What does it mean to live in one of Maine’s nuisance bear hotspots

The hottest spot in the state for nuisance black bears is from Presque Isle to Van Buren, followed closely by central Penobscot County, just south of Bangor, according to the state department that manages them.

A nuisance bear is one that has become comfortable with people and the easy food opportunities they offer and won’t stay away. It can damage beehives and crops, get into trash cans or dumpsters and steal or destroy seed-filled bird feeders. Dog food left outside and uncleaned grills also are prime lures for the bruins.

The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife receives an average of 500 complaints a year about nuisance bears, mostly related to bird feeders and garbage.

The range is anywhere between 400 and 800 complaints a year, depending on available foods, said Mark Latti, department spokesman.

Maine has the largest bear population in the eastern United States, estimated to be from 24,000 to 36,000 animals, concentrated in the northern and central parts of the state, according to the MDIF&W. There are fewer in southern Maine, where the concentration of people is highest.

In spring and early summer, after the bears have come out of hibernation and before berries and other food sources are ready, the animals are known to take advantage of their human neighbors’ larder.

Although they can eat vegetation such as grass, clover and tree buds and some insects, as well as carrion, bears are opportunists and will do what is easiest, often resulting in conflicts with people, the department said.

Bears also learn quickly, so once they have found an easy food source, it is difficult to deter them. Relocating the animals doesn’t work because they will just return, the MDIF&W said.

The best method is prevention. The department suggested bringing in winter bird feeders and raking up seed left on the ground or using an electrified mat if you want to continue feeding birds; using a bear-resistant container for garbage and waiting until trash pick-up day to take containers and bags to the curb; keeping dumpster lids closed and perhaps protecting the receptacle with electric fencing; cleaning your grill, including the grease cup, after each use and keeping the unit inside a garage or other building; and keeping pet and livestock food inside a building and cleaning up the uneaten portions.

Maine manages its number of bears using hunting and trapping, and determines how many animals may be taken each year by monitoring a representative group through radio collars.

The state has a helpful Living with Black Bears website with more tips.