Conservation Commission Past Events

Presentation by Bob Ball / Volunteer steward from NH Fish and Wildlife

On the evening of Friday, April 10 the Commission introduced Bob Ball to share beautiful slides and amazing information about the American Black Bear; he also provided a helpful background on the history of NH Fish and Game. In the middle of the 1800’s there were no bears living south of the White Mountains. NH and much of New England had been 99% forested before the arrival of the early Europeans—but by 1850 things had changed. It was nearly clear-cut thanks to the logging industry, fish populations were depleted, and most fur-bearing animals had been hunted or trapped to near extinction. The NHF&G was established in 1865 primarily to address the decline of fish populations; in 1880 it was expanded to include Game. The organization celebrated its 160th anniversary in 2025. It is primarily funded by licenses and federal grants, and not general tax dollars. The NHF&G formation was spearheaded by sportsmen and conservationists seeking seasons and limits on hunting.

Black bears now occupy 62% of their original range, recovering like our forests and other mammals, such as beaver, bobcat, fisher, etc. In 2024, the approximate population of black bear was 6100, or roughly 1 bear per square mile. The goal from a management practice is a stable population ~4500. The sale of licenses (regulated by public input and NHF&G research) goes up or down based upon the population goals. The northern part of NH has an overabundance and mid NH is stable with regard to the management goal, and hence the number of licences.
Black bears are omnivores, but their diet is primarily vegetation. Roots, succulents and insects in the spring, followed by the summer need for more carbs when they seek all the berries and fruit available. By fall, when they need to put on significant weight for hibernation they need high calorie nuts – acorns, beechnut, butternut and hazelnuts, and also ants, grubs, even roadkill if available. A low yield mast crop will impact their health and even mortality, and beech tree diseases reduce an important nut crop for them.

Some interesting biological facts: males are ~250 pounds, females ~150 (on average). Though they have a lumbering/waddling gait, they can run up to 30 mph! They are near-sighted and have small ears, and they are primarily dependent upon their sense of smell, and a great memory of their terrain and where food is located. They can smell a meal from up to a mile away. Summer is the mating season (females are sexually mature at 3 years and males at 6). Active females only mate every other year, as she has cubs to attend to through 2 summers. Rock caves, shallow holes and tipped trees offer winter dens, and interestingly, they never use the same den twice. While mating occurs in late summer, the female biology delays egg implantation until near the start of hibernation when her body signals she has enough nutritional health to support a pregnancy. The female can carry eggs fertilized by different males. Litters are usually 1-3, but 5-6 is possible. The cubs are born 2 months after the start of hibernation and are roughly 1 pound and 10 inches long. They nurse for nearly 2 more months while in the den and emerge when 4-5 pounds. They continue to nurse through August and then begin eating the vegetation diet of their mother. A sow and cubs will range 3-4 miles, and lone male bears further.

Ideally, bears remain in the woods and eat the diet they evolved to eat, and negative encounters with humans do not occur. Unfortunately, as humans push into bears’ territory, and or natural habitat is lost, the incidence of conflict and aberrant eating patterns develop. Once learned by the mother bear, cubs are often introduced to the “easy meals” option.

30% of all calls received by NHF&G are about bears. The nuisance list is recognizable to all of us: #1 household garbage, #2 chicken coops, #3 beehives and #4 bird feeders. There are also complaints about fruit trees/orchards and other agricultural situations, etc.

Sunflower seed is very high in protein and fat; in the springtime the attraction to bird feeders is great when bears need a nutritional jump start. All bird feeders should come down by April 1, and earlier if you know you have bears in your area, and/or have had problems in the past. Bears remember a good, and easy meal. They are out and about day and night and especially at dawn or dusk. Taking in feeders at night does not prevent visits to feeders. And sadly, frequent interactions with humans and easy food options will result in the bear losing; usually in death and often leaving motherless cubs. The black bear never wins.