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Black Bears in the Granite State

© Christina Coruth

Fascination and fear have predominated human reaction to bears down through history. In North America, Ursa Major and Ursa Minor -- the Great Bear and the Little Bear -- look down upon us all night. Tales of friendly bears and fierce bears are the stuff of Folklore world wide. Children cling to cute and cuddly teddy bears as their parents read stories about Winnie the Pooh bear or Little Bear.

Yet our fascination and fear could use a reality check. Black Bears are found in 48 states, including New Hampshire. Understanding the nature of black bears is important to their survival and our safety.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the black bear population in New Hampshire had dwindled to less than 1,000 and sightings were rare. From colonial times on, bears have been hunted. Civilization's appetite for land development destroyed their natural habitat. As the century marched on, more attention was focused on preserving wildlife habitats and gaining greater control over the hunting season and limits. Today the black bear population has grown to about 4,000. The largest concentration is in the North and the smallest in the southeastern part of the state. However, black bears can be found in all counties of New Hampshire.

Black bears are not usually aggressive. No one in New Hampshire has been killed by a black bear since 1784. It seems that much of the information the public has about bears pertains to other types of bears such as the Grizzly. Black bears, even mothers with cubs, will generally avoid contact with people. Even if they appear aggressive, it is usually more bluster than substance. Standing your ground, clapping your hands and shouting will send a black bear running away. In the rare instance that a black bear attacks, and this would be extremely rare, experts advise that you not play dead or run away. Fighting back is the best course with a black bear.

Their expanding population has resulted in increased encounters between the bears and people. Last year the Fish & Game depart received 672 calls about nuisance bear activity. That was up only slightly from 1998 due to an acorn and beechnut shortage the previous fall. Shortages notwithstanding, the bears' search for food brings humans and bears together. Often this is bad news for the bears due to fear and a lack of understanding on the part of people.

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