Author Topic: A visitor this morning! (Read 2600 times)

LynneNY · « **on:** April 28, 2010, 06:03:03 AM »

My husband woke me at 5a.m. on his way out to work to tell me "something" had gotten into my galvanized can that holds my bird seed on our second story deck. He thought it was a black bear and ran upstairs to get his camera and to tell me.

Yep - he was right!

While bears are not a common sighting around here, they have been coming down from the Appalachian Mountains nearby more often the past few years. We have had a bear on our deck twice before - didn't see it, but it bent my birdfeeder down to the floor both times!

I called the "non-emergent" police this morning because the neighborhood kids would be walking to their buses soon. There is nothing they will do about the bears unless they are up in a tree, or harming someone or something, but a cop did come out and blast his horn and siren which chased the bear further behind our house.

I actually didn't mind seeing him - my husband and I met while we were both living in Alaska and were used to these things, but again... I was concerned for the kids and pets outside.

PondJoy · « **Reply #1 on:** April 28, 2010, 06:18:11 AM »

Good grief.....now that's something you don't see every day..!

At least I can cross that off my list of "what might be in my yard overnight"......whew!

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #2 on:** April 28, 2010, 06:48:58 AM »

Oh my............that sure beats our raccoons and possoms!

whiskyb · « **Reply #3 on:** April 28, 2010, 08:37:35 AM »

They are wonderful to see and if left alone will just do their business and leave. Unfortunately people around here put out food to see them and them wonder why their screen door is missing when they stop!

tranquility · « **Reply #4 on:** April 28, 2010, 09:00:59 AM »

wow that certainly would be a site to see...
Lawanna

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #5 on:** April 28, 2010, 09:08:16 AM »

Jeez...and I was just b-aching about raccoons at my ponds. But it sure is a cool view.

LeeAnne151 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 28, 2010, 10:07:04 AM »

Wow. I have never seen a wild bear. I've been to Jellystone too.

There was just one on the news here though on someone's porch eating their cat food. The good news is that the bear probably won't visit as often as the raccoons do.....

Kittyzee · « **Reply #7 on:** April 28, 2010, 10:24:08 AM »

Whoa!

I'd rather have racoon problems than a bear in my garage. I can sweet talk a 'coon, but a bear would scare the crap outta me!

Kat · « **Reply #8 on:** April 28, 2010, 12:17:34 PM »

How cool to see

... thank goodness it is not in my backyard

Hope you don't get a lot of repeat visits.

Jonna · « **Reply #9 on:** April 28, 2010, 01:36:41 PM »

Man! That critter could do some serious damage in a pond! They are neat to watch but I'm not going to volunteer to live around them.

LynneNY · « **Reply #10 on:** April 28, 2010, 07:57:51 PM »

Soooooooooooo here I was... finally sitting down to a late lunch of a leftover 1/2 sandwich at 4p.m., and wanting to catch up on the computer when after 2 bites there was a POUNDING POUNDING POUNDING on my front door! What the???

I jumped up, looked out the window up here, didn't see any cars outside, but there below me on the front walk was a man all dressed in plain black. I opened the window and asked "can I help you?" I didn't know if someone had died or what?!?!?!?

He said rather energetically..."I just wanted to let you know that you have a black bear in your backyard!" To which I replied... "AGAIN?!?"

I asked how he knew, and he said a neighbor called it in. "And WHO are you?" I asked! "OH - sorry, I forgot - here's my badge" as he pulled his shield out of his black jacket. "oh, ok"

I told him about this morning and he said to meet him outside on my deck in the back. I grabbed the camera and he was already on the deck.

[OMG - as I was typing this, my husband yelled up that the bear was back and on the deck! He had already pulled the birdfeeder down on the heavy metal pole and was laying on the deck floor licking at the seeds!!! Not more than 6-7 feet away from the glass sliding doors in the kitchen and familyroom!!! WOW! We tried to get pictures, but even with all our spotlights on out there it wasn't enough light. I knocked on the glass door and he GROWLED a little bit at me - YIKES! When he ate all the seeds he could get out, he ambled off the deck down to the ground and then we couldn't see him anymore.]

I will not be able to put the birdfeeders out anymore now. Even though I don't mind having the bear around, having him so close is not safe, and I am concerned for the kids and pets in the neighborhood. But I'm glad we got to see him up close and personal!

To finish up the story of this afternoon - about 6 police cars arrived with sirens going to scare the bear off - it looked like a sting operation - he didn't even flinch.

It had worked this morning with only 1 car and 1 siren. Guess he knew better the second time. The police all jumped over the rock wall and ran after the bear, chasing him through my backyard neighbor's yard and down several streets towards where the foothills are - they had guns you see, and weren't scared - stupid! Then they lost track of him. But we know better - he ended up right back where he knew those seeds are!

Anyone wanna bet if he returns tomorrow looking for more seeds?!?

Julles · « **Reply #11 on:** April 29, 2010, 05:02:16 AM »

Lynne, what an incredible story!

How did he get up to your second floor deck?

Sorry you can't have the bird feeder anymore. I'm surprised a bear goes for seeds. Do you have a pond? Any worry he'll get after your fish?

LynneNY · « **Reply #12 on:** April 29, 2010, 06:29:46 AM »

He simply walked up and down the steep deck stairs - as if it was the most natural thing for him to be doing!

Yes, I do have a 3,000 gallon pond with 22 fish in it - some goldfish are about 6 inches and would make a tasty snack for him I'm sure! I just hope he doesn't go after them, now that there won't be any more seeds out. I'm pretty sad about that, as it was getting very colorful out there, what with the goldfinches yellowing up beautifully, the bright red cardinals, 5 different kinds of woodpeckers, and all the other little "tweety birds". $:-\$

Kat · « **Reply #13 on:** April 29, 2010, 07:18:43 AM »

Wow! Sorry to hear that you'll need to take down the birdfeeder. It must be so nice to watch the birds.

Vickie · « **Reply #14 on:** April 29, 2010, 09:15:00 PM »

No way would I feel safe in your back yard anymore. He could corner you in your back yard.

LynneNY · « **Reply #15 on:** April 30, 2010, 06:49:05 AM »

As far as we know, he didn't come back yesterday. My husband was home all day and spent most of the day in a room overlooking the deck and backyard.

The interesting thing is... when I posted the picture of the bent birdfeeder pole the other day (another one coming from yesterday just as soon as I download it), I noticed that the date was last year, May 4, so we are assuming this is the same bear who remembered the seeds. I can't believe it was the same exact week. And here I've been surprised at how my hummingbirds always return the same week every year for 10 years now! I will have to mark my calendar so we are prepared next year for the bear!!!

LynneNY · « **Reply #16 on:** May 01, 2010, 04:30:24 PM »

Here is the video that my husband took both at 5a.m. when he first saw the bear in the backyard, and then again at night when it was on our second story deck trying to eat the sunflower seeds from my birdfeeder. I actually left it out there to see if it would return so we could get a closer look, and it surely worked! But no more birdseed out there until the bear is hibernating again next winter.

I had to upload the video on YouTube because it's too large for photobucket or to send in emails. This is my page there.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rE8BmVcB2k

ponderer · « **Reply #17 on:** May 01, 2010, 07:10:30 PM »

Well. I think that he is the happiest bear in the wood. He looks like he died and gone to heaven!

marla · « **Reply #18 on:** May 01, 2010, 08:32:41 PM »

I'm lucky no Bear here, at my parents they have bear......now I was lucky enough to be sitting on the couch and heard the cat growling.....got up turned on the lght and there was a raccoon on the deck, now I know what has been in my bird feeders.....lived here 20+ years and have never seen one

Indiana Karen · « **Reply #19 on:** May 02, 2010, 06:25:06 AM »

I check here everyday to see if he has been back.

A couple years ago we were in Canada and I woke up in the middle of the night hearing a rubbing on the outside of the wall the bed was against. Woke hubby, then we heard the deck boards squeeking with his weight. Jumped up and turned the lights on, only got a quick look at him......he was big. He never came back, thank goodness. But it was fun seeing him and a great story to tell.

Karen

maryvonne · « **Reply #20 on:** May 02, 2010, 02:32:27 PM »

Great story, Lynne! We get them here too from time to time. I have never seen them myself but nieghbours have.

Maryvonne