Hungry Bear Eats Dinner In Darlington Yard, Returns For Seconds

DARLINGTON, MD — As some families were sitting down to dinner recently, a bear was chowing down in a yard in Darlington. Bonnie Ritter and her husband were having a conversation Saturday night when he noticed something outside.

"We saw him out the window," Ritter said. They had been in the bedroom and immediately alerted their 8-year-old grandson about their visitor. She described the bear as 350 to 400 pounds.

"He looked good," she said. "We sat there and watched him a little bit and took some pictures. I pulled the window down to take a better picture, and he stood up and looked and grunted. It wasn't loud. It was like, 'Leave me alone; let me eat.'"

The bear was back for seconds, she later realized. The night before, an animal had knocked over their trash can.

"I thought it was a raccoon," she said. "I was wondering why nothing was taken." But then she noticed while the trash was intact, birdseed from her bird feeders was missing.

"He came back to get some more," she said, after she replenished it Saturday.

Once the bear finished cleaning out all the birdseed outside her home near Broad Creek, the animal headed for the neighbor's property through the woods. Ritter said her husband walked over to tell them.

Before the experience, she said her husband, a retired member of the Department of Natural Resources marine police, was aware there were bears in the area.

"I wish somebody had told me!" Ritter said. "I was surprised."

There were several black bear sightings around Trappe Church Road this fall. One reader shared Sept. 20 on Bel Air Patch that a bear destroyed a trampoline, pulled down a DirecTV satellite dish, tipped over trash cans, ravaged gardens and wrecked bird feeders on Trappe Church Road.

"We have contacted the DNR and the Sheriff's department numerous times and NO ONE has gotten back to us," the poster said. "PLEASE be very careful!!!"

Unless there is an immediate danger to someone or the community, the Harford County Sheriff's Office does not handle bear calls, according to the agency's spokesman Kyle Andersen.

"If a citizen sees a bear, they should not approach it," Andersen said. "They should leave the bear alone and call DNR."

To report bear-related emergencies, call the Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) emergency line at 410-260-8888.

If confronted with a bear, people should back away slowly and try to leave the animal alone.

If a bear refuses to leave, officials advise making loud noises and ensuring it has room to escape.

Black bears may grunt when they are relaxed, but if they start clapping their jaws, slapping the ground or charging, look out — that means they are rattled and threatened, officials say.

Black bears in Maryland are primarily found in Allegany, Frederick, Garrett and Washington counties. They range in size. Females can be 110 to 250 pounds, while males are 150 to 450 pounds, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

"I was expecting him to be smaller. I've seen the stuffed one at Eden Mill," Ritter said, referring to the bear taxidermy on the wall at the nature center in Pylesville.

Since encountering the live bear in her yard, Ritter said she has been a bit more cautious.

"Every time I go outside, I make sure it's not in that spot, because it's all woods here," said Ritter, who lives off MD 136. "There's a lot of places it could hide."

Black bears typically live in pine or deciduous forests with thick layers of vegetation beneath the canopy filled with acorns, berries, nuts and seeds, which they eat. Mainly vegetarian, they rely heavily on acorns, according to natural resources officials, who say bears are "opportunistic" and will eat whatever presents itself, from garbage to pet food.

Before settling into their dens in late November and early December, the stock up on food, consuming about 20,000 calories a day and increasing their body mass by more than 30 percent, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.

"I just wanted to let people know they were around, just to keep an eye out," Ritter said after her visits from the bear Friday, Nov. 29, and Saturday, Nov. 30. "I thought they were hibernating."

Bird feeders and trash are the main lures for bears to residential areas, according to state natural resources officials. Gardens, fruit trees, pet food and charcoal grills also appeal to the animals.

"I just read up on it. They said take your bird feeders down. But it's been 23 years. One time in 23 years..." Ritter said. "I feel bad for the bears. Even though I don't like having it that close, they're losing all their habitat, and I feel bad for them."