by Mickey Smith

Typically, springtime is the season of greatest concern about bears as they look for food, enter yards and clamber around on porches, but Lamoille County Sheriff Roger Marcoux Jr. said Lamoille County dispatch is still receiving a lot of reports about black bears in neighborhoods.

Vermont Fish & Wildlife warns people to take down bird feeders until late October, and as an added precaution they warn people also to not leave pet food outside, wash barbecues after using them, and secure garbage containers.

“And above all, never purposely leave food out for bears. Feeding bears may seem kind, but it is almost a sure death sentence for them,” said Colonel David LeCours of Fish & Wildlife.

Vermont law prohibits a person from killing a bear that has been attracted using artificial bait or food, such as birdseed, but Fish & Wildlife will shoot a bear that has become a threat to human safety.  Moving bears to another location does not work, according to Col. LeCours. He said they continue to seek food near people because they have learned that will work.

“Once bears learn to obtain food around people's homes, they will be back for more,” said Col. LeCours.

Sheriff Marcoux said he has also heard of bears getting into henhouses, not for the chickens, but for the feed.