The only independent, nonprofit news organization solely dedicated to reporting on the Adirondack Park.
By Mike Lynch
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) issued guidance on how to prevent negative encounters with black bears. Nearly all negative bear encounters in New York are the result of hungry bears being attracted to human food sources. The simplest way to avoid a nuisance encounter is to remove potential food sources, which…
By Phil Brown
If you’ve seen a bear or sign of a bear, such as tracks, scat, or fur, Cornell University wants to know about it. Cornell has developed a free app for citizen scientists to input data on bear sightings. The information will enable scientists to monitor the growing bear population in New York State. Cornell issued…
By Phil Brown
It seems that photos of moose are becoming more common with the return of these magnificent creatures to the Adirondacks. Last week, Jeff Nadler, a professional photographer, sent us a shot of a young moose he took near Great Sacandaga Lake in the southern Adirondacks. Today I’m sharing a photo of another young moose taken…
By Phil Brown
The state Department of Environmental Conservation is warning visitors to beware of aggressive bears that have been approaching hikers, rock climbers, and campers in the Chapel Pond area and the Dix Mountain Wilderness. The department recently killed one of the bears. Read DEC’s news release here.
By Phil Brown
Rock-climbing guide Will Roth was rappelling down a cliff near Chapel Pond with two clients this week when they saw a bear below—climbing toward them. The climbers yelled and clapped their hands, but the bear kept coming, its claws scratching the rock like fingernails on chalkboard. When the bear got within fifteen feet, Roth tossed…
By Mike Lynch
Bear encounters in the backcountry and in residential areas were much more common than usual during the summer of 2016 in the Adirondack Park.
Department proposes to expand opportunities for hunting bruins in the North Country and other parts of the state. By Paul Post THE STATE DEPARTMENT of Environmental Conservation plans to expand bear hunting across New York to prevent conflicts with humans as the animal’s population spreads to new areas. At one time, the state’s bears were…
State tries to curb illegal trade in bear paws and gall bladders. North Country Taxidermy in Keene does a steady business in mounted deer heads, stuffed mammals, skulls, horns, and fur rugs and blankets. Black-bear gall bladders are a lesser-known commodity. Bud Piserchia, who owns the shop, acquires as many as 150 gall bladders during…
By Phil Brown
State wildlife biologists experimented for years with different methods to keep bears from stealing campers’ food in the High Peaks Wilderness. Finally, the state decided to require all campers in the eastern High Peaks to store food in bear-resistant canisters. This not a problem unique to the Adirondacks. The latest issue of the Journal of…
State’s study of bruins in High Peaks sheds new light on these creatures of habit. By MARY THILL Three guys dressed in moss green and shouldering black shotguns are given wide berth on High Peaks trails. Hikers’ eyes widen as they let the men file past on the well-trodden path from Adirondak Loj to Marcy…