Berry Picking and Black Bears
So far we have had four black bears in our back fenced in yard. They had been attracted to our bird feeders and of course any crumbs the cats left in the barn feedings. The first bear was under the window in the kitchen sniffing around of course and stood up on his hind legs to peer through the window at me-peering at him.
He was gorgeous for an early spring bear with long shaggy black and brown coat. What was interesting when I tapped on the window he took off and just sailed over the 5-foot high chain link fence. He placed one left paw and arm, pulled himself up and with the right foot engaging the fence he was gone in a flash. Later on he evidently circled the neighbors house and I hear lots of gunfire, evidently to scare him off.
The other 3 bears were about the same although one was barely a grown cub. All were chased off by me clapping my hands when opening the back door.
Black bears are attracted to garbage pails and anything that resembles a food odor. If you have continued problems with bears in your garbage and trash you can purchase bear proof trash cans, build a bear proof trash house, have a big noisy dog, buy an incinerator and burn the trash, or make more trips to the “Green Boxes” so kindly placed several miles down the road to dump trash household wastes.
For me, I have taken to enjoying the bears in this wild and wooly setting but they do disturb Diane, my beautiful wife. Bears do not really like human odor so I have been experimenting with hanging a stinky T Shirt on the fence and watching for developments.
KIXX my big 130 lb bear dog has passed away. Alas, but my new 11 lb. pet I keep in the house.
I have found that the incinerator posted elsewhere in this cluster of articles works better than ever incinerating everything I choose to discard and saves me endless trips to the Green Box.
This is black berry picking time and Black Bears just eat and eat to gain weight for the coming winter. Berries are a favorite food. Humans also are big berry pickers and the two should not meet. Black Bears may have 1-year-old cubs and they are very protective of cubs. The mother bear can crash through the thorny brush quicker than you can. It is best to scout ahead for bears in a blackberry patch.
There are several ways to scare bears off. My closest neighbor uses a Football can size air horn that is really loud. This may well work for no cubs in sight, but I prefer to carry a “Bear Spray” pepper spray on my belt. These are super sprays that form a cone at 30’ (or closer) to change the bear’s direction. You Tube has some very interesting bear spray adventures. Bear Spray may be purchased on Ammazon.com at a better price than what the National Park Services charges.
Keep in mind that bears seek food and food smells. One bear was inside a Subaru Forester car recently and destroyed the interior trying to get out. If you eat in the car, haul food in the car-BEWARE. Keep your car locked.
Black bears can grow to 500 lbs. I suspect the average is about 250 lbs. These bears can really hurt you. Leave them alone.
DO NOT FEED THE BEARS.
God Bless Mother Nature, and bear safe watchers.
Old Timer,
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