Public sightings of bears have been collected by the CT Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP) Wildlife Division since bears began returning to the state in the 1980s. Reports are used as a gauge of the population’s distribution as well as a broad index of where bears are seen more often.

Bears have been spotted in every town in Connecticut in recent years. According to CT DEEP’s 2025 The State of the Bears: A Briefing on Bears in Connecticut, bears were reported in 159 of the state’s 169 municipalities in 2024. The western half of the state shows the largest number of sightings. Newtown had between 101-200 sightings, according to a DEEP graphic.

In Connecticut, most bears den, or hibernate, from late November through mid-March. As of March 25, four bear sightings in Newtown have been formally reported to DEEP since the beginning of this year. More than that have been called in to Newtown Emergency Communications Center, however.

NECC Director Maureen Will says “there really isn’t anything we can do” with those calls.

“Bears are common here in Newtown and we receive numerous sightings reports,” Will said March 19. “We encourage our residents not to approach the animal. We all have to co-exist.”

CT DEEP says bears spend time in neighborhoods because food sources are abundant and easy to access (birdfeeders, garbage, open compost, grills, etc). They will readily use these food sources and revisit the same location.

Thousands of human-black bear conflicts are reported each year, following a long-term increasing trend. While greater numbers of conflicts take place in the western half of Connecticut, residents across the state report issues with bears. Instances of bears entering or breaking into homes occurred in 16 different municipalities statewide in 2024.

According to a DEEP graphic, Newtown was in the top-most range of bear conflicts in 2024, with between 101 and 200 conflicts reported. Eastern Litchfield County and Hartford County had the highest concentration of sightings in the state.

A localized and filterable maple tool of reported bear sightings is available at portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/living-with-black-bears; scroll down to Resources, then click on Current Map of Bear Sightings.

Reports of sows (female bears) with offspring provide a better representation of where the breeding populations of bears are in the state. Females disperse relatively short distances when leaving their birth range compared to males, according to the state agency. Because they disperse shorter distances than males, females are slower to spread the leading edge of black bear range in Connecticut.

The longer, wandering dispersal of young male bears helps to explain why sightings of bears are reported across the state, but relatively few reports of sows with offspring come from outside the western half of the state.

In 2024, sows with offspring were reported in over 89 towns. Newtown reported ten or less, according to CT DEEP.

To help curb feeding related issues with bears, some municipalities have instituted ordinances against intentionally and unintentionally feeding bears, which includes prohibiting bird feeders during the warmer part of the year. Ordinances have been passed in Colebrook (2010), Hartland (2019), Barkhamsted (2020), Simsbury (2020), East Granby (2020), Granby (2021), Manchester (2021), Farmington (2021), Salisbury (2022), and North Canaan (2022).

Even with a statewide ban on intentionally feeding dangerous wildlife, municipal ordinances will still play a role in addressing the needs of a local community. Some local ordinances may prohibit specific behaviors like feeding birds or require the use of bear-resistant trash cans.

Bird Feeders

For those who choose to put out bird feeders, DEEP suggests doing so in the winter months from December through late March when bears are in their dens.

Although most bears enter dens at some point, some can remain active for portions of or the entire winter season if food is available. It is important to remove bird feeders at the first sign of bear activity.

For those who live in an area with bears regularly sighted, it is best to avoid bird feeders altogether. Bears that find bird feeders will often repeatedly visit the site in search of food day after day and year after year, says DEEP.

Bird feeders and other bird food will attract bears closer to homes and humans. When bears begin to use human-associated food sources, they will frequent residential areas, lose their fear of humans, and not flee when harassed. They can even cause damage by breaking into outbuildings and homes in search of food.

The number of serious conflicts involving bears is rising, DEEP cautions. Reports of home entries, livestock attacks, apiary and other agricultural damage, and damage to vehicles and structures, as well as physical altercations with pets and people, are following a long term upward trend.

Several new bear-related laws were enacted in Connecticut in 2023. Intentional feeding of bears is now prohibited, and farmers may seek permits to address excessive bear damage to crops or livestock.

In 2024, Connecticut experienced two bear attacks on humans. The vast majority of the public's bear-related issues stem from trash and birdfeeders.

For those who enjoy watching birds, DEEP suggests establishing native plants in their yard and adding water features to attract birds. These methods may increase bird diversity and prevent unnatural feeding of a variety of wildlife species.

Despite enjoying the sight of birds at feeders at her own home, Maureen Will has followed DEEP’s advice.

“I have bungie corded my garbage cans and removed my birdfeeders,” she said.

“A visit to Newtown Hardware will get you an air horn to carry when you walk the trails,” she added, before also cautioning, “Please don’t get that close to them.

“They don't want to mess with us, nor do we want to mess with them,” she added. “They will move on.”

Anyone who observes a black bear in Connecticut is encouraged to report the sighting on DEEP’s online reporting website (portal.ct.gov/deep/wildlife/living-with-black-bears, scroll to Connect with Us, Report a Bear Sighting) or send an e-mail to deep.wildlife@ct.gov. Information on the presence or absence of ear tags, including tag color and numbers, is particularly valuable.

Read more here: How To Report Bear Sightings

and here: Coexist With Bears

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Managing Editor Shannon Hicks can be reached at shannon@thebee.com.