News Education Wildlife Journal Federal Aid Calendar Hunting Fishing Hunter Ed . As winter finally loosens its grip on New Hampshire, hungry black bears are starting to wander around, looking for their first meals in months. All too often, however, bears are finding those meals at backyard bird feeders, compost piles and trash bags. We're already getting reports from many parts of the state that they're raiding bird feeders.
Black bears are one of New Hampshire's most fascinating wild animals.
They've got a highly evolved sense of smell, are able to pass information about food and territory to other bears, and have an uncanny sense of direction. But bears that learn to rely on humans for food lose their sense of wildness and quickly can become a nuisance to many people, according to Fish and Game biologists. And in the spring, when there's not much natural food available, some bears learn that bird feeders and trash bags are an easy source of food. For bears, it's a tough habit to break. The bear that raids a bird feeder finds quick satisfaction with a fat-rich meal and soon finds other feeders in the neighborhood.