Want to avoid bears?
Health officer has advice
By MIKE CONDON, Editor
Published: Aug 27th, 7:09 AM
ROXBURY TWP. – Pardon the pun, but here's some advice that "bears" repeating.
Roxbury Township Health Officer Frank Grisi said his department has received few or no calls this year from alarmed residents who have spotted native New Jersey black bear in their immediate vicinities or neighborhoods.
But, Grisi said Thursday, that's because most call the police.
"We tell them, if they do call, to call either the police or the State Division of Fish and Wildlife," Grisi said. "We don't even send someone out from our office if we have a bear sighting," he said.
Police officers, however, will respond, and Roxbury has officers specifically trained to handle nuisance bears.
And, in suburban areas like Roxbury Township, where man and nature try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to live in perfect harmony, there are sometimes sightings and concerns.
"The most important thing we tell them, here at the health department, is to eliminate the food source," he said.
"You have to completely eliminate the attraction of food. They have grown so accustomed to a free meal via the garbage can that they are very savvy," Grisi said.
"The latest advice now is that you shouldn't even leave a cooler on the front seat in the passenger compartment of your vehicle, because they equate those coolers with food, and they will break into the vehicle," he said.
"In Sussex and Morris counties, they have learned to associate residential areas with a free meal," Grisi said.
"Lock up your garbage cans securely. Keep them in the garage until the morning trash is collected, and keep the cans in the back of the garage or the shed," he said.
There have been instances, for example, where bears have broken through garage doors to access the food sources.
"Don't feed stray cats. And bring all of your pet food inside the house. Bring your birdfeeders in at night. In fact, we tell residents that they don't even need to be feeding the birds anytime past April," he said.
"They have plenty of insects and food sources they can eat. The birdfeeders are just attracting other wildlife," he said.
Grisi encouraged residents to visit the New Jersey Fish And Wildlife Web site, which has extensive tips for residents to avoid attracting bears.
"Everyone needs to work together to discourage them from coming to the neighborhood. Another recommendation now is that residents purchase trash cans with the bear proof, tight fitting lids," he said.
"They make trash can lids now that actually screw on. Bears will go to the easiest source of food, so you have to be consistent. You have to maintain your trash in the most unattractive way possible," he said.
Grisi said black bear are omnivores, meaning they will eat, for the most part, anything. "They will eat small animals, or they will eat vegetables," he said.
"They have been seen more and more on golf courses and at public recreational facilities," he said.
With "back to school" around the corner, Grisi advised that students carry their lunches, so they can be quickly discarded if a hungry bear confronts a student.
Attacks on humans, he said, are extremely rare. "There was one case this year, way up in the woods, where a hiker came upon a bear suddenly," he said.
For hikers and walkers, he advised making lots of noise, whistling, and otherwise making one's presence known. That, he said, will avoid any surprise encounters.
The bear overpopulation in New Jersey, he said, has become such an issue that the state has approved a bear hunt for December. He said between 400 and 600 bears may be taken by hunters this year.
State Tips
The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife has a comprehensive list of options, tips and recommendations for successfully living in conjunction with the state's native black bear.
"New Jersey residents, especially those in areas frequented by black bears, should take steps to avoid attracting bears with food or garbage. This is the best way to prevent black bears from becoming a nuisance near your home," the site recommends.
"Some residents may observe black bears using yards as part of their natural travel corridors. The mere presence of a black bear is not considered a problem. Generally, bears tend to be wary of people. It is important not to leave out any food or garbage that may encourage bears to linger in residential areas," the agency recommends.
"One person feeding bears can create a problem bear that may affect the entire neighborhood."
"Black bears learn very quickly and bears that are fed intentionally or unintentionally by carelessly leaving out food or garbage will associate people with food. Bears will eat almost anything including human food, garbage, pet food, birdseed and small livestock. Once they find an easily accessible food source, like garbage in a housing development, they will lose their wariness of people and may return to the available food source. These bears can become a nuisance or aggressive and may have to be trapped and aversively conditioned or destroyed."
The division recommends that residents should use certified bear-resistant garbage containers and keep the container outdoors if you live in an area frequent by black bears. If certified containers are not being used, the division suggests that all garbage should be stored in containers with tight fitting lids that should be placed in a secure location where bears are unlikely to see or smell them.
It is recommended, for example, that trash cans be left in the basement until the morning of collection.
Residents should also wash containers with a disinfectant solution at least once a week to eliminate odors, which may attract bears. Hot water, mixed with bleach and/or ammonia, is ideal.
Even recycling containers should be kept in a secure building, and only put out on collection day. Empty recyclables, like beverage cans, bottles and food containers can attract bears.
In addition, when possible, pets should be fed inside, and pet food scraps should be cleared up. If a pet stays outdoors, such as in a rabbit hutch or a dog pen, it should be taken in at night.
Other tips include the recommendation that residents entirely avoid feeding birds.
"Birds will survive without the supplemental seed that attracts bears," the division's Web site states.
"If you choose to feed birds, do so during day light hours only, between Dec. 1 and April 1, when bears are least active," the site advises.
Residents should also suspend feeders from a free-hanging wire, making sure it is at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 10 feet away from the trunk of a tree. Feeders should not be suspended from the house or from decks.
"Keep in mind," the site advises, "that black bears are excellent climbers."
For additional information, visit the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Web site, located at: www.njfishandwildlife.com.
Roxbury Township Health Officer Frank Grisi said his department has received few or no calls this year from alarmed residents who have spotted native New Jersey black bear in their immediate vicinities or neighborhoods.
But, Grisi said Thursday, that's because most call the police.
"We tell them, if they do call, to call either the police or the State Division of Fish and Wildlife," Grisi said. "We don't even send someone out from our office if we have a bear sighting," he said.
Police officers, however, will respond, and Roxbury has officers specifically trained to handle nuisance bears.
And, in suburban areas like Roxbury Township, where man and nature try, sometimes unsuccessfully, to live in perfect harmony, there are sometimes sightings and concerns.
"The most important thing we tell them, here at the health department, is to eliminate the food source," he said.
"You have to completely eliminate the attraction of food. They have grown so accustomed to a free meal via the garbage can that they are very savvy," Grisi said.
"The latest advice now is that you shouldn't even leave a cooler on the front seat in the passenger compartment of your vehicle, because they equate those coolers with food, and they will break into the vehicle," he said.
"In Sussex and Morris counties, they have learned to associate residential areas with a free meal," Grisi said.
"Lock up your garbage cans securely. Keep them in the garage until the morning trash is collected, and keep the cans in the back of the garage or the shed," he said.
There have been instances, for example, where bears have broken through garage doors to access the food sources.
"Don't feed stray cats. And bring all of your pet food inside the house. Bring your birdfeeders in at night. In fact, we tell residents that they don't even need to be feeding the birds anytime past April," he said.
"They have plenty of insects and food sources they can eat. The birdfeeders are just attracting other wildlife," he said.
Grisi encouraged residents to visit the New Jersey Fish And Wildlife Web site, which has extensive tips for residents to avoid attracting bears.
"Everyone needs to work together to discourage them from coming to the neighborhood. Another recommendation now is that residents purchase trash cans with the bear proof, tight fitting lids," he said.
"They make trash can lids now that actually screw on. Bears will go to the easiest source of food, so you have to be consistent. You have to maintain your trash in the most unattractive way possible," he said.
Grisi said black bear are omnivores, meaning they will eat, for the most part, anything. "They will eat small animals, or they will eat vegetables," he said.
"They have been seen more and more on golf courses and at public recreational facilities," he said.
With "back to school" around the corner, Grisi advised that students carry their lunches, so they can be quickly discarded if a hungry bear confronts a student.
Attacks on humans, he said, are extremely rare. "There was one case this year, way up in the woods, where a hiker came upon a bear suddenly," he said.
For hikers and walkers, he advised making lots of noise, whistling, and otherwise making one's presence known. That, he said, will avoid any surprise encounters.
The bear overpopulation in New Jersey, he said, has become such an issue that the state has approved a bear hunt for December. He said between 400 and 600 bears may be taken by hunters this year.
State Tips
The NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife has a comprehensive list of options, tips and recommendations for successfully living in conjunction with the state's native black bear.
"New Jersey residents, especially those in areas frequented by black bears, should take steps to avoid attracting bears with food or garbage. This is the best way to prevent black bears from becoming a nuisance near your home," the site recommends.
"Some residents may observe black bears using yards as part of their natural travel corridors. The mere presence of a black bear is not considered a problem. Generally, bears tend to be wary of people. It is important not to leave out any food or garbage that may encourage bears to linger in residential areas," the agency recommends.
"One person feeding bears can create a problem bear that may affect the entire neighborhood."
"Black bears learn very quickly and bears that are fed intentionally or unintentionally by carelessly leaving out food or garbage will associate people with food. Bears will eat almost anything including human food, garbage, pet food, birdseed and small livestock. Once they find an easily accessible food source, like garbage in a housing development, they will lose their wariness of people and may return to the available food source. These bears can become a nuisance or aggressive and may have to be trapped and aversively conditioned or destroyed."
The division recommends that residents should use certified bear-resistant garbage containers and keep the container outdoors if you live in an area frequent by black bears. If certified containers are not being used, the division suggests that all garbage should be stored in containers with tight fitting lids that should be placed in a secure location where bears are unlikely to see or smell them.
It is recommended, for example, that trash cans be left in the basement until the morning of collection.
Residents should also wash containers with a disinfectant solution at least once a week to eliminate odors, which may attract bears. Hot water, mixed with bleach and/or ammonia, is ideal.
Even recycling containers should be kept in a secure building, and only put out on collection day. Empty recyclables, like beverage cans, bottles and food containers can attract bears.
In addition, when possible, pets should be fed inside, and pet food scraps should be cleared up. If a pet stays outdoors, such as in a rabbit hutch or a dog pen, it should be taken in at night.
Other tips include the recommendation that residents entirely avoid feeding birds.
"Birds will survive without the supplemental seed that attracts bears," the division's Web site states.
"If you choose to feed birds, do so during day light hours only, between Dec. 1 and April 1, when bears are least active," the site advises.
Residents should also suspend feeders from a free-hanging wire, making sure it is at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 10 feet away from the trunk of a tree. Feeders should not be suspended from the house or from decks.
"Keep in mind," the site advises, "that black bears are excellent climbers."
For additional information, visit the New Jersey Fish and Wildlife Web site, located at: www.njfishandwildlife.com.
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