Monday, July 14, 2008

Black bear caught on camera in Kingston

Kathy's aunt and uncle in Kingston got quite a surprise on July 11 when a large black bear appeared in their yard on Church Street, just down the road from the Carriage Towne Plaza. The sighting comes just a week after other bears (or maybe it's the same one) were spotted in other parts of town and in nearby Plaistow. Bears are definitely on the move around southern New Hampshire. I spoke with a wildlife biologist from N.H. Fish and Game who told me that under a management plan for the bear population here, the state's goal is to have one bear per five square miles in southeastern New Hampshire. In the North Country, it's one bear for every square mile.

While I was told that black bears are generally not aggressive, it's best to stay away from them and try not to do things to attract them to your property, like leaving bird feeders out past April. I've since taken mine in, cutting my chances of a potential bear attack. Now if I can find a way to scare off this gray fox that keeps popping out of the woods at night and staring at me when I'm sitting by my little fire pit enjoying my summer nights I'll be all set. Such is life in the wilderness of New Hampshire.

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