Like many states in which bears live, New Hampshire asks that residents with bird feeders take them down for the summer months.
But things have been moved up by a couple weeks this year: In the Granite State, sanctioned bird feeding season usually finishes on March 31, but officials recently asked for feeders to be pulled from yards early, in anticipation of bear movement in unseasonably warm weather.
"Den emergence by bears appears to be about a month earlier this year due to the very mild winter and recent stretch of abnormally spring-like conditions," noted Andrew Timmins, Bear Project Leader for the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department (FGD). "The strong spring sunshine, longer days and warmer temperatures stimulate many wildlife species, including hungry bears. As bears start to get active, let it serve as a reminder that it is time to put the bird feeders away until next fall."
Bears are attracted to the pellets, grains, suet and other foods places in feeders.
Several other states or provinces, including Maine, Montana, Alaska and Canada's British Columbia have noted in the past that bird feeders attract bears, and state officials have discouraged their use in the summer.
In New Hampshire, FGD has issued a recommendation that residents not feed birds again until Dec. 1.
In that state, bear movement and sightings have grown more frequent in the past week and will occur even more frequently in the ensuing weeks, said Timmins. "By taking action now, you can prevent attracting a bear to your home. Do not wait for a bear to get the bird feeder and then respond. Doing so encourages foraging behavior by bears near residences. A single food reward will cause the bear to return and continue to search the area for food."
It's best for bear-human interactions when people take steps early, Timmins said. Since bird feeders often contain black oil sunflower seeds, they offer bears a tempting combination of high fat and protein. After a long winter of hibernation, birdseed can be just the ticket for a hungry bear.
"If bears have previously acquired sunflower seeds at your home, they will be back looking for more," Timmins said. "So take down bird feeders and secure other attractants."
That state saw the lowest level of bear-human conflicts in 20 years during 2015, with a total of 394 complaints. "While several factors caused that decline, the trend speaks well of the willingness of the New Hampshire public to do their part in preventing conflicts," observed Timmins. "When people are proactive and eliminate or secure common bear attractants, bears have no reason to be invited into backyards and residential areas."
That said, several factors continue to cause about half the yearly complaints, including bird feeders, garbage left unsecured and poorly housed chickens.
Follow Catherine Arnold on Twitter at @TreesWhales.
