Bear!

I was a-walkin' out to the wood shed to drain the wood splitter oil when suddenly...

... movement off to the left caught my eye. Over the crest of a small forest hill near the deer feeding troughs, a blur of black bear rug loped off away from me..and toward the office.

'Gettoottaheeeerrree!' I yaulped half-heartedly as it was already moving off. While I only got a view of the butt-end, I think it was a young bear. The last bear I saw around the shed was last fall when I was triming saplings. It was a two year old bear crossing the driveway behind me on the way to the deer troughs. Cute thing that moved like a rotweiller. They don't stay cute for long.

Mom has also seen a young bear - not a cub - coming by to eat the corn, oats, and sunflower seeds left for the deer regulars. The deer tend to disappear for days when other large animals decide to tuck into the free chow. A few weeks ago it was a coyote. Though, the coyote was interested in chowing on deer no doubt.

Hey, the more bear the better, I just want to scare them away from the house area as I don't want any bears to turn surly rogue like dump bears who think they own the joint. Then the ministry would have to live trap them and haul them away. Then there's always the chance that one of the neighbours shoots a curious bear used to humans. Would not be the first time.

Often the mother bears are shot or hit by cars and young bears must fend for themselves. Whenever this happens to any animal, I resist the temptation to feel sorry for it as it's the way of things I guess.