[at-l] Hunting and Hiking...

[stephensadams@hotmail.com (Steve Adams)]

Reference Weary's post, dated 11-29-02, advising Christopher McNabb "One
wayward black bear every couple of years qualifies as a diversion not a
problem."

I live north of Christopher McNabb, and 45 minutes east of the Shenandoah
National Park, which has the highest density of black bear in the U.S.  We
have what we call "Park Bears" visiting us.

A merchant in town confided, two black bears make their way through town,
daily, in a circuit raiding trash containers behind stores.  No one talks
about this, fearing it will scare away business.

There is no longer a particular season, bear have visited me each month of
the year.  They become elusive during hunting season.  Bear visited me every
night - - one slept, nightly for almost two weeks, sprawled on its back with
its head and shoulders resting against my front door - - my, at that time,
two dogs learned to ignore them.  Bear walked through the yard all hours of
the day.

If I forgot to put the bird feeders away before nightfall, a bear would take
them down, tilt them upwards and pour the contents into its mouth.  Feeders
often became damaged in the process.

A bear favorite was to pop the lid off the garbage can in which I stored
sunflower seed, or the one storing corn, and eat several gallons.  Almost
nightly you could go outside and find a bear sleeping off his drunk, with
his head in the tipped-over trash can.  I became adept at banging dents out
of trash cans.  The lids are not as durable; I bought a half dozen lids at a
hardware store to compensate for their more frequent loss.  I have made
numerous inquiries at bear areas about "bear proof trash cans."  The best
response was one person who, gazing thoughtfully skyward, finally said, "I
don't think anyone makes such a thing."

The Fish and Game People initially advised nothing could be done:  it is
illegal to trap bear; it is illegal to possess a bear trap; it is illegal to
transport bear;  it is illegal to kill bear out of season.  They have
stopped relocating bear, advising, "If we take a bear from your backyard,
the only places we can put it will be where it will quickly be in someone
else's backyard."

They eventually advised:  (1)  Buy some shotgun shells with very small shot
(it's about the size of the sand hotel's prefer for their canister
ashtrays).  (2)  Yell at the bear and make it leave.  (3)  When the bear
reaches 60 yards, and is facing away, shoot it in the butt - - don't hit it
in the head.

I forgot to put the bird feeders away.  The bear followed its routine that
night.  The bird feeder was on the ground in the morning.

I bought the shells.

That same afternoon, a bear entered my yard, and stopped about 20 yards
away.  I retrieved my shotgun, went outside, loaded the shotgun, and pulled
the slide back.  The bear squatted for the old #2.  (The bear version of
"The Finger".)  He finished.  I yelled.  Nothing.  He stood there looking at
me.  When I released the slide, the bear understood the program and loped
away.  When the bear reached 60 yards distance, I shot, aiming low.  Not
much reaction from the bear.

That night, I again forgot and left the bird feeders outside.

I found the bird feeder about 70 yards away in a field, in the opposite
direction, where the bear had stopped to enjoy his prize.

The new routine was repeated another day, but the feeder was nowhere to be
found.

I had to stop feeding birds.  Bear were destroying the bird feeders and the
trash cans where seed was stored.  The noise a bear made, trying to pry open
my car doors and the trunk where food had been stored for transport,
awakened me one night.

To me, bear are both "a diversion (AND) a problem."  They fascinate me but
can become quite a destructive nuisance.

Steve

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