Woke to a bear on my porch!

[Jillien Fekete]

Cars are clean no, zero garbage outside so was surprised I had a bear on my porch this morning- 6am. It was what I’d call “sizable” did not look thin at all . Lots of brown shaggy fur on its back-No picture as I was locked into the moment of watching it. I knocked on wall to shoo it off. Would it possibly be attracted to ice melt salt I have outside? Or where I’ve seen signs of a pack rat? Might they search out and prey on pack rats? Lumbered off westward…wow…interesting start to my day!

[John Hardman]

Good morning Jillien!

Thanks for reporting your Bear sighting!  Our Bears are very hungry after their long winters nap
and the pickins are slim in the high country.  Grass, insects, road kill etc is pretty much it on the menu
for a while!  

I think all homes smell like a possible meal to OUR Bears, all the time,  They can smell food many miles away.
Keeping everything clean and locked will deter their entry.  You DO NOT want a BEAR in your house! 
Our Bears learned to open car doors decades ago.  You DO NOT want a BEAR in your car.   Trash is a huge attraction
and needs to be stashed appropriately.  You can use bleach to assist in managing the smells it creates.

When they DO come to visit, we need to make them UNWELCOME.  Make noise, bang pans together, blow an airhorn, 
yell at them (like a misbehaving child).  I DO NOT recommend sicking dogs on them!  These are powerful animals, no
match from most dogs. If they climb a tree, you pretty much have to leave them alone and they will leave when they feel
safe. 

I don't know where you live but it would be helpful for your neighbors to know where this Bear was.  Thank you for the intel.
If you have questions about how to be BEAR AWARE check out CPW (Colorado Parks and WIldlife) web sight or post here and
one of our Save Our Bear group will be happy to assist!  

It IS BEAR SEASON and will be until November!  

SAVE OUR BEARS ! 

~ SOB john

[Jillien Fekete]

Thanks John! I am next to the Cemetery. Last stop before the cemetery is what some say. I did bang on the wall and yelled and it then left I waited and went out later after it left, to scour my area for any smelly possibly attractive bear stuff…to assure I’ve not invited it…and then ordered two new air horns! Oh yes, and Bells are on my hiking stick ?

[Rose H-H]

Congratulations on a safe end to your first Ursine visit, Jill!  Thank you for letting us all know.  No coffee needed this morning, eh?

[John Hardman]

Hey Jillien,  Sorry I did not recognize your name.  We have met a couple times (Food Share). 

Your Bear sounds like it is the one Oak saw, just up the road from you.  Good to know where
our Bears are hanging!  Let me know if I can be of service.  

~ j

PS:  Air Horns work!  AND it alerts your neighbors that there are Bears IN THE HOOD

[Steven B in PV]

FWIW, I can confirm that bears do eat rodents.  I had some bear scat analyzed at a biological lab to learn if the claws inside were from a bird, and what species it might be.  The claws were from a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel.  I think it's safe to say that bears will eat anything meaty they can catch, and pack rats, meadow voles, chipmunks, deer mice, marmots, rabbits, and free roaming cats would be on the menu.  Bears tear apart logs for ants, worms, grubs, beetles and cavity nesting birds. Like us, they are omnivores but enjoy a wider diversity of foods than most humans would care for.

Exclusion is the best way to deal with pests of any kind, and minimizing attractants that would concentrate rodents, or bears, is one thing to think about.

BTW, thanks to John Hardman and the good work he does!

Question:  Which is worse, having a pack rat or a bear in your house or car?

Prize:  John will have an SOB decal for the best answer.