While I was on the coast birding my wife heard noises on the back porch around midnight, when she turned on the porch lights this bear was on the porch about ten feet away. I set up the trail camera and got a couple of pics. This is not the same bear that was coming to the bird feeder in the front yard. The front yard bear is bigger, blacker and doesn't have a brown muzzle.
br
Wow, I can't imagine having a bear on the porch.
Nice photos!
I'm a little worried about your "back porch bear" though. He/she seems a bit on the thin side. Has there been a change in the native food sources for bears in your area? Our weather has been wacky down here, and my mom's garden is suffering from this year's odd weather in Eugene.
mermaid...............no changes that I know of. The black berries will be getting ripe soon and it wont be much longer until the salmon show up.
Could the fires around you cause animals to be coming into your area?
nanny_56
The fires might have some affect on the animals, but we have had animals around the house since we moved here. We have fox, bears, mountain lions, skunks, deer, bobcats, racoons and ring-tailed cats that wander through here at different times
This message was edited Aug 7, 2009 10:05 AM
Wow, a-cat, I am so impressed with the variety of wildlife that you have nearby. Mountain lions have long been hunted out of existence here in N. GA. and there is no limit on bobcats, so while we have them supposedly, they are shy and few. You did not mention coyotes but I guess you have those too? Occasionally a young bear wanders down from the mountains (unfortunately all the way to metro Atlanta sometimes) and we have the smaller mammals and of course, deer.
Great pictures, how they love bird seed and berries, they have their own Bear Buffet
cedar18......I'm told we have coyote here but I haven't seen any yet
The back porch bear hasn't been back but the fox are here every night.
He/She wandered through the back yard last night. Still looking skinny.
Lately I've realized that not every one who is a member of DG live in the country and those who don't might not know how to act if they suddenly find themselves in bear country so I'm going to post a couple of useful hints. Get a stout walking stick and attach several jingle bells to it so that when you are walking you make lots of noise and wont sneak up on a bear and startle it. You should also carry pepper spray. When out in the country if you come upon some bear scat (droppings) and it is full of berries, it's from a Black Bear. If the scat is full of jingle bells and smells like pepper it's from a Grizzly Bear. Hope this is helpful.
yes, adelbertcat, you must get your own late night show! LOL
I have been carrying pepper spray for, don't laugh (or snort), 4 devilish golden retriever-ish dogs on my walk route. I know, they' re the most gentle dogs ever. Except the older, less definite-GR, mom dog hates me and sneaks up behind me growling. However, I tested my pepper spray and you have to be UP close and personal for it to work (and have a really good aim I would assume to hit a quarter-sized eye --- which I AM NOT ANXIOUS to do). And she runs when she sees me lift my arm.
Now, before anyone panics. I spoke to the dogs' mom (multiple dogs, remember) and she was unconcerned. "do what you have to do" she said when I suggested it was a problem. I don't want to hurt them but it panics me to have this situation with 4 dogs surrounding me, 2 of which are very vicious acting (esp. considering their cuddly heritage and the fact I love dogs).
But I do live in the country, and although bears are not a problem, I hope the local GR owner is perusing her dogs' scat for yellow plastic pepper spray containers-- and bells. :)
Ahhhaaaaaaaaa!
ROTFL
The front porch bear has returned. Note the different colored muzzle and I think this one is bigger than the back porch bear.
Are there definitely two bears or did the back page bear get some meat on his/her bones?
Back porch bear has a brown muzzle.
adelbertcat, we are quite excited. We seem to have a bear. Well, we have his/her scat anyway. After exhaustive :) research, we have determined that the poops in the middle of our dirt road, full of persimmon seeds are TOO big for coyote or fox, but perfect for a cub=let looking for a new territory from the mountains. This happens periodically and they even find themselves in metro Atlanta. We had a definite sighting a few years ago on our road, so we think it's real.
No photos or sightings yet. Kind of like bigfoot.....
nanny is right, there are two bears.
Adel, not sure what that means that I know the difference between your front porch bear & back porch bear ....LOL
I can't imagine how I'd react to seeing a bear near my home. I hope they don't do any damage to your property.
No bears last night, just Fox.
fx2
