Notice: Nuisance Black Bear in the Town of Queensbury
Bear(s) Activity in the Town of Queensbury Between the Northway and West Mountain Road
This time of year, black bears in our region and the Adirondacks begin to forage for food the easy way…by raiding bird feeders, garbage cans, grills, pet food, or food left outside from cookouts. Bears are opportunists with great noses who aren’t shy about entering neighborhoods, yards or even garages. Here is a notice from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation regarding steps you can take to prevent attracting nuisance bear activity:
NUISANCE BLACK BEAR IN THE TOWN OF QUEENSBURY
The Department of Environmental Conservation is dealing with one or more nuisance black bear in the Town of Queensbury frequenting the neighborhoods between the Northway and West Mountain Road.
Area residents should take the following steps to avoid attracting the bear to their homes.
NEVER FEED BEARS INTENTIONALLY. Feeding bears intentionally is illegal and can result in a ticket. Bears that obtain food from humans will continue to seek food from humans and become nuisance bears.
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- Remove all bird feeders;
- Keep garbage, grills, pet food, and bird seed inside a solid, secure structure (house, shed, garage, etc.);
- If grills cannot be secured, move grills away from houses and remove grease traps after each use;
- Put garbage on the curb the morning of collection, not the night before, and use bear-resistant trash containers; and
- Close garage doors and ground-floor doors at night.
Anyone who sees a bear is asked to report it immediately to DEC Ray Brook Dispatch at 518-897-1300.
The DEC says bears may attempt to eat anything edible, such as trash, birdseed in feeders, pet food, and barbecue grill grease traps. Once a bear discovers a source of food, it may return or seek out similar foods at neighboring properties. The DEC says a bear will continue on its way if it cannot find any food.
Learn more from the NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation about nuisance bear activity and how to reduce interaction here: