Connecticut legislators will think about once more Friday whether or not to carry a bear hunt to regulate the state’s rising inhabitants.

A public listening to on S.B. 1148, which might enable for an annual bear hunt, create provisions for killing nuisance bears and prohibit feeding doubtlessly harmful animals — both deliberately or unintentionally, will start at 11:30 a.m.

A bear hunt, which might be performed in Litchfield County with admission by lottery, has been hotly debated for years as bears in Connecticut conflict with individuals, encroaching on houses and yards, killing livestock and sometimes injuring individuals and pets.

S.B. 1148 would enable for as much as 50 bears to be killed within the hunt and for the killing of any bears that injury crops, livestock or bees; that trigger hurt to an individual or pet or that enter an occupied constructing.

This 12 months’s proposal follows the October 2022 assault of a 10-year-old boy who was taking part in in his grandfather’s yard in Morris. The 250-pound male black bear reportedly punctured the boy’s thigh, bit his foot and ankle and clawed his again because it tried to tug him away. The boy’s grandfather was in a position to drive the bear off however it returned, approaching the home and peering within the display door earlier than later being fatally shot by state police.

The incident and a rising variety of conflicts with people have reignited help for a bear hunt to scale back the state’s growing inhabitants.

State Rep. Karen Reddington-Hughes, R-Woodbury, who launched the invoice, mentioned the Morris assault is “a disturbing illustration of what occurs after we do nothing,” she mentioned. “It was years of not doing something, and that’s principally the unintended consequence of that.”

DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes has beforehand voiced help for a hunt and reiterated her help this 12 months.

Already a whole bunch of individuals have submitted testimony on the invoice, each these in help and those that say killing bears is inhumane and that individuals ought to study to coexist with bears on land that was initially their habitat.

What number of bears are in Connecticut?

The Division of Vitality and Environmental Safety estimates the state’s bear inhabitants at between 1,000 to 1,200 — up from 800 in 2019 and double what it was a decade in the past. Most are concentrated within the northwest a part of the state, however bear sightings have been reported in 158 of the state’s 169 cities in 2022 and in each city over time. DEEP says the inhabitants continues to develop as a consequence of an abundance of habitat and accessible meals.

Battle with people

About 3,200 incidents of conflicts between black bears and people have been reported in 2022, most within the western a part of the state. Bears are sometimes drawn to houses by meals, DEEP says, and there have been 67 incidents of bears coming into house final 12 months — the best ever. There have been two reported assaults on people.

Conflicts start to rise in March as bears emerge from hibernation and peak in July, dropping off in late fall and winter.

What’s DEEP doing?

The state is specializing in schooling to curb conflicts between individuals and bears, each by addressing kids in faculties and varied strategies of outreach to the general public. Persons are suggested to name DEEP when bears are sighted to assist the company observe the animals, however some say that’s little consolation. The company sometimes relocates bears as a result of they have an inclination to return to their authentic territory.

The problem is meals

As winter wanes, DEEP is urging residents to not invite hassle. The perfect recommendation? “NEVER feed bears, deliberately or by accident!” The company has warned for years to not miss birdfeeders or trash cans however now says that continued quick access to these issues has lessened bears’ worry of individuals and emboldened them to enter houses. A number of cities throughout the state, together with Farmington, Simsbury, Granby and Manchester, have created ordinances in opposition to feeding bears and different wildlife, together with stocking birdfeeders in the course of the hotter months.

What are different state doing?

Ten surrounding states enable bear searching to assist management the inhabitants, in keeping with a DEEP report. On common, 246 bears are killed yearly in Massachusetts.

For extra data, see DEEP’s State of the Bears report: portal.ct.gov/-/media/DEEP/wildlife/pdf_files/The-State-of-the-Bears.pdf.

Reporting from Courant reporters Kenneth R. Gosselin and Ed Stannard is included on this report.