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Same problem on one of my properties

what part of the state you hunting?

Because the densities you're describing are ridiculous. A sow and cubs would be one thing, but apart from that, it just takes too much territory to feed a bear for them to be so numerous unless they are concentrated around a really plentiful resource.... Like a bait pile, for instance.... And/or an unusual density of gut piles such as one might find in an area where a lot of deer are being killed because THEY are unnaturally concentrated around an artificial food source... Such as a bait pile.

Anyway, seems that if the bears are keeping the deer away, then maybe the problem is that the area has become too attractive to bears.... In which case it seems that the answer would be to remove the food source.

Just sayin'....

Because the densities you're describing are ridiculous. A sow and cubs would be one thing, but apart from that, it just takes too much territory to feed a bear for them to be so numerous unless they are concentrated around a really plentiful resource.... Like a bait pile, for instance.... And/or an unusual density of gut piles such as one might find in an area where a lot of deer are being killed because THEY are unnaturally concentrated around an artificial food source... Such as a bait pile.

Anyway, seems that if the bears are keeping the deer away, then maybe the problem is that the area has become too attractive to bears.... In which case it seems that the answer would be to remove the food source.

Just sayin'....

Because the densities you're describing are ridiculous. A sow and cubs would be one thing, but apart from that, it just takes too much territory to feed a bear for them to be so numerous unless they are concentrated around a really plentiful resource.... Like a bait pile, for instance.... And/or an unusual density of gut piles such as one might find in an area where a lot of deer are being killed because THEY are unnaturally concentrated around an artificial food source... Such as a bait pile.

Anyway, seems that if the bears are keeping the deer away, then maybe the problem is that the area has become too attractive to bears.... In which case it seems that the answer would be to remove the food source.

Just sayin'....

Fairfield County is Zone 11, there i no baiting allowed except in Zone 11 (and 12, the shoreline towns). What you are really asking him GF is if he's poaching.

As Bob pointed out, bears eats large quantities of a lot of different things. I think it's fair to say that the reason they are spreading southward is 1) to establish new unoccupied territory (a Boar will not tolerate another boar in his area) and 2) to find enough food.

Now that they are fattening up for the big sleep, watch how many people start seeing them, and how many complaints the DEEP gets. We are entering the time when they really start hitting the bee hives, chicken coops, bird feeders and trash cans.

No, not at all. I don't know where any of these guys hunt, but I was ASKING whether it's possible that baiting was a contributing factor. I did see that Pellet said he was in Barkhamstead, but got the impression from 3-4 or more other posts that there are guys seeing them in good (too good?) numbers pretty much all over the state, including LFFC, where baiting is LEGAL.... So I thought there might be a connection. And from the touchiness of some of these responses, a reasonable person might even conclude that yes, there really IS....

So let me spell it out a little plainer....

Personally, I figure that IF someone is running a feeder, or regularly spreading corn (or whatever) then if the local bear(s) has/have gotten into the habit of hitting that spot every day and it's keeping the deer away... well, then the guy has pretty much gotten what he paid for.

Bears like food. Don't like bears? Don't put out food. Pretty straightforward logic. And bears are smart. If they can hit the same spot every day and lick up a few ounces (or a few cups) of high-energy food such as corn, then they'll be there, EVERY DAY, until a bigger bear runs them off. If there's enough there to attract deer, then there's enough there to attract bear.

And it takes less than you think. The Grizzlies out in Yellowstone spend a good chunk of their summers up above timberline, flipping over rocks all day long so that they can gobble up Miller moths at a calorie or two a pop. Half a pound of corn a day for 3 months is 45 pounds of free, high-calorie, high-protein food. They're not gonna pass that up. Especially if their numbers are artificially high because the state is overdue for authorizing a season.

Other end of the spectrum, if bears are reaching unnaturally high densities without the aid or attraction of some artificial/unnatural food source, then it's time for a bear season.

And if you look at this whole thing from the perspective of a biologist - and I'm not sure why I should be insulted by the accusation that I do, since I went to grad school for that - then when it comes to managing these animals, you have to look at two kinds of carrying capacity - there's the capacity in terms of how many calories are required per bear and how many are available per acre (or mile or hectare or whatever), which is hit when they start starving... and then there's the Social carrying capacity, which is hit when they become a damn nuisance.

Sounds to me that several here are of a mind that we have already hit their idea of the saturation point.... and then some... so as I said in my earlier post... I was JUST CURIOUS as to what impact some of the deer-management policies might be having on the bear-management situation....

Thats the one thing you got right.

While in my ground blind I got circled by a bear. Not fearful of this but it sucks that the predators are so prevalent.

They are all over my areas too -- if we ever have a season (which we need ) I could tag out on multiple bears in one or two days -- no problem

They are all over my areas too -- if we ever have a season (which we need ) I could tag out on multiple bears in one or two days -- no problem

I should be bear hunting, because those damn things are all I ever see.

FWIW, if I had bears in my back yard, but especially one that size.... I'd keep the .45/70 handy.

And loaded.

Wanna know something funny? I know this bear. Ran into him a few times. He's almost tame and unafraid of humans, but never showed any real aggression.

But if she had just pepper-sprayed that sucker (weren't there 2 bears involved here?), he MIGHT have been set on the straight and narrow.....

But go figure... Woman posts video of a bear which is clearly a problem animal... and she gets death threats.

I guess that clarifies the kind of people we're dealing with...

I thought that was what pepper spray was invented to do????

Considering that she didn't end up chewed, she must have done several things right.... given that she was not carrying a suitable deterrent. But I don't think you'll ever see me post any video of a bear giving me a taste test....

Bear spray is made of very hot peppers ground up and forced from a pressurized container. It burns the eyes and noses of bears that walk into the mist sprayed from the container. The effective range varies from 18 to 30 feet, depending on the product you choose. Manufacturers say their sprays work best at about half the maximum distance. Wind and/or rain shorten the effective distance. In all cases, the bear is pretty darn close. Does it work? In laboratory conditions, every time. Out in the wild, sprays vary in their effectiveness. In 20 well-documented cases of spray being used on grizzlies, the bears were stopped by the spray. But three of the bears came back later and attacked. In 26 cases of spray vs. black bears, six of the bears returned, but none attacked. There are probably no more than about 70 known times spray was used against bears in the field. That’s not many to base a sure answer on. But it looks like bear spray probably works most of the time when used according to the manufacturers’ instructions. The spray, of course, needs to be kept very handy. And most experts suggest practicing with a container before actually using it against a bear. Keep in mind, though, that practice is expensive, since bear sprays will not be the cheapest item in your pack.

My neighbor thinks I;m a bear expert but I am not. Just years of observation have taught me. They are ruining my deer hunts. C'mon DEEP get your heads out of your asses and open a limited season before some child gets hurt or worse. We have a bear problem that needs to be addressed. Nuff said. Mike

But at six feet, I'd be willing to test it.

And yeah... I don't know too much about bears, but anybody who can't see that that's a whopper is probably someone whose experience with bears is limited to Grizzly Adams re-runs....

This one has been coming around for a few years and has a friend who's equally big, if not bigger. There are something like 13 different bears in that neighborhood, which borders either the state forest in Simsbury or the federal land there. But we don't need a bear season...13 in one neighborhood is no big deal.

Remember the uproar when the DEEP had to shoot the bear that approach the girl in Session Woods! Now tell the public the DEEP is going turn loose an open season on Yogi and Booboo and see what happens. Hold onto your hats for that one.