Several hiking parties reported encounters with a bear in the Lincoln Woods area this week, including a group that was charged at by the bear.
Andrew Timmins, Games Programs Supervisor at New Hampshire Fish and Game, said the group that witnessed the bear charging had a dog with them.
“I give them a lot of credit for having the dog leashed and under control. That’s what responsible hikers do,” Timmins said. “But the bluff charge was clearly due to the dog barking, and kind of intensifying the situation.”
Bears aren’t usually interested in interacting with humans, said Timmins. But hikers may encounter them along the edges of the forest canopy, where there may be more food for bears.
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“Not a lot of sunlight comes through the forest canopy. As a result, on the understory of the forest there usually is not a lot of vegetation growing, so not a lot to eat,” said Timmins. “But when you get these breaks in the canopy like a hiking trail, those edges are getting increased sunlight, which creates more diversity in plant species.”
If hikers encounter a bear in the wild a safe distance away, the best thing to do is to wait for it to clear the area, said Timmins.
“You can just stand there kind of quietly and let the bear just move off in time, or you can make it aware of your presence with some normal noise,” said Timmins. “You know, it might be a ‘hey bear’ in a kind of low or moderate voice, or it might just be clanking hiking sticks together — just something to make it aware.”
In most cases, bears will run off on their own, Timmins said. But if a bear does approach a hiker on the trail, the key is to remain dominant but not aggressive. To do this, hikers should make eye contact with the bear, speak at a regular volume, and back away slowly.
“If a bear comes up close to you, or exhibits any bluff charges, not a lot changes,” said Timmins. “You still want to be putting distance between you and the animal. But at that point, you might raise your voice a little bit to try to scare the bear off.”
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Timmins said carrying an air horn can be helpful for such occasions. He also recommended clanging hiking sticks, as bears tend not to like the sound of metal on metal.
Timmins also advises against throwing food at bears, as this teaches them to approach humans more often.
“What that does is it just teaches the bear that ‘Hey, there’s something to this, you know, when I make my presence known, a percentage of hikers toss granola bars off in the bushes for me,’” Timmins said. “That can start to build that behavior. It’s really kind of begging or panhandling behavior.”
Officials are taking steps to reach the bear in question to prevent further encounters with humans.
Timmins emphasized that bears are generally peaceful.
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“There are bears and people sharing space on a daily basis . . . and the number of conflicts that come out of that are very low.” Timmins said. “The bears aren’t terrible animals. They belong in our forest, and we have just got to learn how to share the same areas for different purposes and coexist.”
This story is a production of the New England News Collaborative. It was originally published by New Hampshire Public Radio.
Schultz said she “highly respects” Aspell, too, but there was a “dissonance between reality” when eyeing what the public and city employees were earning.
Ward 6 City Council Aislinn Kalob, too, would not be voting for the increase, saying it had been “heavily on my mind since we’ve had our nonpublic sessions,” which lasted about six hours of work. She appreciated Kretovic clearly outlining the job of city manager. But people were frustrated with the city manager, and she saw that in the comments in online forums.
“I do feel, after really digging into this, and learning about his job,” she said, “and thinking toward the future when, eventually, at some point, somebody new will be sitting in that seat, we are the ones who direct policy and he is the one that implements it… there is anger out there that should be directed more toward us.”
Kalob said, too, a room full of firefighters, upset about their contract, also made voting for the wage increase something she could not consider.
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Michele Horne of Ward 2 echoed similar concerns to Schultz, saying there was significant “wage disparity” between the public and staff and the city manager. She also agreed with Kalob’s point that previous councils created this contract.
Sunflowers are my absolute FAVORITE flowers. I truly feel like they have magical uplifting abilities. Hence, why I’ve always kept fresh sunflowers in my house, brightening up my kitchen table or even my TV stand.
Obviously, it was a dream of mine to have my maternity photos taken in a sunflower field. They reflect sunshine and exude happiness.
Not to mention, one of my favorite quotes is about sunflowers! “Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It’s what sunflowers do.” Helen Keller
A beautiful reminder to keep an optimistic outlook on life and not dwell on the negative.
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So, you can imagine the joy I felt when I learned that New Hampshire had its very own Sunflower Festival at Coppal House Farm in Lee!
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
About the Sunflower Festival:
During the summer, the farm transforms into a sea of golden blooms, giving visitors the chance to wander through thousands of sunflowers, snap photos, enjoy local food vendors, artisan crafts, listen to live music, and experience one of New Hampshire’s most beautiful summer traditions.
Other unique activities on the itinerary? Sip-n-snip! Guests can enjoy a cocktail or mocktail of their choice and cut their own fresh bouquet of flowers.
Coppal House Farm via FacebookCoppal House Farm via Facebook
Or maybe you’re a yoga fan? You can join a 60-minute sweat session from Lee, New Hampshire yoga instructors right in the heart of the flower field.
And because the farm grows oilseed sunflowers for culinary oil (which they harvest in the fall months), the flowers only stay at their peak for a brief window, making the festival a limited-time experience, according to the festival organizers…
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What makes this event even more special is the reason behind it. The festival started as a way to share the beauty of the sunflower fields, but it has grown into something much bigger. Organizers say the event has raised more than $90,000 for Make-A-Wish New Hampshire over the years and now shares a portion of its proceeds with several local nonprofit organizations serving the Seacoast community.
Anyone who knows me knows that paying it forward is something that’s incredibly important to me. It’s right up there with my love of sunflowers because both fill my cup in the best way. So, when I found out this festival celebrates my favorite flower and gives back to the community, I knew I had to share it.
Sunflower Festival Details:
This festival only runs from Saturday, July 25th until Sunday, August 2nd. You can get the full list of activities and more on the Coppal Farm website.
Daily Field Hours
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10:00 AM – 6:30 PM (last admission at 6PM because fields close at 6:30) Weekend Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free Weekend Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm): $16 per person ages 13 & older $14 per person ages 5-12 $14 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free includes: access to sunflower fields, craft fair, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, farm animals, & live music
Weekday Tickets (prepurchased online – day before) $8 per person ages 13 & older $6 per person ages 5-12 $6 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
Weekday Tickets (purchased day of – online or at farm) $12 per person ages 13 & older $10 per person ages 5-12 $10 per person Seniors (65+) & Military 4 yrs & under are always free
What tickets include: Access to sunflower fields, food vending area, tented shade area, picnic area, and farm animals
READ MORE: A Classic Fairy Tale Comes To Life At Portsmouth’s Prescott Park This Summer
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This festival might just leave you smiling long after you leave the fields!
What Flowers Thrive in New England
See what flowers thrive in New England weather: Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.
Gallery Credit: Logan
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering Locally Grown Strawberries
14 of the Best New Hampshire Farms Offering PYO Strawberries
Ed. Note: If this was you and you are interested, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP.
“Dear PoPville,
I was biking home from a doctor appointment a little before noon on Friday, and stopped at a red light on New Hampshire & L st nw. There was a woman across the street who was looking fine in her dark blue (I think they were) scrubs. I might be crazy, but it felt like we kept checking each other out. By the third time,
if we were in a romcom, one of us would have waved. Sorry I didn’t, but if you are reading this and date men, reach out to the Prince if you are interested in that man on the bike. Have a great weekend!”
Ed. Note: If this is you, please email [email protected] so I can put you in touch with OP. PoPville is not affiliated with either party, please proceed with any potential connection at your own risk using caution as you would any online encounter. For those curious about past missed connections, many have been made and when possible I’ll try to update when/if more are made.
