Black Bear Agricultural Damage

Emergency Burn Ban In Effect 10/26/24 - An emergency burn ban is now in effect for all Connecticut State Parks, Forests, and Wildlife Management areas, prohibiting the use of all outdoor grills, firepits, and campfires, and the kindling and use of flame outdoors. DEEP and local agencies are working to contain several active fires across the state. Please avoid all affected State Parks and Forests, as well as the blue-blazed Mattabesett Trail. The Enduro Trail in Voluntown and portions of North Stonington within the Pachaug State Forest are closed at this time. Please note that today's forest fire danger report remains at an 'extreme' level. More information about the current fire danger, burn ban and recommended safety measures can be found here

Black Bear Agricultural Damage

Crops, Apiaries (Beehives), and Livestock

Black bears are a native species that have become common throughout western Connecticut and are expanding their range and population (see DEEP’s State of the Bears Report). Like other wildlife, bears sometimes target agricultural products as a food source. The Connecticut General Assembly enacted Public Act 23-77 during the 2023 legislative session, creating a new authorization for permits to be issued by DEEP to take wildlife that “threatens or causes damage to agricultural crops, livestock or apiaries". This webpage lays out a structured approach that individuals should take to protect their agricultural products from bears in Connecticut. More in-depth information follows below, along with links to additional resources. Reach out with questions to DEEP Wildlife Division Biologists at deep.wildlife@ct.gov or 860.424.3011.

In brief, if a bear is damaging your crops, apiaries, or livestock, you should proceed with the following steps in order:

Attempt non-lethal methods to protect crops, apiaries, and livestock.
Consult with a CT DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist.
If still experiencing damage, evaluate the requirements of and consider applying for a Bear Agricultural Damage Permit (Steps 1 and 2 must occur before applying for a permit).

Step 1: Non-Lethal Methods to Protect Crops, Apiaries (Beehives), and Livestock from Bears

The following guidance is designed to provide individuals with best practices for non-lethal methods to protect against bear damage.

Electric Fencing: Electric fencing is the most effective non-lethal method to protect most types of agriculture from bears in Connecticut. While electric fencing may present some cost and operational constraints for large crop fields and orchards, farmers across the state have successfully used electric fencing to protect agricultural products, including beehives and apiaries, gardens, chicken coops, small livestock pens, feed storage, fruit trees/small orchards, and small crop fields. The following resources will help guide selection and installation of electric fencing.

Video: Preventing Wildlife Conflicts with Electric Fencing
Tips: Electric Fence Tips for Bears
How to Install Electric Fences: Electric Fences Keep Bears Out - A BearWise Bulletin
DEEP Wildlife Division Biologists are experienced with electric fencing and will be glad to provide guidance. See “Consult with a DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist”

Additional Techniques for Protecting Livestock/Apiaries: While electric fencing is the best solution to protect against bears in Connecticut, the following methods can help further protect livestock and apiaries where feasible:

Reinforce beehives to prevent them from being knocked over.
Store feed apart from livestock and in a secure location and container, and consider guarding with electric fencing. Livestock feed attracts bears.
Avoid feeding livestock in a confined area that is accessible to bears.
Secure chickens, goats, and other livestock in fortified, secure structures, especially at night. Bears are large animals and can climb effectively, so structures should be strong, secure, and fully enclosed.
Acquire and train livestock guardian dogs.

Additional Techniques: In Connecticut, the following methods are most effective as temporary or additive measures and are most effective when paired with electric fencing or other methods listed above:

Use harassment techniques and aversive conditioning. Examples include strobe lights, scare devices, and noise deterrence, such as air horns, flare rounds or blank noise rounds, or noise making devices. (Noise making devices require a permit from the Connecticut Department of Agriculture).
- Follow all local and state noise ordinances and all local and state rules for firearm use.
- DEEP does not recommend the use of live rounds as a method of noise deterrence.
Locate crops, apiaries, and livestock away from wooded ravines, forest tree lines, wetlands, or other cover for bears.
Reduce cover for bears by keeping the areas that surround crops, livestock, or apiaries well mowed.

Additional Resources:

Keep Bears Out: Livestock, Bees, Crops, Orchards - Tips from BearWise

Documentation: Document all attempted non-lethal methods and ongoing damage before proceeding to step 2 or 3. This will help wildlife biologists provide the most effective advice during consultation and provide accurate advice on whether a bear agricultural damage permit may be necessary.

Step 2: Consult with a DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist

DEEP recognizes that agricultural crops, apiaries, and livestock vary greatly across Connecticut’s diverse agricultural landscape. Because each agricultural scenario is different, DEEP biologists will recommend the best non-lethal methods that are most likely to be successful for each unique damage scenario, as well as ensure that non-lethal methods are implemented/maintained correctly. They are experienced with black bear behavior, electric fencing, and other non-lethal methods and can provide valuable direction in how to best protect crops, apiaries, and livestock. CT DEEP Wildlife Division Biologists are internationally recognized as experts in their field and have advised thousands of Connecticut residents on how to protect their agricultural products against bears through electric fencing and other methods.

Before moving on to Step 3 and applying for an agricultural damage permit, you must consult with a DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist to ensure that you have correctly implemented relevant non-lethal methods. Biologists can also help determine if the reasonable non-lethal methods will be effective in addressing the damage you are experiencing and can advise if bear agricultural damage permits may be an effective method of protecting agricultural crops, apiaries, or livestock.

Call or email to schedule a time to consult with a biologist:

Step 3: Apply for a Bear Agricultural Damage Permit

(Agricultural damage permit applications will only be considered if Steps 1 and 2 have been undertaken without success and damage is still occurring.)

Background: New Law Establishing Agricultural Damage Permit Program

In 2023, the Connecticut legislature enacted Public Act 23-77 (An Act Authorizing Certain Killing of Black Bear and Prohibiting Intentional Feeding of Potentially Dangerous Animals). This law responded to a significant increase in human-bear conflicts (see DEEP’s State of the Bears Report). This law authorizes DEEP to issue permits to take bears that threaten or damage agricultural crops, livestock, or apiaries. Below is more information about this program, how to apply for a permit, and answers to frequently asked questions.

Bear Agricultural Damage Permit Program Conditions and Restrictions

The goal of DEEP’s bear agricultural damage permit program is to provide residents with a way to protect their agricultural products from bears; the program is not designed to replace or replicate a bear hunt. Black bear hunting is not legal in Connecticut. The following conditions are in place to ensure the program is used as intended, permits are issued consistently, and authorized shooters have relevant training and experience.

Applicants must prove that bears are threatening or damaging their agricultural crops, livestock, or apiaries.
The owner or lessee of the subject property must have used reasonable non-lethal efforts to protect their crops, livestock, or apiaries before applying for a permit (see Step 1, above).
Applicants must document both the damage and the non-lethal methods used.
DEEP Wildlife Division Biologists will inspect the damage and the efficacy of non-lethal methods to determine if the following two conditions are met:

The taking of bears is necessary to protect agricultural crops, livestock, or apiaries from being damaged.
Reasonable non-lethal efforts to protect crops, livestock, or apiaries have been employed, but have not been or are not likely to be successful in preventing damage.

Any permit will specify and limit the permissible number, means, method, and times for the take of bears.
Permits will only be issued to the following individuals:

The owner of the property on which bears are threatening or damaging crops, livestock, or apiaries.
An agent of the owner of the property.
A lessee of the property, if the lessee has written permission from the owner to take bears.

Any bears taken under this program must be turned over to DEEP personnel. This and other requirements are spelled out in the permit itself.
The permits will not authorize the take of bear cubs or bears in the presence of cubs.

How to Apply

As described above, before applying for a permit, applicants must have 1) applied non-lethal methods to deter bears, and 2) consulted with a CT DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist.

DEEP has created a robust application process to ensure all statutory restrictions and conditions are followed and permits are only issued in circumstances where take of bears is necessary to prevent covered agricultural damage.

Follow the steps below to apply for a Bear Agricultural Damage Permit. You can only apply by email or U.S. mail, and email applications are preferred.

Email Submission Process (Preferred)

Download and print the Black Bear Agricultural Damage Permit Application.
Fill out the permit application completely and thoroughly. *Note: Applications that are incompletely filled out will be returned to the applicant, so you are encouraged to answer every question in detail, including about the severity and extent of the experienced damage.
Obtain all required signatures in the presence of a Notary Public or a Commissioner of the Superior Court in Connecticut.
Scan signed and notarized application ensuring notarized stamp is visible. Tip: Stamps can be made visible by lightly rubbing the stamp with a pencil before scanning.
Submit the completed application and all supporting documentation by email to: DEEP.BearDamage@ct.gov.

Mail Submission Process:

DEEP strongly encourages applicants to use the email submission option above to ensure timely permit processing. If you do not have access to email, you may follow the process below, using U.S. mail:

Download and print the Black Bear Agricultural Damage Permit Application or pick up a paper application at the Sessions Woods Conservation Education Center in Burlington (341 Milford Street), which is open on Mondays-Fridays, from 8:30 AM - 4:00 PM (except holidays) or call  860-424-3011 during those hours to request a permit application be mailed to you.
Fill out the permit application completely and thoroughly. *Note: Applications that are incompletely filled out will be returned to the applicant, so you are encouraged to answer every question in detail, including about the severity and extent of the experienced damage.
Obtain all required signatures in the presence of a Notary Public or a commissioner of the Superior Court in Connecticut.
Mail the completed application and all supporting documentation to:

Sessions Woods WMA
Bear Agricultural Damage Permit Program
Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
P. O. Box 1550
Burlington, CT 06013

Content last updated on August 22, 2024.

Frequently Asked Questions

Bears are in my chicken coop or garden. Can I apply for a bear permit?
Follow the steps above to 1) implement non-lethal methods, and 2) consult with a DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist. As noted above, properly installed and maintained electric fencing is a proven method for cost-effectively protecting gardens and chicken coops, which will eliminate the need to issue a bear permit for these scenarios. Therefore, it is unlikely that you would get a permit, although in rare circumstances you might be able to if reasonable non-lethal methods fail.
Am I guaranteed to receive a Bear Agricultural Damage Permit if I apply?
No. To receive a Black Bear Agricultural Damage Permit, you must meet all necessary program requirements and a CT DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist must investigate the subject property and determine that take of bears is necessary to avoid continued damage to agricultural crops, apiaries, or livestock, and that reasonable non-lethal measures are not likely to be effective. For example, a CT DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist may decline to issue a permit and instead ask the applicant to implement additional non-lethal measures.
I can’t take or don’t feel comfortable taking a bear. Can I designate someone else to protect the agricultural crops, apiaries, or livestock on my farm?
Not all landowners have the training, experience, or ability to take a black bear. Landowners are allowed to designate an agent to take a bear on their behalf. The applicant may list no more than 3 persons as authorized shooters at any one time, including the landowner, lessee, or agent of the owner. Any authorized shooter must meet the required pre-requisites listed in the question below.
Do authorized shooters need to have experience or safety training to apply for a permit?
Yes. Bears can only be taken by firearms pursuant to this permit, and to demonstrate knowledge of safe firearm use, all authorized shooters must have:
1. A valid CT Conservation Identification Number
2. And
- Proof of successfully completing a Connecticut Conservation Education/Firearms Safety course or its equivalent, OR
- A valid Connecticut hunting license, (for which firearms education is a pre-requisite)
What areas of the state are covered by the Bear Agricultural Damage Permit program?
While there are no program restrictions on where in the state DEEP will issue permits, permit holders cannot shoot or carry a loaded firearm within 500 feet of any building occupied by people or domestic animals or used for storage of flammable material unless written permission for lesser distances is obtained from the owner and carried. (Landowners, their spouse, and lineal descendants are exempt from this restriction, providing any building involved is their own.) A landowner must have a minimum of 10 contiguous acres to use a rifle; shotguns are required on parcels less than 10 contiguous acres. It is important that you consult with a CT DEEP Wildlife Division Biologist before applying for a Bear Agricultural Damage Permit to ensure you can comply with rules for the legal discharge of firearms. Applicants are also expected to follow any local firearms or noise regulations.
Can I apply for a permit to kill an animal other than a bear that meets the Bear Agricultural Damage conditions/restrictions listed above?

No. At this time, DEEP is only considering applications to take bears under this program. If you are experiencing crop damage from deer, apply to the Deer Crop Damage Permit Program. Other animals that commonly cause agricultural damage are currently managed through other programs.
How do I report and transfer the animal to DEEP when a bear is taken under a damage permit?

The individual who takes a bear through a damage permit must report it immediately to DEEP’s 24-hour Dispatch Center by calling 860.424.3333. The carcass must not be moved until DEEP staff arrive to retrieve it. Any authorized shooter who takes a bear must immediately fill out a Bear Damage Removal Tag (included with permit) and affix it to the carcass. The permit holder must sign all tags used, regardless of whether the permit holder or an authorized shooter shot the bear. The permit holder and authorized shooters are responsible for following the rules and take limits on the permit. All bears taken under a bear agricultural damage permit must be turned over to the DEEP Wildlife Division and cannot be retained by the landowner, their agent, or any other person.
Does the Bear Agricultural Damage Permit Program allow take of bear cubs?
No. Authorized shooters may not take bear cubs, or take bears when cubs are visibly present.

Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection