The Bears Are Out!

Spring is the time when buds on trees sprout, green shoots start emerging from plants in the ground, and bears emerge from their dens weak and sleepy-eyed. They're also hungry. Very hungry.

Here in the mountains, when March rolls around the topic of conversation is, "Has anyone seen or heard any bear stories yet?" We know that black bears will emerge at any time and as soon as they do, down come the winter birdfeeders and we become more cautious about the garbage and working in the yard.

I heard my first bear story of the season yesterday. A neighbor about a mile away had a small dinner party last weekend. They have a pretty high deck and they put out three coolers filled with beer, soda, and wine. That's pretty customary here.

Amid the noise of the party people, someone heard a strange thump on the deck. Oh-oh! As a few people looked out onto the deck, there was a big black bear happily enjoying some free calories. The bear had apparently emptied one cooler, and he was entertaining himself with a second one but couldn't get it open. I haven't seen the cooler, but I'm told it's all chewed up and torn. A cooler that's been attacked by a hungry bear should be interesting to see and will make a great conversational piece.

What I'm trying to say is that it's bear season. If you live in bear territory or plan on camping, you need to be bear aware. My article, "Keeping Bears Away From Your Home" is still valid and will help you if you're going to be in bear territory.

This article is just a reminder to be safe and respect wildlife. We can all live together but we need to know how to live together.

Photo Credit: Sandy James/Yahoo!