The state Division of Fish and Wildlife considers northern Somerset County, including Bernards Township, to be on the fringe of New Jersey bear country, but residents might think otherwise given the increased frequency of reported sightings around here late this spring and in early summer.

UPDATED: The Fish and Wildlife Division has a web page that outlines how humans can co-exist with bears, and offering some tips.

In response to a reader question, Larry Ragonese, spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection, said that children who encounter a bear should just back away and "give the bear some room." The children should go indoors to notify a parent, who may chose to call police, he said.

Regarding small pets, Ragonese said people who are regularly sighting bears in their neighborhood should keep pets indoors at night, and should especially bring in pet food overnight. 

People should not expect to see bear cubs in Basking Ridge at this time of the year, he said.

Regarding the bear sightings in Basking Ridge within the last month, particularly the latter part of June, Ragonese said, "The bears you are seeing are probably males. They're out looking for their own territory and they're looking for a woman." This is the time of year for mating, he noted.

The roaming bears are probably two years old, Ragonese suggested. "Their moms have thrown them out," he said of the newly independent male adolescents.

Township police said they had received 15 calls reporting a roving bear on the morning of June 21 in the vicinity of Stockmar Drive and Lancelot and Granville lanes, off Mount Airy Road.

Reader Harvey Tomlinson sent in a photo of a large black bear with tags on his ears he said was taken on June 19 at his home off Newell Drive, not far from Lyons.

ADDED: Township police said that at 8:10 p.m. last Friday (June 24) they received a report of a bear at on the rear deck of a Newell Drive residence. A parol officer arrived to find the bear reclining in the back yard, police said. The bear was chased into a wooded area, where it climbed a tree, police said.

Another bear sighting on Cedar Street was called in to police at 10 a.m. on Saturday (June 25), and the same bear was reported later on Dyckman Place. The bear eventually made its way to the railroad tracks and was not seen after that, police reported.

Other comments posted on a story last week about the bear sightings said the "Old Army Road bear" knocked over a trash can on Wednesday, June 22, and a bear was discovered the next Friday rummaging through a trash container outside a Mount Airy Road home near Valley Road and the English Farm field.

"The bear knocked over our garbage can and was rummaging through it when my husband drove into our Mount Airy Road driveway about 4:30 p.m. on Friday afternoon," the second commenter said.

Garbage, and even the smell and residue from your last barbecue that remain on the grill on your backyard deck, is just the ticket for bringing black bears into suburban neighborhoods, according to DEP spokesman Ragonese. The wildlife division is within DEP's jurisdiction.

If visits continue, residents might want to continue purchasing bear-proof trash containers with special latches, available at most home improvement and hardware stores, Ragonese said. However, he noted some bears have been able to figure out how to open the latches.

With bears around, it's also advisable not to put trash outside the night before it is due to be collected. The trash should instead be kept in an indoor area, such as a garage, and placed at the curb in the morning, he said.

Pet food kept outdoors and even bird feeders might have to be eliminated if bears are active in an area, he said.

Very seldom do state officials or local police take action against bears that brush up with backyard habitats during wanderings that can spread out over many miles, authorities said.

"Generally, we will monitor the bear as best we can to ensure that the bear is not causing serious damage or creating a dangerous situation," township police Lt. Ted Reese said last week. He said the bear seen around town early last week was described as being approximately 1 1/2 years old year and weighed about 150 pounds.

The majority of New Jersey's bears live in the northwest section of the state, which has an estimated population of about 3,400 of the once scarce animals. 

That bear territory includes the northern edge of Somerset County, but mostly Sussex, Warren, parts of Morris and northern Passaic counties, Ragonese said. There is no estimate for the bear population for the rest of the state, but bears have been sighted in all 21 of the state's counties, even Hudson, Ragonese said.

Last year, 34 of the state's bears were shot, some by police, mostly for what was considered aggressive behavior against people, such as threatening people or entering a house, Ragonese said. Other bears might simply have ended up creating a dangerous situation in the wrong place, such as the Garden State Parkway, he said. Most often, troublesome bears are driven out of the area with rubber bullets, he said.

But just rifling through trash isn't considered unusual or threatening bear behavior. In fact, it's just typical bear's quest for food, Ragonese said. New Jersey bears in general aren't considered to be aggressive, although people should keep their distance since they are wild animals, he advised.

ADDED: "Bears are looking for food," not people or pets, Ragonese said later.

This is the most common time of year for bear sightings, since the bears head out to mate, he said. With their wide territory for roaming, he said that a bear reported in New Providence may even be the same animal. Bear sightings also were being called in to Bernards Township police exactly a year ago.

Ragonese said that the multiple bear reports in Bernards Township possibly can be attributed to only one or two bears. 

In examining pictures, Tomlinson said the bear in his yard was larger than one spotted in May not far from the downtown area, including William Street and Lake Road. He said the more recently photographed bear, which he said he believes is the one who was at the property off Newell Drive about a week ago, was larger and had tags on both ears.

Bears that have been tagged may have been marked as potentially problem animals, Ragonese said. Or they may just have received the tags in their youth for research purposes, he noted.

People who feel uncomfortable or threatened by a bear should call their local police department or animal control officer, Ragonese said. Those officials will contact the state if they feel it is necessary to do so, he said.

If for some reason, a person feels compelled to report a bear and cannot reach out for local assistance, a report may be made to 1-877-WARN DEP, Ragonese said.

If a bear has used a particular lawn as a regular sleeping site, the residents can throw tennis balls or aim a garden hose at the animal, Ragonese said. Or those less brave could also just try to shoo the bear off in a loud voice, he said. 

The state's goal is to make human-bear encounters relatively rare instead of commonplace, Ragonese said.