Another bear in town

[qbee42]

We have another bear cruising around our village. Open trash cans and broken bird feeders are sure signs - that and the photo of him raiding our neighbors trash. I haven't seen the little bugger yet, but if I do I'll post a photo.

Tom

[dogfriend]

If you wear a ham around your neck, I bet you will run into him sooner.

[qbee42]

I was going to use bacon fat, but a ham should work.

Tom

[dogfriend]

Mmmmm.....Bacon. What mammal could resist that? Maybe a pig or a vegan.

[octavia]

Originally Posted by qbee42

We have another bear cruising around our village. Open trash cans and broken bird feeders are sure signs - that and the photo of him raiding our neighbors trash. I haven't seen the little bugger yet, but if I do I'll post a photo.

Tom

Poor guy.. he's probably hungry. You'd hate me as a neighbor, I'd go find a good place for him to hang out OUTSIDE of town and start feeding him.

What is good bear food anyway? Fish?

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by octavia

What is good bear food anyway? Fish?

Humans.

[daniel]

Originally Posted by octavia

Poor guy.. he's probably hungry. You'd hate me as a neighbor, I'd go find a good place for him to hang out OUTSIDE of town and start feeding him.

What is good bear food anyway? Fish?

I think you are joking. But you do know (I hope) that once a bear learns to associate people with food, or becomes accustomed to people food, it will make such a nuisance of itself (and possibly injure or kill someone in the encounters it will seek out for food) that they'll end up killing it.

No matter that you feed him outside of town. He'd smell you on the food, and know that people are a source of food. He'd then search out people. Bear attacks are much less common in places where good garbage management is practiced and bears have zero access to human food. It just takes one access site for a bear to learn that where there are people there is food. Bears are very smart and they learn very quickly.

I think you are joking. But there are people who do that sort of thing, and the result is injury or death for people, followed by death for the bear.

[dogfriend]

In all seriousness, what Daniel has described is such a problem in the Tahoe area that they are considering adopting an ordinance that requires keeping your trash in a "bear box".

Ordinance

[qbee42]

Bears eat almost anything. Around here they like fish, honey, berries, fruits, birdseed, and garbage. Birdseed and garbage cause the most trouble, as they are common around human dwellings.

I'm sure this bear is hungry. He's a little fellow, probably only about 250 pounds. I suspect he hasn't been away from mother for very long.

Tom

[octavia]

Originally Posted by daniel

I think you are joking. But you do know (I hope) that once a bear learns to associate people with food, or becomes accustomed to people food, it will make such a nuisance of itself (and possibly injure or kill someone in the encounters it will seek out for food) that they'll end up killing it.

No matter that you feed him outside of town. He'd smell you on the food, and know that people are a source of food. He'd then search out people. Bear attacks are much less common in places where good garbage management is practiced and bears have zero access to human food. It just takes one access site for a bear to learn that where there are people there is food. Bears are very smart and they learn very quickly.

I think you are joking. But there are people who do that sort of thing, and the result is injury or death for people, followed by death for the bear.

Yes, I'm aware of why it's not wise to feed wild animals. Where I live, my little rental house backs up to a small slew that has been deemed city property and left to go wild. We get Coons and other critters from time to time in the backyard, they come up to eat the fruit off the trees. It's my position that frankly, they were here first and our sprawl continues to take away their space.
The bear would not be roaming looking for food if we hadn't taken away his resources.
My dog was attacked earlier this year and left injured by something from our little slew. I fixed him up and am more observant when he goes exploring. I'm very careful to not let the kids go exploring without an escort, but I am unwilling to try to stop the critters... I just feel sad about the whole thing.
they have a right to live too and if there was a way I could make things right for Toms bear, I would.