Wildlife Surprise

[Ringneck]

Just had a big black bear in the medal trash cans with the bird seed on the back porch. I have lived here in McMillan since 95 and have enjoyed seeing lots of wildlife around the house but this is the first sighting of a bear that close and I don't mind saying it does get the hair on the back of the neck standing up. I wonder if this is a change in the habits of the bears as I have been seeing lots more sign both around here and out at camp and have started seeing more of them in the wild. I have been hunting and vacationing here in the U.P. since 1969 and other then at the old dumps have never seen a live bear in the wild. I don't think I will be able to get much sleep tonight even though I am very certain that I scared the bear away and it most likely won't be back, but I think that we will have to be careful with putting the trash out and keeping the birdseed in the garage. Anyone else having more sighting's or is it just our lucky night?

[Banditto]

Maybe it would be worth applying for a bear permit?

When I lived in the U.P. I found a pit that somebody had been collecting road kill deer and piling them up. I hate walking into these little surprises--bears can be pretty scary.

I saw a documentory on bears on PBS. They said that black bears are more dangerous than grizzly and brown bears because their habits are not as clear as the others. They are unpredictable and can attack for no good reason, compared to grizzly's that need a reason.

[Youper]

I've had them nock over the gas grill at camp, because they smelled the grease in the rocks. Just don't encourage them by leaving stuff for them to eat.

[Wishn I was fishn]

Just a guess but that bear could just be searching for food. With the lack of rain and hot weather weve had lately I imagine that the palnts arent growing what the bears are used to eating. with lack of food in the woods the bears will travel were they need to to find the easiest meal. Thats just a thought though.

[rrbuckmaster]

You also have guys running there dogs which is pushing them places they may never go also.

[o town]

Caution and keeping food from them along with scaring the heck out of them helps, but I just had to post what an old timer once told me in the NWT;
'One bear in 10,000 is dangerous, 'ceptin' they don't always come in any partic'lar order. The fust could be the wust.'