Stratton Mountain Bear Sighting

[Captain Blue]

On Wednesday, August 1, around noon, I was on the summit of Stratton Mountain taking a break below the firetower. I saw a large black bear approach the GMC Caretaker Hut from the south. The bear attempted to break into the hut. The bear broke off a piece of the door. The bear looked over at my direction, saw me, and disappeared. The whole encounter took ~15 seconds. The caretakers were not there. I was the only one on the summit at the time. No photos of the bear. Sorry. The folks at GMC have been notified.

Here is a photo of the broken door:

[WingedMonkey]

Must be some damn good food in there.

[mikec]

Wow. I was on the lookout for moose when sectioning that area. But I never thought about bears!

[Comet Omega]

Jean and Hugh, the caretakers at Stratton, will forgive the bear! They are just that awesome. Gave me three apples and a plum last September on my E2E. Thank you guys! Cool picture...brought back memories. Thank you Capt.

[Papa D]

I was harassed by a 400 lb bear at the Guyot tent-site about 192 trail miles away about 2 weeks ago. He/she actually literally tossed the the bear box down a hill but we were able to run it off by banging the privy shovel against the bear box, and shouting at it. Word there was that due to the mild winter, the bears were very active this summer.

[Pedaling Fool]

Word there was that due to the mild winter, the bears were very active this summer.

Please explain the rationale.

[Papa D]

Please explain the rationale.

I don't know the rationale - sorry - I could speculate that the bears (as in the South) don't hibernate "fully" and sleep all winter long. They snooze for a few weeks and then get out and rummage around. When it's cool in the fall, they are usually in low areas along rivers and creeks collecting the last of the berries - - in summer, they move to higher ground to forage. There was very little snow cover in VT /NH this year and I'm purely speculating but my guess is that dry conditions hurt the food supply and that they were out in the spring early eating it up - they are probably moving into higher areas in larger numbers and their interest in human food has probably shifted up a notch. We might need a wildlife biologist to weigh in - I was just told they were more active this year and my sighting sort of confirmed this.

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm sure prolonged dry conditions do affect them, but that's a separate issue from a mild winter, yes a mild winter doesn't have as much snowfall as a colder winter, but that doesn't mean it's dry. Vt doesn't seem to be doing all that bad now with respect to drought http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ ; http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/.../burlington+vt

I'm kind of curious what people mean by "very active". Maybe the bears are just getting smarter, like in the southern sections of the AT. Also, just because one has more than normal sightings doesn't necessarily mean they are more active.

But I'll also wait for a wildlife biologist to weigh in.

[RedBeerd]

I was harassed by a 400 lb bear at the Guyot tent-site about 192 trail miles away about 2 weeks ago. He/she actually literally tossed the the bear box down a hill but we were able to run it off by banging the privy shovel against the bear box, and shouting at it. Word there was that due to the mild winter, the bears were very active this summer.

Guyot in the Whites? Near Bonds? Everytime I have been there Ive been told by the caretakers bears dont venture there so leave food wherever. Guess thats changed..

[Pedaling Fool]

Everytime I have been there Ive been told by the caretakers bears dont venture there so leave food wherever.

Well, when you just leave food anywhere, it's only a matter of time. I'm surprised they said that.

[Rasty]

I'm sure prolonged dry conditions do affect them, but that's a separate issue from a mild winter, yes a mild winter doesn't have as much snowfall as a colder winter, but that doesn't mean it's dry. Vt doesn't seem to be doing all that bad now with respect to drought http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/ ; http://www.lawrencevilleweather.com/.../burlington+vt

I'm kind of curious what people mean by "very active". Maybe the bears are just getting smarter, like in the southern sections of the AT. Also, just because one has more than normal sightings doesn't necessarily mean they are more active.

But I'll also wait for a wildlife biologist to weigh in.

I heard once that with a mild winter the bears are more active during the winter which uses up more of their stored energy, which in turn makes them hungrier during the Spring/Summer to try and recoupe the lost calories.

I barely passed Biology 2, might have had something to do with missing 70 class days. It was the last period of the day.

[Pedaling Fool]

I heard once that with a mild winter the bears are more active during the winter which uses up more of their stored energy, which in turn makes them hungrier during the Spring/Summer to try and recoupe the lost calories.

I barely passed Biology 2, might have had something to do with missing 70 class days. It was the last period of the day.

Well, I don’t know the answer, still waiting for that Wildlife Biologist to weigh in, but I still wouldn’t believe him unless he provided a link. But don't take it personal, I'm a very skeptical person

However, I generally believe that the effects of a mild winter would be pretty much be a non-issue this far into the summer. Obviously, a mild winter will bring them out of their slumber and they will be looking for food. But so will everything else, from insects to other mammals (food sources). Although there are a lot of factors at play, if for instance, there was a drought, then that would definitely effect their behavior; as well as every other organism, plant, animal and micros.

One thing you learn about nature when managing a compost pile, there are tons of ways to go about it and it’s a very forgiving process, you can even remove all oxygen and composting will still happen, i.e. life will still happen; however, if you take away the moisture, everything comes to a screeching halt.

And of course there are many other factors besides water, so for now I’m not sold on bears being “very active” this late in the summer, solely as a result of a mild winter, at least not without some other contributing factors.

If anything I’d think that a harsh winter would have them playing catch-up with building up their fat reserves; I don’t know about this far into the summer, again other factors must be considered, but in general I’d think they’d much rather have a mild winter, than a harsh winter. I’ve read accounts of how skinny and very much hungry they can be, especially the bears up north, when they come out of a long hibernation from a long cold winter.


P.S. I'm still not sure what the mean by "very active". I can see that term used during a mild winter when they are suppose to be sleeping, but as far as this time of year what exactly does that mean? Bears are always looking for food, it's what makes up the vast majority of their waking moments. After all, they must be ready for the winter, which means they gotta get fat or they die.

[Captain Blue]

The word from the locals here in Vermont is that spring came a month early. The flowering plants bloomed early and then a late freeze killed the flowers. Therefore there is not much of a wild berry crop this year for the bears to feed on. They are going into towns in search of food and looking for it from humans.

[Jeff]

I fear for my dumpster!

[Pedaling Fool]

Late freezes do suck, we had one down here in Florida this year, despite having a very nice winter; it really screwed up my plants -- garden plants, that is.

I guess the bears going into town is what some mean by "very active". However, I question that, since that's a common practice with bears. Maybe it's new in that area, but that doesn't mean it continues today as a result of a late freeze, although I suppose it could be a contributing factor, which initially caused them to come into town, but that's speculation.

When I was in Georgia in 2006 bears stealing foodbags was not nearly as common as it is today; I don't even remember hearing of one example. Then it seemed like the next year they started being a problem and subsequent years it just got worse and worse...why is that? Because they are smart and learn and remember.

What about the bears in NJ raiding various neighborhoods, they just seem to do that regardless of climate factors. Once a bear finds a food source they're going to remember that food source and keep coming back. Maybe the early freeze prompted them to find this new source, but once they find it they'll keep coming back as long as there is a source.

[Driver8]

Maybe the early freeze prompted them to find this new source, but once they find it they'll keep coming back as long as there is a source.

You are remarkably fixated on this issue. One needn't be a credentialed wildlife biologist to apply common sense and infer a connection between (1) a late freeze having sharply curtailed the berry crop - I can attest to the late New England freeze, it came in late April; do I need to be a certified meteorologist to be convincing? - (2) berries being well understood to be a major, easy food source for bears, and (3) bears being observed in New England to be more active this year in taking on hikers' food services.

[Pedaling Fool]

You are remarkably fixated on this issue. One needn't be a credentialed wildlife biologist to apply common sense and infer a connection between (1) a late freeze having sharply curtailed the berry crop - I can attest to the late New England freeze, it came in late April; do I need to be a certified meteorologist to be convincing? - (2) berries being well understood to be a major, easy food source for bears, and (3) bears being observed in New England to be more active this year in taking on hikers' food services.

Yes, I am fixated on many things in the natural world, is that a problem?

I'm not saying anything as fact here and think I've been pretty clear in that, because I don't study bear behaviour, but it is one of my interests; after all, we are hikers here, is this such a strange thing to have a interest in?

I'm also a fan of science and one thing you learn very quickly in science is that, 'cause and effect' is not always synonymous with common sense. Actually, common sense can be, at times, very misleading.

I never argued contrary to a late freeze having an adverse effect on a crop. My only questions are...well I'm not going to restate them, just go back and read, very carefully...

I only post so that maybe someone with interesting information will chime in. I'm not being argumentative, although many do mistake me for being so, rather I'm just giving my current take on the situation, in the hopes that someone will provide better information.

[Ginger Snap]

Aside from all the berry/weather/etc talk. . . I grew up hiking and camping in the Stratton area, and we've seeing similar bear activity there for at least the past 20 years. Breaking into trash areas and porches with food on them, etc. It probably shouldn't be surprising that the bear population is thriving in the green mountains, and while not as habituated to human hikers, they are certainly as Wiley as their western and southern relatives, and definitely know that human habitation means food!

[Driver8]

Yes, I am fixated on many things in the natural world, is that a problem?

I'm not saying anything as fact here and think I've been pretty clear in that, because I don't study bear behaviour, but it is one of my interests; after all, we are hikers here, is this such a strange thing to have a interest in?

I'm also a fan of science and one thing you learn very quickly in science is that, 'cause and effect' is not always synonymous with common sense. Actually, common sense can be, at times, very misleading.

I never argued contrary to a late freeze having an adverse effect on a crop. My only questions are...well I'm not going to restate them, just go back and read, very carefully...

I only post so that maybe someone with interesting information will chime in. I'm not being argumentative, although many do mistake me for being so, rather I'm just giving my current take on the situation, in the hopes that someone will provide better information.

For what it's worth, I have an undergrad degree in biology and am an attorney, so I appreciate a rigorous approach to information and reasoning. That being said, JG, I found your response to my friend, Papa D, to be pedantic, dismissive and argumentative, needlessly and pointlessly so, to my eyes. Sharing scientific information and insight in such a way as to be helpful is always welcome here, as I see it, try to do it myself as often as possible. Using it in a way that comes across as belittling and disrespectful doesn't sit well with me.

I appreciate your interest, curiosity and intelligence but feel you stepped over some of those lines in this thread.

[Pedaling Fool]

For what it's worth, I have an undergrad degree in biology and am an attorney, so I appreciate a rigorous approach to information and reasoning. That being said, JG, I found your response to my friend, Papa D, to be pedantic, dismissive and argumentative, needlessly and pointlessly so, to my eyes...

Your findings are wrong, but we're all highly impressed with your credentials