As CT considers a bear hunt, here’s how many bears and conflicts we had in 2022

Connecticut legislators will consider again Friday whether to hold a bear hunt to control the state’s growing population.

A public hearing on S.B. 1148, which would allow for an annual bear hunt, create provisions for killing nuisance bears and prohibit feeding potentially dangerous animals — either intentionally or unintentionally, will begin at 11:30 a.m.

A bear hunt, which would be conducted in Litchfield County with admission by lottery, has been hotly debated for years as bears in Connecticut clash with people, encroaching on homes and yards, killing livestock and occasionally injuring people and pets.

S.B. 1148 would allow for up to 50 bears to be killed in the hunt and for the killing of any bears that damage crops, livestock or bees; that cause harm to a person or pet or that enter an occupied building.

This year’s proposal follows the October 2022 attack of a 10-year-old boy who was playing in his grandfather’s yard in Morris. The 250-pound male black bear reportedly punctured the boy’s thigh, bit his foot and ankle and clawed his back as it attempted to drag him away. The boy’s grandfather was able to drive the bear off but it returned, approaching the house and peering in the screen door before later being fatally shot by state police.

The incident and a rising number of conflicts with humans have reignited support for a bear hunt to reduce the state’s increasing population.

State Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes, R-Woodbury, who introduced the bill, said the Morris attack is “a disturbing illustration of what happens when we do nothing,” she said. “It was years of not doing anything, and that is basically the unintended consequence of that.”

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes has previously voiced support for a hunt and reiterated her support this year.

Already hundreds of people have submitted testimony on the bill, both those in support and those who say killing bears is inhumane and that people should learn to coexist with bears on land that was originally their habitat.

How many bears are in Connecticut?

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection estimates the state’s bear population at between 1,000 to 1,200 — up from 800 in 2019 and double what it was a decade ago. Most are concentrated in the northwest part of the state, but bear sightings have been reported in 158 of the state’s 169 towns in 2022 and in every town over time. DEEP says the population continues to grow due to an abundance of habitat and available food.

Conflict with humans

About 3,200 incidents of conflicts between black bears and humans were reported in 2022, most in the western part of the state. Bears are often drawn to homes by food, DEEP says, and there were 67 incidents of bears entering home last year — the highest ever. There were two reported attacks on humans.

Conflicts begin to rise in March as bears emerge from hibernation and peak in July, dropping off in late fall and winter.

What is DEEP doing?

The state is focusing on education to curb conflicts between people and bears, both by addressing children in schools and various methods of outreach to the public. People are advised to call DEEP when bears are sighted to help the agency track the animals, but some say that’s little comfort. The agency infrequently relocates bears because they tend to return to their original territory.

The issue is food

As winter wanes, DEEP is urging residents not to invite trouble. The best advice? “NEVER feed bears, intentionally or accidentally!” The agency has warned for years not to leave out birdfeeders or trash cans but now says that continued easy access to those things has lessened bears’ fear of people and emboldened them to enter homes. Several towns across the state, including Farmington, Simsbury, Granby and Manchester, have created ordinances against feeding bears and other wildlife, including stocking birdfeeders during the warmer months.

What are other state doing?

Ten surrounding states allow bear hunting to help control the population, according to a DEEP report. On average, 246 bears are killed annually in Massachusetts.

For more information, see DEEP’s State of the Bears report: portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/wildlife/pdf_files/The-State-of-the-Bears.pdf.

Reporting from Courant reporters Kenneth R. Gosselin and Ed Stannard is included in this report.