Bear

[WayneB]

It is time for me to admit that I am not smarter than a Black Bear!

Recently I went ahead and put all of my bird feeders on a cable and using a boat winch I am able to lift the feeders off from the ground. This provided me with two good results (so I thought). One the squires could not get into the feeders and secondly the bears would not be knocking them down breaking them and eating all of the bird seeds.

Today, at around 5 AM I was making coffee and I heard a loud noise, looking out at the front yard there was a rather large black bear sitting on the ground eating bird seeds. He had some how managed to get the last bird feeder down (now is several pieces) and was eating seeds.

I did take a picture of the beast but my camera skills are pretty bad also and the pictures are all black! At one point I was within twenty feet of the bear trying to get it to look up at me then finally it had had enough of me talking to it and got up and moved off from the yard. Never once did it run just walked slowly away and then off into the woods.

This is one picture of my new friend, sorry I am not good with the digital camera! Shortly after taking this picture it got up and slowly walked by me!

 

[weldingisfun]

Wayne, I tried to make it brighter so we can all see the bear. It isn't great, but you can see the critter now.

 

[curly]

Wayne, maybe you're just smarter than the average bear That may be Yogi and Boo-Boo you're dealing with. They outsmart the ranger and campers all the time

Hey Boo-Boo, let's go to Wayne's house, and get us a house full of bird seed...hey-hey-hey.

 

[dmccarty]

Do you have a fireplace in need of a rug?

A bear that lets me get that close would scare me. A bear that scares me that close to my house scares me more.

When is bear season?

Later,
Dan

 

[WayneB]

We have black bears visiting us all the time and I thought I had really out foxed them this time, but again I am wrong. I was within fifteen to twenty feet from the bear this morning and then it decided to get up and move away.

I am just going to continue working on my camera skills! Guess it is time to read the darn manual.

Oh thanks for trying to lighten up the picture I did that also but it just didn't work as good for me...

 

[RoyJackson]

I sure don't suggest you get too comfortable around those bears. You might think they're cute and cuddly...but if they lose their fear of humans...you're prey. If that's a momma bear and she has cubs close...you could well be in for a world of hurt.

If you really want to get that close, have a large caliber handgun (.357 Magnum at minimum!) on your hip...be ready to use it too.

Or get your self a telephoto lense for your camera and keep your distance.

If you folks recall, there was a guy a few years back...Timothy something...got close to grizzlies....cute critters that they are. Well, eventually, a grizzly killed him and his girlfriend...ate them too.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Pour some bleach on the ground below the feeders. You won't see them again for months.

 

[shvl73]

That looks like a nice sized bear. We've seen them over this side of town a few times, not often though. Usually moving too fast for me to get the camera. I wouldn't mind seeing them more often but, our neighbor has dogs that run loose, as well as a friend of his breeding Huskys in a large pen at the back of his field. I'll bet that why we haven't seen more moose either.

 

[Scooby074]

I'd be weary of a bear that is that comfortable around humans to let you within 20 feet. Even as he left you said he just walked, not ran, not good. In all my bear encounters here the bear ran off pretty much as soon as i saw him. Maybe its worth talking to DNR about your bear situation. Have you had any of your garbage cans wrecked or other property damage besides the one feeder? Could be your dealing with a "problem bear" that may need to be re-located before something more serious happens.

 

[WayneB]

I'd be weary of a bear that is that comfortable around humans to let you within 20 feet. Even as he left you said he just walked, not ran, not good. In all my bear encounters here the bear ran off pretty much as soon as i saw him. Maybe its worth talking to DNR about your bear situation. Have you had any of your garbage cans wrecked or other property damage besides the one feeder? Could be your dealing with a "problem bear" that may need to be re-located before something more serious happens.

We live pretty much right in the woods so although I sound as if I am trying to make friends with bears, that isn't true. I happened to go out on the porch to take the pictures but certainly kept a close look on my escape path. We have a 35 acre pond behind our house and about 600 acres of woods for animals to roam in. Seeing bears, foxes, deer, coyotes, turkeys and what have here is nearly a daily happening.

This particular bear has been around here for a few weeks now. I saw his tracks yesterday morning near the back of the property but wasn't sure just when he was there.

I do secure the garbage cans and have never had a problem with them. Who can say when he or another visitor might get into the garbage area.

(Shvl73) I guess having the big dogs barking will scare off a lot of wild life. Our two dogs are too old to even think of chasing anything.

(Wayne County Hose) Good advice and I will keep that in mind to try.


(Royjohnson) Not to worry Roy although I was pretty close to the bear, I was a lot closer to the door. I will keep my distance.

Wayne