Nanny, Kids Have Close Encounter With Bears

A local nanny and her charges have a neighbor to thank for making sure they didn't cross paths too closely with bears in the woods nearby. She sent this email to Patch on Monday, May 6.

"Another bear sighting this afternoon at about 2:30 p.m. on Naticook Road, in the back yard of where I work as a nanny. The children and I were playing in the back yard on their jungle gym, and other toys. We did not realize that the bears were right there in the woods next to us, until the neighbor lady yelled over that there were bears there. I immediately took the children up on the deck where we watched them, until they wandered away."

The bears have definitely been active in the last week with eight new sightings (there are seven red pins but one has two sightings in it.)

Have you seen a bear around town?

Tell us about it. Email the information to Editor Carolyn Dube at carolyn.dube@patch.com. Tell her where and what day and time you spotted it or them.

Have a photo? Upload it above by clicking the "Upload photos and videos" button. 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 red pins are the most recent sightings. Black pins are previous sightings this year. Click once on a pin to see where the bear was spotted. Click again to get the details.

PAST UPDATES:

MAY 6: Another week and at least four more bear sightings to add to our map that already boasts 21 bear sightings during the last two days of March and the month of April.

Last year, between reported sightings in the Merrimack Police logs and sightings shared with Patch, Merrimack's bears were spotted at least 89 times during the course of the season.

As it is still early yet, bears that have just come out of hibernation are in search of easy food. Make sure to take in your bird feeders, seal up your trash cans and Dumpsters, keep meat out of your compost pile and don't leave pet food dishes outside overnight. These are major attractants for hungry bears.

According to NH Fish and Game, bears generally scare easily and can be sent packing by creating loud noises, but bears that have found food, may be more reluctant to run off.

APRIL 29: A mother bear and her cubs hit Castleton Court over the weekend for a bit of play time, according to resident Maureen Mooney. The bears, first spotted Saturday morning, disappeared for a few hours before coming back to "put on quite a show!"

The mother and her cubs were photographed lounging for a bit in the neighborhood off of Camp Sargent Road, and exploring the area (note the mama bear sniffing out a jacuzzi above.)

Our latest update to Patch's 2013 bear map consists of a handful of sightings between April 19 and 23. (Plus the photos and story of the mama and her cubs on Castleton Court.)

APRIL 22: While we creep further along into spring, the bears of Merrimack are continuing to make their way around town. There have been at least six more sightings since last week's map update.

Black bears have become a regular sight around Merrimack. Last year alone there were at least 89 reported sightings that we plotted on our 2012 map. These were a combination of sightings reported in the Merrimack Police log and reports made directly to Merrimack Patch by local residents.

APRIL 15: The 2013 bear map is here.

Well, technically it's been live since the beginning of the month following the first bear sighting reported on Naticook Road on March 30.

Since then, there have been at least four more sightings reported to police.

All of the red pins reflect the newest sightings, while black pins are past sightings.

Make sure you're not attracting bears to your yard. Take these steps to keep your pets and family safe from unwanted bears.

More bear-related stories:

• Don't Be Caught Unaware Crossing Paths With a Bear
• State Warns Beware the Bears