Don’t feed the bears. Report them.

August 21, 2020  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Waterbury Center: This bear checks out a sturdy “bear-proof” compost barrel in Waterbury Center Sunday morning, Aug.16. The owners report that the bear dragged it about 15 feet. “Lots of teeth and claw marks.” Photo from John Wolfe.

Waterbury’s summer of the black bear continues with sightings reported all around town from backyards near state forestland to downtown in busy village neighborhoods.  

State wildlife officials have been busy keeping up with the activity that they attribute to a combination of factors including a healthy bear population, a shortage of food sources in the wild given drought conditions, and attractions close to human homes such as birdfeeders, trash and compost. 

Once bears become habituated to finding food near humans they can become a nuisance and a danger. Several in Waterbury this summer have already been caught and killed by wildlife officials who say relocating is not an option. 

Game wardens ask that people report sightings in populated areas. The best way to get a message to wardens is to call the Vermont State Police Middlesex barracks (229-9191). 

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department’s website also has a form to report bear incidents as well as many tips on deterring bears. 

To discourage bears from coming close to homes and people, it is recommended that residents only feed birds between December and March. Other tips are to enclose chicken coops and bee hives with electric fencing and to keep trash inside a garage or shed or in a secure container. 

The state’s new food scraps law that prohibits food scraps in trash bound for the landfill has more residents composting and reporting bears attracted to compost containers. Meat, bones and fish are still allowed in trash and should not be put in compost, state recycling officials note. And new food scraps added to compost should be accompanied by “brown” material such as dead leaves, grass clippings, wood chips, sawdust or shredded paper bags, cardboard and newspaper. 

For those who don’t want to compost, food scraps can be disposed of for free at Grow Compost on Rt. 2 in Moretown or for a fee at Rodney’s Rubbish transfer station on River Road in Waterbury. Several services also provide local pickup service for food scraps including Earthgirl Composting and Roots Composting. More details are online from the state Department of Environmental Conservation and from the Mad River Resource Management Alliance.