Here's a picture of the aftermath of a bear proof trash receptacles - ha! ha!
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Another Previous Black Bear & Airedale Encounter
We had some major excitement last night. Not sure if I mentioned to you the bear we keep coming across on our nightly walk, and the bear scampers up the mtn and most importantly - respectfully out of the way. Well yesterday evening, I saw the bear just in time. He was standing on the edge of one of the cliffs about to approach the road Bo and I were on!! Bo, for some reason didn't notice him before I did - so I was able to prepare for the inevitable leash pull. Well kind of. The bear didn't scamper this time. He just walked right out onto the road - 40ft away and right in front us. I'm like WTF.
Bo is suddenly aware of the bear and starts acting like it's another dog he wants to meet. No barking, no high sniffing nor tracking; such as when he's trying to catch a whiff of the chipmunks, bunnies, squirrels, turkeys, whatever in the area. Just a whole lotta of yanking on the leash, play bowing, a bit of excited whimpering, and I'm thinking where the hell -- is the Airedale BIGBADBARK. WTF!!!
The bear starts moseying down the road - the road between me, Bo and our house. So between the books saying you must stand your ground with the black bears and there's really no place for us to go except down. I bark out my own BIGBADBARK. Hey Moxie, Buster and Bo respect it - but the bear just looks at me like I'm a crazy woman with a happy 'dale and continues down the mtn road right in front of us. So what do I do - we follow. Wondering, where's the tourist (aka bear paparazzi) when you need them.
The bear moseys down the mtn a bit, Bo and I follow a bit - the bear looks back - I stop - Bo's tugging on the leash like he's about to meet his new best friend. The 'dance' continues for a good 1/8 of mile AND then I realize the 40ft gap between us is narrowing. DAYAM, where's the bear paparazzi.
And finally, they show up. Snapping pictures, clicks, flashes and all. The bear slinks over the side of the mtn and we're saved. I walk quickly to our saviors. Who never realize Bo and I were 30ft up the mtn road whilst shooting their pictures. Thank them for coming by and we walk happily down the mtn after a few adorations of 'Oh, is that an Airedale - I haven't seen an Airedale since I was a youngster. Don't they hunt bear?'
(No, I say to myself from firsthand experience. )
This time I forewent letting Bo smell the "track" and made it back down the mtn with all the composure I could muster.
Bo is suddenly aware of the bear and starts acting like it's another dog he wants to meet. No barking, no high sniffing nor tracking; such as when he's trying to catch a whiff of the chipmunks, bunnies, squirrels, turkeys, whatever in the area. Just a whole lotta of yanking on the leash, play bowing, a bit of excited whimpering, and I'm thinking where the hell -- is the Airedale BIGBADBARK. WTF!!!
The bear starts moseying down the road - the road between me, Bo and our house. So between the books saying you must stand your ground with the black bears and there's really no place for us to go except down. I bark out my own BIGBADBARK. Hey Moxie, Buster and Bo respect it - but the bear just looks at me like I'm a crazy woman with a happy 'dale and continues down the mtn road right in front of us. So what do I do - we follow. Wondering, where's the tourist (aka bear paparazzi) when you need them.
The bear moseys down the mtn a bit, Bo and I follow a bit - the bear looks back - I stop - Bo's tugging on the leash like he's about to meet his new best friend. The 'dance' continues for a good 1/8 of mile AND then I realize the 40ft gap between us is narrowing. DAYAM, where's the bear paparazzi.
And finally, they show up. Snapping pictures, clicks, flashes and all. The bear slinks over the side of the mtn and we're saved. I walk quickly to our saviors. Who never realize Bo and I were 30ft up the mtn road whilst shooting their pictures. Thank them for coming by and we walk happily down the mtn after a few adorations of 'Oh, is that an Airedale - I haven't seen an Airedale since I was a youngster. Don't they hunt bear?'
(No, I say to myself from firsthand experience. )
This time I forewent letting Bo smell the "track" and made it back down the mtn with all the composure I could muster.
Vigilantly Searching for Black Bears
While I'm exploring the functionality of the blog, I'll be posting some items which don't have much to do with Black Bears.
To make this one somewhat black 'bearish', here's my Airedale vigilantly sniffing for black bears sitings from the comfort of our car.
Our first Black Bear EVER!!
In 2006, Buster, my Airedale at the time (RIP), & I were taking our midnight walk and ran across a bear - oh my god - I heard about it, read about it, but didn't think we would walk right up on one. Buster had his nose to the ground and was tracking something; but, for all I knew it was one of the many bunnies that live up here. Then out of the corner of my eye, I saw the big black bear moseying around the front of one of the empty cabins. He was only 30ft away - my adrenaline kicked in and just like a car accident, everything went into slow mo and just like the zoom feature on a camera, there was the bear clear as day. (My mind was going BIG BLACK BEAR - oh sh*t, oh sh*t - BIG BLACK BEAR.)
Luckily, Buster was still tracking with his nose and didn't see the big guy. I immediately started talking really loud, but w/a calm tone (altho my heart was a fluttering), crumpling the empty poop bag, anything to let the bear know we were there (that's what the books say to do - well not to crumple the poop bag, but you get the drift) and backed into another empty cabin that has a very strong locking gate onto the deck.
I could see the bear acknowledge that we were in the area, he stopped, smelled the air, looked our way - but just stood there. (The bear is probably going oh sh*t, oh sh*t, big fat human with Airedale, don't they hunt bears - what's the crumpling noise - a MacD's bag.) Thank doG, everything I heard about black bears are they aren't too aggressive unless cubs are involved.
So there I stood behind the gate for a good 15 minutes, and unfortunately the porch light, so I wasn't able to see anything beyond the light. Buster was sniffing the 'aire' and getting as excited as an old dog can - promptly dropped 5yrs off his age. But not a peep, woof or growl out of him, just a lot of nose action and a few snorts. (Oh why, oh why do I have 'dales that hunt in stealth mode.) His nose is going a mile a minute and I'm chattering away like a crazy women.
Finally I got up the nerve to venture back out and except for Buster trying to adamantly track something into the woods, you would never known the bear was there. Never heard him leave, nothing. Geez, the bunnies make more noise than he did.
Buster (RIP his Mischievous Soul)
Luckily, Buster was still tracking with his nose and didn't see the big guy. I immediately started talking really loud, but w/a calm tone (altho my heart was a fluttering), crumpling the empty poop bag, anything to let the bear know we were there (that's what the books say to do - well not to crumple the poop bag, but you get the drift) and backed into another empty cabin that has a very strong locking gate onto the deck.
I could see the bear acknowledge that we were in the area, he stopped, smelled the air, looked our way - but just stood there. (The bear is probably going oh sh*t, oh sh*t, big fat human with Airedale, don't they hunt bears - what's the crumpling noise - a MacD's bag.) Thank doG, everything I heard about black bears are they aren't too aggressive unless cubs are involved.
So there I stood behind the gate for a good 15 minutes, and unfortunately the porch light, so I wasn't able to see anything beyond the light. Buster was sniffing the 'aire' and getting as excited as an old dog can - promptly dropped 5yrs off his age. But not a peep, woof or growl out of him, just a lot of nose action and a few snorts. (Oh why, oh why do I have 'dales that hunt in stealth mode.) His nose is going a mile a minute and I'm chattering away like a crazy women.
Finally I got up the nerve to venture back out and except for Buster trying to adamantly track something into the woods, you would never known the bear was there. Never heard him leave, nothing. Geez, the bunnies make more noise than he did.
Buster (RIP his Mischievous Soul)
Introduction
I live in the Smoky Mountains and we're having quite a few Black Bear encounters this year - 2009. So I thought I'd share stories and whenever possible pictures of our encounters. Which this year is almost daily.
My other goal is to help educate folks about Black Bears. These are wonderful, intelligent, goofy and shy creatures. Albeit, WILD ANIMALS and must be respected.
My other goal is to help educate folks about Black Bears. These are wonderful, intelligent, goofy and shy creatures. Albeit, WILD ANIMALS and must be respected.
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