MID-HUDSON – This is the season when bears emerge from hibernation and scour the Catskills and Mid-Hudson Valley area for something to eat.
If they happen to wander into a residential area, the State Department of Environmental Conservation wants to remind people to remove bird feeders and feed their pets indoors.
Bears like to “nosh” on bird seed and will often look for human-related food scraps in garbage cans.
So, don’t put out your garbage receptacles in the spring and summer until the morning of collection.
And if you see a bear, look at it from afar, advises Jeremy Hurst, the DEC’s big game unit leader.
“If you see a bear, enjoy it from a distance. Take a picture, but don’t try to approach the bear, but keep your distance. Let the bear know you’re there. You may make some noise, let it recognize you as a human, and if the bear is curious, raise your arms, make some noise, let them know you are there,” he said.
Hurst said by following those steps, residents can ensure bears will find food naturally.
