1	Living with Woodstock’s black bears
2	We live in black bear country!!! New York has a healthy black bear population of about 8,000 black bears. Many bears live in and around the Catskill Forest Preserve. Black bears are managed by the NY Department of Environmental Conservation. A regulated fall black bear hunting season occurs in some parts of NY.
3	Where do black bears live? Black bears live mostly in forests. They need forests for food, shelter, and mates. Bears may travel many miles between and around forests to meet their needs.
4	What do black bears eat? Black bears are omnivores; they consume a variety of plants, tubers, nuts, sedges, fruits, animals, and insects. Some black bears eat agricultural crops (e.g., corn, honey).
5	What else should we know about black bears? Black bears are most active for a few hours around sunrise and sunset, but we may see bears any time of day. Black bears den between October and April. Black bears have an excellent sense of smell and good eyesight and hearing.
6	Our NeighBEARhood Black bears and humans share the NY landscape– we’re NeighBEARS! Black bears may pass through human areas during their daily routine looking for food, shelter, or mates.
7	Unwelcome NeighBEARS? If black bears learn to stay in human areas for food, it may lead to some negative outcomes for people or black bears. For example, black bears, people, or pets may get hurt, property may be damaged, or recreation opportunities may decrease.
8	Be a good NeighBEAR-- don’t feed the black bears!
9	These activities are known to attract black bears to our backyards
10	So, how can we be good NeighBEARs at home? Feed birds during winter months ONLY Feed pets inside Keep BBQ pits/grills clean, consider using aluminum foil to capture grease and dispose of promptly after use Do not store diapers or diaper pails outside Use bear-resistant garbage containers If we use garbage collection company, curb garbage in bear-resistant container the morning of pick up Keep garbage cans clean and stored inside Use electric fencing around compost bins and family gardens If we burn garbage, only burn non-food paper products Enclose animals in buildings at night or surround with electric fence Eliminate on-farm garbage dumps and compost carcasses properly
11	How can we be good NeighBEARs if we’re just visiting? If weekending, haul your garbage to dump; don’t curb it and let it sit for days If camping in a campground, follow all campground food storage and disposal rules; never sleep with food in your tent If “back country” camping, use a bear-resistant food container, never sleep with food in your tent If hiking, always keep pets on a leash and hike in groups If fishing, keep catch of the day in a sealed container If hunting, be aware of your surroundings when field dressing animals
12	What if we see a black bear? Don’t panic Let the bear know you’re there by making noise, clap hands or yell Don’t approach the bear Slowly back away, do not run Allow the bear an escape route Leave bears in trees alone Remove children, pets, from the area
13	More information about black bears: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation www.dec.state.ny.us Northeast Wildlife Damage Management Cooperative www.wildlifecontrol.info Be Bear Aware www.bearaware.org Black Bear Education Awareness and Research www.wcs.org/international/northamerica/Adirondacks/adirondackbbear