Millstone holds forum about wayward bruins
Officials project one bear every 3 square miles in Monmouth County by 2008
BY JANE MEGGITT
Staff Writer

Millstone

MILLSTONE — Black bears. They’re not just in north Jersey anymore.

According to officials from the state Division of Fish and Wildlife Services, bears are steadily making their way into the central and southern part of the state, and their numbers will increase in this area in the future.

The New Jersey State Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs hosted the first “Living in Bear Country” seminar locally at the Millstone YMCA on May 20. Representatives from the Division of Fish and Wildlife discussed the do’s and don’ts of bear co-existence, and offered tips on living with the black bear, also known as Ursus americanus.

Martin McHugh, the director of Fish and Wildlife, said he wanted local residents to get “ahead of the curve” when it comes to bears, since the bear population is still low here.

“In the north, there is a very high density,” McHugh said. “We’re trying to prevent problems that occurred up north from happening in this part of the state.”

McHugh said he views the bear issue as a success story. He said New Jersey is the most densely populated state in the country, and bears are an example of the state’s conservation success.

“There’s a tremendous opportunity to make the species an asset,” McHugh said, calling bears beautiful animals “to be admired from afar.”

Liz Jackson, a Fish and Wildlife employee who conducts workshops on bears for various school groups and clubs, said the black bear, which is native to New Jersey, fluctuated in population as the landscape changed. Bears like wooded areas, according to Jackson, and as forests were cut to make way for farm fields, it affected the bear’s habitat. A bear’s natural habitat, she said, is mixed hardwood forests and wetlands.

Because of the environmental movement in the state, New Jersey now has more forest land, according to Jackson. It also has a thriving cranberry and blueberry industry in the Pinelands, and bears are increasingly being found there, she said. In the past, Sussex, Warren, Morris and Passaic counties were prime bear territory, she said, but in recent years they have expanded into Hunterdon, Middlesex, Somerset, Mercer and Bergen counties.

Male bears weigh an average of 400 pounds but can weigh up to 700 pounds. They have a home range of between 10 and 15 square miles. The average weight for females is 200 pounds, and their home range is only 1-2 miles, according to Fish and Wildlife.

Jackson said bears are omnivorous and eat carrion, roadkill, and young or weak animals such as fawns. Bears do not truly hibernate, she said, but do so as a result of a shortage of food. They are typically not aggressive toward people, according to Jackson, but they are large, wild animals that should be treated with respect.

Jackson said bears have an excellent sense of smell and hearing and can smell food from 2-3 miles away. They can also run up to 35 mph and are strong swimmers and climbers, too.

With regard to residents’ safety, Jackson said those who come across a bear should not try to run, but should instead stand still to make their presence known and then slowly back away.

“A bear can outrun you,” Jackson said, “and their chase reflex will kick in.”

Jackson described various ways to bear-proof the yard, including purchasing patented bear-proof garbage containers, removing bird feeders and cleaning a grill thoroughly after every use. She said beehives, rabbit hutches and livestock should be protected with electric fencing.

The No. 1 bear-proofing rule, Jackson said, is to never feed a bear, as feeding creates a nuisance bear. She also said there were bears who knew the garbage pickup schedule in some neighborhoods and would therefore only be seen on those days.

Kelcey Burguess, who is a biologist and leader of Fish and Wildlife’s Black Bear Project, spoke about tagging and researching bears. Black bears have been seen in every county in the state, he said. Last year, there were four calls to Fish and Wildlife about bears in Monmouth County and 15 in neighboring Ocean County.

Joe Sbano, the animal control officer for Jackson Township, said he just recently received a call about a black bear.

Biologists tag, sedate and examine bears in their dens. Burguess showed photos of various bear dens but said that some bears have been known to den under houses, where they have done significant damage by ripping water pipes and electric wires.

Bear-breeding season lasts from late May until early August, and cubs are born the first two weeks of January.

Female bears are polyandrous, meaning that they mate with several males. They give birth to an average of four cubs, each of which may have been fathered by a different bear. Seventy percent of the cubs will survive to breed, according to Burguess.

In northern New Jersey, bear complaints are common, with the Division of Fish and Wildlife receiving an average of 25-30 phone calls a day. Problems involving bears include people being chased from their swimming pools and Jacuzzis, as well as livestock being killed, such as sheep, goats and llamas.

Earlier this year, a miniature horse was killed in Andover Township, and a calf was killed this week, according to Burguess. Fish and Wildlife also gets calls about dogs being attacked and/or killed by bears, he said.

Burguess showed pictures of bear damage to houses and farms, including a ripped-off garage door and a destroyed cornfield. Burguess said his department has offered training in nonlethal bear-control techniques to more than 600 police officers.

Burguess called the future of the black bear “bright.”

“They’re really reproductive,” Burguess said. “The population is expanding and heading south.”

In a 550-square-mile territory in northern New Jersey, there were 1,490 bears in 2003 and 1,700 in 2004, or a 20-percent annual population increase, according to Burguess.

Burguess estimated that in three years, Monmouth County may be comparable to Somerset County and have a bear population in terms of having one every 3 square miles. In 37-square-mile Millstone Township, that would average out to 12 bears in the area.

“You can handle the population in your area,” Burguess assured the audience.

With regard to shooting black bears, Burguess said his department investigates all shootings.

“If it’s breaking into a home, attacking people or livestock, it’s considered a justified attack,” he said. “People have a right to protect their property and themselves. But if it is determined that the bear was not posing a threat, [the shooter] could be charged.”

Millstone resident Cory Wingerter asked about protecting horses from black bears.

Burguess said feed, especially sweet feed, should be kept locked up and away from livestock. He added that bears do not usually attack horses, but that horses might become self-destructive in the presence of a bear and could run through a fence.