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The incident occurred in Orange County on Thursday, March 28 in Greenwood Lake.
According to the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC), a department police officer responded to the residence after a homeowner called 911 to report a black bear broke into an enclosed front porch.
The homeowner reported shooting the black bear once with a handgun and the bear ran off into the woods, DEC officials said.
Attempts to locate the bear were unsuccessful. DEC’s investigation is ongoing.
DEC said wildlife experts provided technical advice to the homeowner to make the area less accessible to bears, such as locking windows, installing a solid door, and removing bear attractants like pet food, trash, and bird feeders to help reduce the potential for negative interactions.
The department will continue to monitor any reported bear activity and encourage residents to keep food attractants away from areas accessible to wildlife.
DEC reminds the public not to approach bears and to practice the “BearWise basics” to help reduce the potential for negative interactions.
Homeowners are encouraged to remove bird feeders and secure trash bins during the spring and summer, DEC said. Bears are always searching for food sources. If those sources are removed, bears will continue looking somewhere else.
More safety tips and information about bears are available on the DEC website.
There is typically a seasonal uptick in bear activity in the spring and summer when bears search for food after hibernating through winter, and associated with the summer breeding season when male bears can travel great distances for a mate.
If you are experiencing a human-bear conflict, even after following the BearWise basics, contact your regional DEC wildlife office for guidance/assistance at https://www.dec.ny.gov/about/558.html.
To report environmental violations including nuisance bear issues call the DEC 24-hour dispatch at 1-844-DEC-ECOS.
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