BEARS in the Hood (JT) !

[John Hardman]

Ben ~. 

Thanks!  Get a look at your BEAR's  COLOR & SIZE?  

That detail helps us allot !  Thank YOU in advance.

~ john

PS:  JanesTown ROCKS!

[Rose H-H]

Continuing bear visitations on Ward Street - the full, bear-resistant trash cart got knocked around on Thursday night/Friday morning (stayed closed! yay!).  This morning we see that the empty trash cart was knocked over again.

[Ben Perry]

Ben ~. 

Thanks!  Get a look at your BEAR's  COLOR & SIZE?  

That detail helps us allot !  Thank YOU in advance.

~ john

PS:  JanesTown ROCKS!

I believe it was a dark brown or black adolescent bear. Not a scrawny cub, mind you--pretty well filled out, just small.

[Hollis]

 

So can we think of any way to feed birds & not bears? 
Steve J.

Steve, I can't think of an easier way.

I had a red plastic hummingbird feeder once, enjoyed watching them sip sugar water, they luv the stuff, that feeder got a lot of activity, thought to myself I'd better get a second one, hung it from the eaves at the other end of the house, that doubled the activity, the hummingbirds seemed to be fighting over access, that made me ponder some. Was I creating a stressful feeding situation for the hummers, were they getting all jacked-up and strung-out on sugar water from a plastic feeder, was it a matter of me thinking I'm doing a good thing for them? 
Thought to myself, I'm messing with nature for my own enjoyment.

One day I bought the feeders in to clean and refill, then noticed the hummers were feeding on insects and flowers and seemed to be calmer.
Later that day a bear came sniffing around under where the feeders were hanging, that was all I needed to convince me not to hang the feeders again.

Now I see the hummers in the yard feeding on insects and what few flowering plants there are, they sit and rest on tree branches, I have a water source for the birds, they seem to enjoy it.

I've noticed when some hummers arrive, they head straight for the eaves of the house as if they've been conditioned to look for food there.

Knock on wood, I haven't seen a bear near my house in 15 years. On occasion I'll see one meander by, I've seen them attempt to access food in the neighbors bear resistant garbage cans, with no success and then wander down the road and try others.

This year I had 3 different types of birds nesting in my yard, all thrived with minimal effort from me, seems the less I interfere, the better off they are.

[Jason and Sera]

We just recently had a young visitor above the house & to the east at 3:15pm today! He left us a parting gift. This is up on the east hillside above our home at 16 Mill St. We were in the process of loading up a bag of trash containing food (which has since been taken down canyon). The beastie disappeared eastward as we approached noisily hazing.

[John Hardman]

Jason & Sera  ~

Thanks for your posting!  AND THANK YOU for the PHOTO!   I have a couple SOB Stickers for you guys. 

"It's 3 AM, I most be lonely."   Matchbox 20 sang.  That seems to be Our Bears favorite time of day.
 It is the time of day that my GSD Lila usually goes on ALERT!  We don't get much sleep lately!  

That would seem to be Our BIG BLACK Mama w/Cub or CUBS?  I was informed Monday of a sighting of
a Big Black Mama Bear and 2 CUBS sipping Hummer Water on Cemetery Road Monday.  (thanks Jill for the INTEL)

SO ~ Either this IS the same Bear AND SHE has 2 Cubs OR we have 3 MORE BEARS IN THE HOOD.  Bringing our total so
far to 10 OR 12 BEARS, if it is a NEW MAMA IN THE HOOD.  Mama Bears w/ CUBS are to be treated with
great respect!

I have read that all across the State that Bear Activity is HIGHER than normal this year.  I do believe the Hot Dry weather of the
last 6+ weeks is a factor as well as some Trash Issues that need to be addressed. 

IN THE MEAN TIME.  If you can please put your Bear Proof cans in a safe place, unaccessible to OUR BEARS until TRASH DAY,
that might help us allot!  We never imagined that folks would leave full trash cans by the road all week.  With temps in the high
80s those Bear Proof Trash Cans are turning into STINKY CROCK POTS.  BEAR HEAVEN.  

As a reminder!  ALWAYS check your Bear Can to make sure it is LATCHED PROPERLY.  Check them every time you use them.  
They DO NOT always latch properly.  Not defective just plastic morphing along with the temps.  

Time to step UP JT!  Our Bears need US TO CLEAN UP OUR ACT.  

~ SOB john

[SouthernJen]

Hi john. The bear that left my neighbors, jason and Seras, ended up at my place…lounging and napping in the tree. He/she is not a mama…i got a good look and the bear is definitely on the young side. Super cute actually. He/she did not seem to be bothered by Tupelo’s barking, but was in a tree so may have felt very safe. And tired. Tehee. I discovered the bear out there about 4:00. I watched him/her from about 4:00-4:20. Then hopped in the shower. And when I got out the bear was gone. No signs of bothering house or anything. But our trash etc is all secured in the garage. This little buddy definitely just seemed like it was looking for a cool place to hang out during the heat of the day. And definitely seemed to be traveling solo.

[John Hardman]

Hey Thanks so much Jen! 

Sera sent me some more photos of that guy and yes I agree it's the Black Juvenile.
I was just headed here to revise my post when I saw yours.  

Thanks for the photos.  Lil Bear up the tree.  Looks like apples on the menu too. 

~ john

[Jese Engwall]

nice photos!  That's definitely apple poo   not from my trees, I had them removed last winter

[Jason and Sera]

Good evening 'billies -
Around 7:20pm today we had a bear move up through the east side of our property, climbing uphill toward 15th St & toward Southern Jen's. This one was very brown & appeared larger to me, an adult, than the suspected "Juvenile" that was here recently in the same area. I didn't get a photo as it initially looked like it was taking the pathway up there leading down to our house & was moving. Mack & I got right outside with a lotta noise & it had disappeared by the time we got up above the east side of our home. I'm wondering if it had been drinking at the river prior to scaling the hillside? -Sera

[John Hardman]

Thank You Sera for posting! 

Might be the Blonde/Brown Adult that I have heard so much about but not yet seen
with my own eyes.  Our Bears are going into Hyperphagia and eating 24/7.  Fruit and Berries are ripening.  

Some of our trash issues have been addressed which always helps!  Thank You JimBillies for stepping UP!
And I do think that our multiple  "Hazing" of our dumpster Bear did some good.  Thanks Jovan, Jaye etc.

Gratitude Jaye, for welding the dumpster gate back together.  

Thank You JimBillies for bringing your Bear Cans to safer places during the week. 
OUR BEARS KNOW WHAT DAY TRASH DAY IS.  Don't worry. 

We still have a few months left.  No time to get complacent.  
You DO NOT WANT a BEAR in your Cars or Homes.  

~ SOB john

[Hollis]

There's a relatively large pile of bear doo-doo on West Mesa St, a great photo op, wouldn't want anyone to miss out.
I detoured around it as not to disturb the evidence of what its diet may have consisted of 

[John Hardman]

Hey Hollis ~

That IS a big pile of Choke Cherry Pie.  I knew we had a BEAR/s in the Hood last night!
Likely the same Big Blonde/Brown Bear that Sera reported.  

LILA was on top of it.  WE got very little sleep last night as she takes her Guard Dog Job
pretty serious, and I am grateful. She finally calmed down around 5AM.  

~ SOB john

[Hollis]

Hey Hollis ~

That IS a big pile of Choke Cherry Pie.  I knew we had a BEAR/s in the Hood last night!
Likely the same Big Blonde/Brown Bear that Sera reported.  

LILA was on top of it.  WE got very little sleep last night as she takes her Guard Dog Job
pretty serious, and I am grateful. She finally calmed down around 5AM.  

~ SOB john

You can have the pie, I'm laying off the "sweets" for a while :O)

If you see this reply in time, I just watched 2 doe's and a spotted fawn leisurely browsing the foliage in my back yard, no dogs barking to startle them, they were headed east your way along the ditch.
Pretty cool stuff to see, they saw me and weren't afraid.