It’s bare out there. No, it is a bear out there. Cont’d November 5, 2009

It’s a bear and he won’t leave. As I said over the weekend we were out-of-town. Didn’t arrive home til after dark Sunday evening. On Monday morning my husband and I noticed the pool winter cover was torn. We thought possibly it had a little too much rain on it and stretch to way beyond its limit. Urgh. Did find bear prints on the front porch, was told by a friend he picked up some trash while he was guarding the house. The beginning of this story is under It’s bare out there. No, it is a bear out there.

When my daughter and I then arrived home on Monday evening we noticed the cooler was outside the building laying on its side, a bucket of roof coating was laying on its side, sleds and ski board was all off the shelf on the floor of the building, camouflage was laying all over and dog food/rabbit food was everywhere. I could not believe it. I love wildlife. Think it is so neat to see. I just could not believe I seen what mess a bear could make. This isn’t all. We walked over to the pool. Still not knowing for sure if this bear tore the cover. At least I didn’t, think my husband did.

Well, let me tell you…my daughter was on one side and yelled “Mom it was the bear, look he pushed the side of the pool in!” Not in one place but two. Two nice dents in the pool. Four nice tears in the pool cover. We assume he went around the pool pushing, clawing and scratching. He ended up climbing the deck, tearing a nice hole in the cover and I guess had a drink after he ate all that dog food.

He has not left. I am getting very tired of him. My husband purchased a bear stamp. Hate to do it. But he has got to go.

So on Monday evening we had a 4-H meeting to attend. It started at 6pm. and ended around 7:30. We arrived home, it was dark, had my headlights on and was wondering “Is that bear around, wonder if I will see him.” Sure as …. there he was. Black streak running in front of my headlights as I pull up to the driveway. My driveway splits, one way will take you to the front of the basement door and the other way will take you up to the building. He was in front of the building. I pulled up, beeped my horn and I mean beeped my horn. I screamed, “THERE IS THE BEAR!” My daughter is flipping out. (I am laughing writing this, it is just amazing he is still around and what he is doing.) I pull up to the house and laid on the horn more, motioning my husband to come out and escort us into the house.

He did, he escorted us in. I walk in to find a bow laying there. I love my husband. He knows I am tired of this bear. I am eating, sleeping and dreaming bear.Also wondering what else will I wake up to see that he has tore up.

That is not all. On Tuesday I washed a load of tennis shoes. I decided to lay them on my back deck and dry for a while. I left them overnight thinking they would be ok. In the back of my mind I wondered if the bear would drag them off. Sure as …. he did. I got up the next day. One was in the yard just a few feet in front of the deck and one was missing. All others were there. Had to go to work, would try to find it when I got home. Thinking it would be in one piece.

After my daughter and I arrived home on Wednesday evening we set out. Now she is not a bit afraid and decided she was going to protect us with her little pellet pistol. I left her think it. I thinking if we see him we are in trouble. I’m sure he only wonders around at there in the mid morning hours. We get out to the back of the house just a little way into the woods/clear-cut and there was the shoe. Not in good shape, from nice white to black, shoe string gone on one side, teeth marks everywhere, holes and shredded spots. I guess he laid there for a while and just chewed on it like a puppy would

OK, this bear has cost us another $182.00 for a pool cover, what ever it will take to fix the pool (I hope, it is only 2 yrs. old) a new pair of tennis shoes, 1 bag of dog food and my sanity. I won’t be able to visit a zoo for a while or think it is cool to see a black bear run in front of my car off the side of a hill. All I can see is what that bear has done to my house. Oh forgot this one tidbit, he walked all over my house. He left proof of everywhere he visited.

It was a nice sunny day on Tuesday and I had my doors open, had the storm doors closed. My storm doors have the full view glass or I can insert screen. My glass in now. I could see through the sunlight nose prints and wetness running down the window. Urgh. I am so done with this bear.

I wish my story was like our editor ‘s story. She had seen a bear in her back yard.  Log on to Sallie See, Editor’s Notes in the blog section. She has a bear story also.

My husband said there is an overpopulation of bear in Hampshire County. I am sure that is only some people’s opinions.

It’s bare out there. No, it is a bear out there. November 2, 2009

I do not mean it is bare out there with no leaves on the trees. What I do mean is I had a bear on my porch. Not just in my back yard. On my porch, in my building, beside my pool and I’m sure wherever else he decided to go.

I know we have bear in the woods. I also know we have bear in Hampshire County. Wow, when I see there was a bear on my porch…that was a little too close for comfort.

A few years ago I was out walking around the house…checking out my flower beds. I am always looking to see if I like what I planted where I planted it. Anyways, I saw some type of light through the little area of woods that is at the edge of my back yard. After the little area of woods is our big open field and then it meets up with our neighbor. I thought the neighbor was up there in our field doing something. I went to check it out. No neighbor, the light was at his house. If you knew my neighbor and what he has done and said to us you would understand. Another day, another story.

While I was headed back to the house (now this is just before dark) I seen a paw print in the mud. We have a yellow lab. Pretty big dog. This paw print was too big for GoJo. I stood frozen, wondering if this bear was somewhere looking at me. I looked for and then grabbed a stick. Yeah, I was with a weapon against a bear. I ran to the house. Shouted for my husband. Told him to come look. He assured me it was a bear. Ok, I thought wow, right in my back yard. No more thoughts about bear. No big deal…they are out there.

Ok, now a few weeks ago our dog food came up missing from the building. Again, ok, no biggie what took it? Was it a bear? Not thinking anything about it. No explanation.

I looked out my kitchen window into the backyard last Thursday. I had seen something white out there. Went to check it out. Here was the bag of dog food, with the container my husband uses to scoop it out. It was lying there just behind our daughter’s playhouse and trampoline area. I brought it back to the building…told my husband about it that evening. Again, he confirmed yes it was a bear. He said “I knew something bigger than a squirrel took that dog food. I knew a coon or possum wouldn’t eat the 15 or so lbs. of food that was left in it.”

Again, no biggie…OK there is a bear in the back yard. Just gotta be careful when going out in the dark.

Now, over the weekend we went away. Came home after dark on Sunday.  Didn’t see anything but the inside of the house. Woke up this morning. (Don’t you love the way I tell a story. I have to set up the scene in your mind.) I noticed the pool cover had torn. Went out to investigate the damage. Beside the steps to the pool was a pile of corn. Eaten, digested and placed there by ??? Had my husband check it out…again he said “Yes that is from a bear.” My thoughts are…OK this bear is getting closer all the time.

My husband pointed out to me what he had done on purpose. He said something about doing something on purpose in the cooler with the dog food scoop.  It was laying out of the cooler on the ground beside the tractor. This confirmed to my husband, yes it is a bear. A bear would open the cooler and drag out the food and the scoop.

We had went on talking about how bears are curios and how it more than likely had been all over the yard. I decided to walk over and look out my bay window. I wanted to check out the front yard for any signs. Sure enough. Right there on my porch PAW PRINTS. I had gotten cold chills and was talking in a higher pitched voice and had said to my husband “There is  paw prints right on the front porch. He was here, right by the window and the door. Oh my gosh.”

We called for our daughter to come check out the paw prints. She wasn’t a bit afraid. As a matter of fact she wants to go bear hunting this winter. Her Uncle James, so she calls him said he would take her. She has been deer, turkey and squirrel hunting. Now she wants to add bear to the list. They may as well stay right in the yard and take care of the one that thinks he is the new family pet. He is staying around just a little bit too much for me.

So yes, it is bear out there and I don’t mean Bare trees.