Sunday, October 28, 2007

Here We Go, Again!!

This the time of a year when the salmon are gone from the streams. The berries have fallen, and the first snows have came.The nights are usually in the 20's with occasional snow and rain showers. Just a nasty time.
With all of that, the bears are out scratching for a few more bites of something before bedtime.Some of the local bears have developed a rather effective way of topping off before things get really locked up with ice. They simply come to visit at dark and grab garbage cans, pies out cooling, or my favorite moose stew.
I have heard the dogs barking the last few nights. They usually never bark at moose or anything else. They do raise cane when the bears are in the hood. I knew it wouldn't be long before we got hit again.
I tried to ignore the tell-tale barks, hoping it was something else. Well, it wasn't, Lin heard a ker-thunk on the deck night before last. She couldn't get me awake enough to go check. She did go check. Not Kool!!
The next morning the bird feeder was completely empty. She had put bread and bird seed out for the birds.I told her it probably was one of the critters coming to visit.I don't think she actually believed me.
Yesterday my neighbor lady called and said a bear had broken into the folks down the ridges garage, and ate 100 pounds of dog food. It was nice enough to leave two large deposits in the yard.
I knew it was coming!
Just after dark last night my phone rang and the gal next door was a bit worried. Her husband was off at work for a week, leaving her there with their three little kids.She proceeded to say that a bear was outside eating on something.
Lin and I grabbed the guns, lights, and drove over there.The grizz had opened their freezer, dragged out a dozen packages of frozen meat, and was chomping on it. Most of the folks on the mountain have freezers outside, including me.The bear scooted off into the brush and hid.
The neighbor gal said if I used a little "stealth", I could probably sneak over and catch him.I told her that I wasn't into a little "stealth" with a hungry bear trying to eat. I don't try to sneak up on a feeding bear in the middle of the night! Not chicken, just not real stupid either!
I called the Troopers and told them about the bear. They were busy and didn't seem to care much. I told them I was going to take a few steps if the bear kept up with the stealing. They reminded me to turn the head and hide into the Fish and Game if I whacked the bear. It's not bear season unless it is destroying property.
Once a bear starts breaking into things it has crossed the line of being a bad problem.
Tonight I will park over there and wait to see if the rascal comes back. I don't want to whack him, but I don't know if it will stay "scared off".It is never safe to try to shoosh a grizz. We'll see if he will shoosh again. Dealing with a grizz in close quarters is very risky at best, and I don't like having to do it.It's a call I'll have to make tonight. We can't afford to let that critter break into their house.
I noticed that it had walked in front of my house last night. Those big foot prints weren't there yesterday.It probably will come by and break into my house while I'm over guarding the neighbors.We'll see.
Bubba n Lin, walking "The Wilderness Trail"

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