veterans, a special event for Vietnam veterans and their families will be held in Gilman April 11 from 10-1 at the Reverend George L Fox Memorial Chapel.
Guests can tour the chapel and museum, enjoy a light lunch and listen to live music performed by Retro.
There is no admission fee for the event at 52 Elm Street in Gilman. However those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to glfox.memorialchapel.gmail by April 4.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
copyright 2026 Gary W. Moore
“Do not wait to take down your bird feeders and bear proof your yard until a bear comes to visit,” said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department’s bear biologist. “You need to act now to head off bear conflicts over the spring and summer, even if you have never had a bear visit your property before.”
“Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods is key to successful coexistence with these long-lived and intelligent animals,” said Comeau. “Bears can be found in every corner of Vermont other than the Champlain islands. Put bluntly, most Vermonters live in bear country.”
The department asks Vermonters to take the following proactive steps for coexisting with bears:
Take down birdfeeders between mid-March and December. Store garbage in bear-resistant containers or structures, trash cans alone are not enough. Follow the steps on the department’s Living with Black Bears web page for composting in bear country. Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe. Request a bear-resistant dumpster from your waste hauler. Feed your pets indoors. Never feed bears, it is illegal.
Fish and Wildlife also asks Vermonters to submit reports of bears engaging in potentially dangerous behavior like targeting bird feeders and garbage, feeding on crops or livestock, or investigating campgrounds. Reports can be submitted on the web page. The data help biologists keep track of bear incidents and provide early interventions to head off conflicts.
New Hampshire officials urge the taking down of bird feeders no later than April 1 in all areas of the state, or earlier if bears are already present in your region.
“Bears denned rather late last fall due to an abundance of natural foods and then remained inactive throughout the cold winter months,” said Dan Bailey, Bear Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department. “However, with the loss of snowpack over the past few weeks, bears are becoming active throughout the state. This is a common sign of spring in New Hampshire and should not be a cause for concern to residents and visitors. It simply means that it is time to prepare for foraging bears and remove or secure all outdoor food sources.”
“Increased human responsibility, a proactive attitude, and increased tolerance are the most effective tools for coexisting with bears.” said Bailey. “Bears have an extremely acute sense of smell, long memories, and high intelligence. We really need the help of residents to inhibit emerging bears from returning to locations where they have been previously successful in finding backyard food sources. People can largely control bear behavior and activity in residential areas by controlling food attractants around their homes. If bears are not rewarded with food in communities, they do not continue to frequent those locations.”
Despite continued pleas asking homeowners not to feed birds during the non-winter months, bird feeders are typically the direct cause of 20% of annual human–bear conflicts in New Hampshire.
If you have questions regarding bear-related issues, you can get advice by calling a toll-free number coordinated jointly by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services and the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department: 1-888-749-2327 (1-888-SHY-BEAR).
Bits and Pieces
Tune in to WYKR 101.3 FM or 1100 AM on Thursday at 6 p.m. for The Outdoor Edge. Thoughts on the Out-of-Doors airs as a segment of the program on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of every month.
My guest will be Robert W Averill who, along with Kris Pastoriza, has written twelve books about Mt. Moosilauke and the region around it.
I have enjoyed all the books and have learned a lot about my favorite mountain and its history as well as that of the surrounding towns.
The Moosilauke History Series Books published between 1998-2025 are loaded with historic photographs and maps and can be found in local libraries and some bookstores.
April 1 marks the official start of the open-water fishing season on New Hampshire’s large lakes, which are managed for landlocked salmon, including Big Squam Lake, Lake Sunapee, and Lake Winnipesaukee. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department also manages other waterbodies for landlocked salmon, including First and Second Connecticut, Conway, Francis, Merrymeeting, Newfound, Ossipee, and Winnisquam lakes. Pleasant Lake in New London is also managed for landlocked salmon but is classified as a designated trout pond with an opening date of the fourth Saturday in April.
I look forward to participating each year even though there is often very little open water to fish. It just seems like all I see are enjoying the start of the season even if the weather may not feel or look like spring.
Learn how to hunt turkeys by attending the turkey hunting seminars being offered by the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department and the National Wild Turkey Federation of Vermont volunteer instructors on April 7, 22 and 29.
The seminars, titled “Learning to Hunt Spring Turkeys,” are designed specifically for new hunters and will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
April 7 – Waterbury-Stowe Fish & Game Club, 5365 Waterbury-Stowe Rd, Waterbury Center, VT 05677.
April 22 – Sportsmen Inc, 2081 Creamery Rd., Guilford, VT 05301
April 29 -- Mendon Fish & Game Club, 19 Chittenden Rd., Pittsford, VT 05701
For more information about the seminars, contact Nicole Meier at Nicole.Meier@vermont.gov or call 802-828-1193.
Registration for the seminars is available on Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s website in the list of Upcoming Events on the right side of the home page.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife is asking drivers to slow down and be cautious when traveling at night in early spring or to take alternate routes to avoid driving roads near wetlands and ponds that salamanders and frogs cross during their breeding season.
Every year, typically in early spring, many of Vermont’s amphibians leave their overwintering sites and migrate to the wetlands and ponds where they will breed and lay eggs. The timing of this annual event, termed Big Nights, coincides with melting snowpack, thawing soils, relatively warm evening temperatures, and rainfall.
Vermonters who wish to contribute to the Fish and Wildlife Department’s work to conserve frog and salamander populations can donate to the Nongame Wildlife Fund on their state income tax form or on the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.
Mark Breen reports in the Fairbanks Museum's Skywatch Almanac that on
March 31, 2001: “12 to 18 inches of snow brings and end to a snowy March, leaving 3 to 6 feet of snow depth on the ground.”
Mark also provided the March Extremes
Warmest: 40.7°/2012 Coldest: 20.8°F/1900
Driest: 0.30”/1915 Snowiest: 46.2”/1956
Parting Shots
The feedback from last week’s column about the three local women and their trip to Antarctica has been overwhelming. If you want to listen to the interview that we did on WYKR go to: https://www.wykr.com/adventure-starts-here-nek-to-antarctica.
I saw my first caterpillar of the season last Wednesday on our walk. I do not know much about the species but the one I saw was very hairy and with brown on both ends and black in the middle. Perhaps a wholly bear?
Honoring Vietnam Veterans, a special event for Vietnam veterans and their families will be held in Gilman April 11 from 10-1 at the Reverend George L Fox Memorial Chapel.
Guests can tour the chapel and museum, enjoy a light lunch and listen to live music performed by Retro.
There is no admission fee for the event at 52 Elm Street in Gilman. However those planning to attend are asked to RSVP to glfox.memorialchapel.gmail by April 4.
Syndicated columnist Gary W. Moore may be reached by e-mail at gwmoore1946@icloud.com or at Box 454, Bradford, VT 05033.
copyright 2026 Gary W. Moore
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