Sep 18, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Thrive Juice Bar & Kitchen.
MOUNT DESERT—A woman pulling into her driveway near Beech Hill Cross Road this week found an unexpected visitor waiting nearby: a black bear, accompanied by two cubs.
The bears had also discovered something else nearby — outdoor garbage cans. Other residents along Ripples Pond Road reported that their trash receptacles had been ravaged as well, while bear scat and sightings have been reported in other parts of Mount Desert and the island.
“There have been many sightings this week, in the evening and nighttime, of a large black bear female with two good sized cubs in the Pretty Marsh Road – Beech Hill Crossroad – Ripples Road area, south of Somes Pond and east of Long Pond,” the Somes Meynell Wildlife Sanctuary wrote on its social media site, September 17. “The bears are looking for anything to help them fatten up for winter and are getting into a lot of trash cans.”
On Friday afternoon, the Town of Mount Desert sent out a news flash, writing, “as fall approaches, black bears are more active in areas of the Town of Mount Desert. Bears are searching for food to prepare for winter, and household garbage is a major attractant. We have received reports that bears have been spotted on Beech Hill Cross Road, Ripples Road, and Pretty Marsh.”
The town asked for everyone to help reduce potential human-bear conflicts and to protect the wildlife.
Last year there were numerous sightings of bears throughout the island and Trenton.
Bears were sighted on Cadillac Mountain, Duck Brook Trail, and all over Bar Harbor, Town Hill, Somesville, and Acadia National Park.
The sightings are a reminder that black bears are part of Maine’s landscape — and that what people leave outside can make their yards more appealing to them.
Stephen Dunham, a regional wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said bears have been seen on MDI in previous years and that their presence on the island is not surprising. Bears are abundant in Maine and can swim to find food, he said.
Bear Wise reports that bears in the autumn months are working hard to put on weight for winter.
“No wonder human-provided foods can be even more tempting as winter closes in. That’s why it’s so important to make your place a no-bear-food zone – including barbecues, gardens and orchards, compost, chickens and livestock, bird feeders, and garbage,” the organization explains.
In the past, bears have been seen throughout Town Hill and on Ledgelawn Extension in Bar Harbor near Great Meadow as well as on various mountains in the park, Somesville, and the Indian Point area. Usually, the bears are moseying on by or looking for food in blueberry bushes and deadfall.
Sometimes, though, that moseying stops at a bird feeder or a trash can.
He also recommends avoiding putting out bird feeders from April 1 to November 1 and securing trash, grills, and other potential food sources.
Dunham said. “A reminder I like to give folks is that if you place any type of food out (bird seed, scratch feed for chickens, etc.), you don’t get to choose what is attracted to that food. Many people don’t realize how many mice, rats, deer, turkeys, and other animals are feeding on the food they are putting out for the birds.”
Bears, Dunham said, “are a part of our forested ecosystem and their entire purpose once they emerge from hibernation is to gather calories as efficiently as possible so they can be ready for the next winter.”
”Anthropogenic food sources like bird seed, compost, garbage, etc. tend to be much more abundant and calorie rich than natural food sources, especially in the early spring before grasses (Yes, bears eat grass!) and berries come on,” Dunham said. “Bears feed primarily on vegetation, insects, and insect larvae. They will eat meat but are not efficient predators, so they tend to eat less meat than most people expect. Bears are all about efficiency and grass is easier to eat in bulk than chasing down something large and fast.”
The black bear is the smallest of the bear species in North America.
“Black bears have compact bodies, stocky limbs, a massive skull, and short, round ears. Males grow 50% larger than females, reaching 6 feet from nose to tail, and stand 40 inches at the shoulder; females will reach 5 feet in length, and rarely stand more than 30 inches at the shoulder. Males normally weigh 250-350 pounds, with large specimens weighing over 500 pounds; adult females weigh 150-200 pounds but can exceed 300 pounds or more in unusual circumstances,” according to a 1999 assessment by Craig R. McLaughlin, a wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
FROM BEAR WISE
FROM THE MAINE IFW
To prevent conflicts with black bears each spring (April 1-October 1):
- Bring in your bird feeders, rake up and dispose of any seed left on the ground, and store unused seed inside. If you want to continue to feed birds in the spring and summer consider using an electrified mat (MS Word).
- Bring trash to the curb on the morning of trash pickup or use a certified bear resistant container.
- Keep dumpster lids closed and do not allow dumpster to overflow. In areas experiencing bear problems consider storing dumpsters in a secure building or behind electric fencing (MS Word).
- Clean your grills and empty the grease cup after each use. Do not discard grease on the ground. Burn-off any food residue, clean blood and grease dripping, and discard food wrappers.
FROM THE TOWN OF MOUNT DESERT
To help keep our community and wildlife safe:
- Do not place garbage containers out the night before your scheduled pick-up.
- Containers should be brought out in the morning of your scheduled pick-up no later than 7:00 a.m.
- Secure trash indoors or in bear-resistant containers whenever possible.
- Clean grills, bird feeders, and pet food dishes regularly to avoid attracting bears.
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
Take steps now to prevent black bears from coming to your backyard
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