Davis Hoffnagle took some incredible video and photos of bears outside his New Hartford home over the weekend.
He said the images were taken on Saturday.
A mother bear was watching a cub in a tree directly out Hoffnagle’s window.
She paced around the house and hung around for about an hour until the cub came down and ran off with the mother.
There had been 3,326 bear sightings in the state from April 29, 2013 to April 7, 2014. Sixty-three of them were in New Hartford.
According to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, bears can detect the slightest aroma of food, which might lead them to campsites and near homes.
Local
They warn not to attempt to feed or attract bears. If you see a bear, report it to the Wildlife Division, at (860) 675-8130 or online.
To avoid attracting bears, follow these tips from DEEP:
- Remove bird feeders from late March through November.
- Wait until the morning of collection before bringing out trash. Add a few capfuls of ammonia to trash bags and garbage cans to mask food odors. Keep trash bags in a container with a tight lid and store in a garage or shed.
- Do not leave pet food outside overnight. Store livestock food in airtight containers.
- Do not put meats or sweet-smelling fruit rinds in compost piles. Lime can be sprinkled on the compost pile to reduce the smell and discourage bears.
- Thoroughly clean grills after use or store in a garage or shed.
- Never intentionally feed bears. Bears that associate food with people may become aggressive and dangerous. This may lead to personal injury, property damage, and the need to destroy problem animals.
- Encourage your neighbors to take similar precautions.
