WOODSTOCK — Monday was a busy day for bears in the area of Woodstock Village.
The Woodstock Police Department received three calls regarding bear sightings in the Village, interim Police Chief Chris O’Keeffe said in Wednesday phone interview.
The first two calls came in around 2 p.m. from residents on Mountain Avenue and River Street, which run parallel to each other before intersecting near the Woodstock Middle Bridge, O’Keeffe said.
The residents described a juvenile bear walking onto their lawn and trying to get into their garbage, O’Keeffe said.
A third sighting occurred around 8 p.m. on Maple Street, about a 15-minute walk from River Street.
The bear “didn’t seem too fazed by human traffic,” O’Keeffe said, noting that the bear began to climb on people’s porches.
It’s unclear whether the same bear was involved in all three sightings, he said.
After the third sighting was reported, Woodstock Police contacted the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department to seek advice.
“Every year around this time bears do become active and get into people’s trash,” O’Keeffe said.
The sightings on Monday were the first official reports the police department has received this season, he said.
He suspects the bears live on nearby Mount Tom and have followed the scent of garbage into the Village.
Bears are “animals of opportunity,” O’Keeffe said. “Any food source at all, they’re going to be attracted to that.”
Property owners can safeguard their homes against bears by storing trash in a secure place, keeping chickens and honeybees secure within an electric fence and feeding pets indoors, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website states.
Residents also should refrain from feeding bears, the website says.
In case of an encounter with a black bear, people should remain calm and back away when possible, according to the Vermont Fish and Wildlife website.
If a bear becomes aggressive, people should make themselves appear bigger by waving their arms above their heads and repeating “Hey bear” in calm voices, the website says.
When a bear charges, people should stand their ground, talk in a calm voice and use bear pepper spray when possible.
At this point, Vermont Fish and Wildlife has not made any efforts to capture the bears, O’Keeffe said.
In previous cases in which bears have repeatedly sought out food in the Upper Valley’s residential areas, Fish and Wildlife services have stepped in to capture and remove the animals.
In 2018, New Hampshire Fish and Game Department moved the 200-pound sow Mink to a remote area after it became evident that she was teaching her cubs to forage for food in Hanover dumpsters.
Her cubs meanwhile were sent to the Kilham Bear Center in Lyme.
After being deposited near the Canadian border, Mink traveled thousands of miles back to Hanover. She was found dead in Lebanon in 2020. Authorities suspected she was hit by a car.
Anyone who spots a bear in their yard or in a residential area should contact the Woodstock Police Department either by dialing 911 or 802-457-1420.
