“Bears that have become habituated to humans are following campers and begging for food,” the statement said. “In some instances, bears have destroyed tents and backpacks as they look for easy meals. There have also been interactions between bears and dogs.”
Officials have been receiving reports of frequent encounters between bears and hikers along the Lincoln Woods, Bondcliff, Franconia Brook, Lincoln Brook, and Black Pond trails and at the Liberty Springs and Thirteen Falls tent sites, the Forest Service said in a statement Thursday. The bears have become “food-conditioned” and have lost their natural fear of people, according to the statement.
The US Forest Service is warning hikers and campers in the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire to stop feeding bears after the agency began receiving near-daily reports in mid-July about the animals interacting with people in and around the Pemigewasset wilderness.
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Campers and hikers should maintain clean campsites to ensure that bears don’t receive any additional food from people in the area, the statement said. All food, garbage, and aromatic items such as toothpaste and other toiletries should be securely out of reach of bears and not inside tents or unsecured campsites.
“If you are planning a multi-day backpacking trip, you are strongly encouraged to store all food in a bear canister overnight,” the statement said. “The Forest Service has several available to use, free of charge, at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center, in Lincoln, NH, and at the Campton, Gorham, and Conway, NH, ranger stations.”
There are also “bear boxes” at established tent sites that, when closed properly, are proven bear-proof storage containers, the statement said.
“If you are approached by a food-conditioned bear, stand your ground. Do not run, turn your back, or abandon your backpack. Stand up tall with your arms up high while making noise,” the statement said. “If the bear remains undeterred, slowly back away. If you are hiking with a dog, in or around the Pemigewasset Wilderness, it would be wise to keep it leashed.”
Anyone who is afraid of hiking in the wilderness with bears that are no longer afraid of people should consider hiking somewhere else, the statement said.
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“As always White Mountain National Forest officials want everyone to enjoy the national forest and return home safely,” the statement said.
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Adam Sennott can be reached at adam.sennott@globe.com.
