Sneaking into Wendy Stamer’s Sparta, NJ, birdfeeder.
Peeking inside a Hewitt, NJ, home.
Strolling along Arthur T.’s front yard in Highland Lakes.
Hiding in Byram. “This is a bear up a tree right off my deck,” - Joe Dolce.
Hugging a tree outside Kevin Riley’s Sparta, NJ, home.
Lounging in Teri Block’s McAfee garden.
Crossing a road in Sparta. Photo by Jay Vogel.
Strolling down a Sparta, NJ, driveway.
Reader Bruce DeVita took this photo of a bear in his backyard in Andover.
This mama bear in Lords Valley, Pennsylvania, has her cubs hidden in the tree behind her. “The cubs climbed up my tree, and she stayed at the bottom and made noises at me and my dog who was barking like crazy,” said Lords Valley reader Sheryl R. “She came up my porch steps and climbed up on my railing but didn’t come over, I yelled at her to get down, she did but she stayed on steps and pawed at the gate, then left.”
Spotted in Oak Ridge.
In a survey of 550 readers, 91% responded that they’ve spotted at least one bear around town this year.
Bears where?
Readers were given the option to report multiple places where they spotted black bears around town...
• 74% saw bears outside their home or in their yards
• 37% saw bears in a neighbor’s yard
• 16% saw bears out in the woods
• 9% have not seen any bears this year
• 6% saw bears in a commercial setting/shopping area
On the hunt...
Locals are split on whether or not there should be a bear hunting season:
• 56% are in favor of the hunt
• 44% are against it.
