by Shaun Farrar

The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by The Witham Family Hotels Charitable Fund.

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BAR HARBOR—Bear lovers across Mount Desert Island (MDI) have an extra reason to rejoice this holiday season! According to Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife Regional Wildlife Biologist Steve Dunham, no bears were harvested on MDI this past bear season, which officially ended on November 29.

This includes the “Town Hill” bear, a bear which earlier this spring was accused of killing two goats and some rabbits in May and was then later accused of killing baby rabbits at the same property and not eating them.

According to Dunham, the bear that had been frequenting the Town Hill area, had been accused of the above behavior, and also “causing issues at a nearby dumpster” and having “hit some nearby bird feeders.”

These behaviors caused Dunham to issue a hunter, who is also a state animal damage control agent, a permit to trap and kill the bear.

“I don’t take lethal removal lightly and I can understand that some people will be upset with our decision,” Dunham told the Bar Harbor Story earlier this year.

The hunter had previously inquired about harvesting the bear under general recreational bear hunting laws and after the second report by the Town Hill resident, Dunham made the decision to issue the permit.

“No bears were harvested on MDI this fall,” Dunham responded to an email inquiry today, “although there were a decent number of turkey (harvested on MDI).”

According to the State of Maine, black bears generally hibernate from December to April, although they are not true hibernators because they can occasionally leave their dens during that period for short amounts of time. This means that there is a low likelihood of any of the bears on MDI being seen until spring. When spring does come around, Dunham had some tips to help alleviate issues next year.

“I would like to remind folks on the island that the best way to prevent future issues is to secure all potential sources of food on a property including bird feed, animal feed, trash, grills, etc. Using electric fencing around chickens and livestock is highly recommended. Dumpster doors can be modified to be more resistant to bears and should (be) latched shut (also prevents other animals from getting in),” Dunham wrote for a previous article. “Bird feeders, seed, and suet should not be placed outside from April 1 to November 1. If people are vigilant about these things, it is quite possible to live happily with bears in the area. Unfortunately, if bears learn they can find easy food in yards or near homes, it can be difficult to get them to return to natural options.”

BearWise has tips for when you are living near bears.