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Re: [at-l] bears....in the city?



 It seems the bears like
> hamburgers and french fries and often raid the local fast food joints
> dumpsters and then get lost.

Where I grew up this was common as well.  They'd hit the town dump and
then turn left insead of right.  It was great fun to see them on our
way to school.... with the neighbors trying to keep a pack of excited
gradschoolers hushed so as not to panic them.  Mostly the bears
were allowed a digified retreat until one made a mess of someone's
back porch.  We were allowed to "tree" that one and the sherriff
sent for the vet and a tranq gun.  He was relocated into the boonies.

Maybe seeing them so often as I grew up is part of the reason they
don't scare me too badly now.  One of my most precious memories is
of sitting, staring at a stream.....lost in thought ....alerted
by my hiking bud named Dingo (a coyote times four <g>).

Just an almost inaudidble 'buff'.  I looked where he was looking
and a big old bear was moving up to the opposite side of the creek.
He saw us as I saw him and reared up on his hind legs and stared
across the water.  Dingo looked at me and then did likewise....just
stood up on his hind legs, facing the bear.  Not to be the odd man out, 
I stood too.  After about a minute or so, the bear sat down.  
And so did Dingo and so did I.  And the three of us spent the next 
half hour pretending to watch the trout rise.

As per usual, Dingo got bored by sittin' still and did a butt-up
stretch that was his signal that he wanted to be moving on.  And
as usual...I obeyed.  God I miss that dog.  Best damn hiker dog
I ever had.
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