Oh, Those Backyard Bears

Another week and another handful of shared bear sightings. And what's more, one Amherst family not only spotted a bear in their backyard at the beginning of the month, but on Sept. 13, a huge moose ran across their property at the intersection of Christian Hill Road and Candlewood Drive! (The moose/bear combo is the black pin this week.)

One of the benefits of living in rural communities such as Amherst, is the opportunity to see wildlife roaming among us. 

As always, it is important to proceed with caution around wildlife and it's best to try to avoid actually attracting bears to your yard. Take these steps to keep your pets and family safe from unwanted bears.

Have you seen a bear around town?

Tell us about it. Email the information to Editor Carolyn Dube at carolyn.dube@patch.com. Make sure the time/date and the address where you spotted the bear(s).

Have a photo? Upload it to our boards, which can be found on the front page, or here. (You can even upload directly from your phone with our Patch iPhone app.) Don't forget to tell us in the caption where the photo was taken. Remember: Don't get too close to the bears. Only take a photo if you can do so from a safe distance.

Use the map:

The map above is interactive. The green pins are the most recent sightings. Yellow pins are previous sightings this year. Hover over a pin to see where the bear was spotted. Click to get the details. You can also zoom in an out to access pins that are tucked under others.