On 9News Denver: Estes Park, CO a woman was taking groceries from her car into her house. Mr. Bruin jumped in the trunk and ate two bags of Fritios and a bottle of water before she came out. There was also a video of the bear in Lonigan's bar.
Colorado Springs: video posted of bears rolling dumpster out away from fence so they would have easier access.
Seriously, protect the bears by not making easy food available to them. Fires and drought have reduced natural foods so they migrate into the urban corridor to eat. Problem bears are relocated but if they continue to return they are put down.
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I'll add one more while Jean is fixing lunch. Back in the. 1980s I was doing geologic work in Montana during the summer. Jean and the kids met me in Great Falls and we took off for a vacation in Glacier National Park. We went camping in the far NW corner. Had to go out of the park then north on dirt roads through ID to get to the lakes we camped at. On the way out, Roland (14) was riding with me in the company pick up and Lee June (11) was with Jean following in the Suburban. Two black bear cubs came tumbling down the embankment and went bawling down the road in front of us for several yards before heading into the downslope bush. Roland wanted to get out to try to get a picture but no way. Mama bear was some where behind us and probably pretty ticked off that her cubs being scared like that. I stopped about 1/4 mile down the road. Jean and Lee June missed the whole episode.
I remember well the only time I saw a bear in Florida. We had just gotten the Jeep and were out for our first trail ride. We turned on a fairly decent looking dirt road, encountered a pool of water and got stuck. Clif later admitted that he didn't think the road looked that bad and hadn't put the Jeep in 4 wheel drive. I got out, leaving my telephoto on the seat. I looked up and there is a bear standing up looking at us curiously, in just enough range that I would have gotten a great shot with the telephoto. Unfortunately at the same time Clif is yelling "the Jeep is sinking, call AAA". "But the bear" "Call AAA". I guess I made the right decision, It was a brand new Jeep after all. But darn. We went back to that road many times but I never saw another bear there.
I'm reading John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley" right now and just have to add his take on taking Charley (his French poodle) into Yellowstone Park:
The ranger suggests that Steinbeck not take Charley into the park and Steinbeck replies that his dog is very civilized, won't even step on a caterpillar and "that the greatest danger to your bears will be pique at being ignored by Charley."
The young man laughed. "I wasn't so much worried about the bears," he said. "But our bears have developed an intolerance for dogs ...
I have no doubt your dog has the best of intentions. On the other hand, our bears have the worst. Don't leave food about. Not only do they steal but they are critical of anyone who tries to reform them. In a word, don't believe their sweet faces or you might get clobbered. And don't let the dog wander. Bears don't argue."
What happened next to the mild mannered French dog is very funny. Seems Steinbeck didn't really know the character of his dog. Read it because I'm not going to tell you ...
We have a nutty neighbor who has her garbage out and there's a bear who just enjoys himself on a regular basis. I've seen him a number of times and named him "Barney".
Living next to the Green Mountain National Forest we know there are a lot of bears and we act accordingly.
One time a few years ago I was doing a show and my wife called. She said our chow chow was barking and baring her teeth at the back door. She turned on the porch light and there was a bear on the porch looking inside through the window. When she turned on the light he saw her and leapt over the railing and took off.
Being from Michigan I can't even imagine worrying about bears. I could see how bears could pretty much wreck an art show if artists or food vendors left food remains anywhere. Good luck to everyone as you venture west.
Chris Pawlik > Jacki BilsborrowAugust 5, 2013 at 12:23pm
Michigan has bears too, just not that many in the LP. Last summer I taught at a retreat in Florida, on the national forest property, we were also warned about the bears in the area. On the second morning as I was walking to my class room I got a whiff of something that smelled really bad. At first I thought it was the trash, and then realized I was down wind of a bear, two fences away, walking around a pick nick table. After I dropped my stuff off in my class room I went to the main meeting house for breakfast and told them to be careful because a bear was on the grounds. Later I was asked if it was a big bear. I replied, no, just a small one and held my hand out to show about waist height. I was then told that was a BIG bear for Florida. I responded well he would be a little bear if he was in Michigan.
Mammoth Lakes, CA also has a huge issue with bears. The directors of the art shows that are held there warn us not to eat food in our booths and to leave nothing in the booth overnight that would attract the bears. Last year we went for a stroll one evening after the show and watched a bear on the golf course within 100 yards of where our RV was parked. The next morning it was obvious bears had been through the art show site and found the leftovers left behind from the gourmet food vendors.
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I remember well the only time I saw a bear in Florida. We had just gotten the Jeep and were out for our first trail ride. We turned on a fairly decent looking dirt road, encountered a pool of water and got stuck. Clif later admitted that he didn't think the road looked that bad and hadn't put the Jeep in 4 wheel drive. I got out, leaving my telephoto on the seat. I looked up and there is a bear standing up looking at us curiously, in just enough range that I would have gotten a great shot with the telephoto. Unfortunately at the same time Clif is yelling "the Jeep is sinking, call AAA". "But the bear" "Call AAA". I guess I made the right decision, It was a brand new Jeep after all. But darn. We went back to that road many times but I never saw another bear there.
Great story. So, I guess you don't have to hang your food high in a tree or leave the dog at home in Florida, Alison.
Thanks for the beat stories, Richard!
I'm reading John Steinbeck's "Travels with Charley" right now and just have to add his take on taking Charley (his French poodle) into Yellowstone Park:
The ranger suggests that Steinbeck not take Charley into the park and Steinbeck replies that his dog is very civilized, won't even step on a caterpillar and "that the greatest danger to your bears will be pique at being ignored by Charley."
What happened next to the mild mannered French dog is very funny. Seems Steinbeck didn't really know the character of his dog. Read it because I'm not going to tell you ...
The only wild life in my small town in Michigan was the possums that got into our basement. We had to call a "trapper."
We have a nutty neighbor who has her garbage out and there's a bear who just enjoys himself on a regular basis. I've seen him a number of times and named him "Barney".
Living next to the Green Mountain National Forest we know there are a lot of bears and we act accordingly.
One time a few years ago I was doing a show and my wife called. She said our chow chow was barking and baring her teeth at the back door. She turned on the porch light and there was a bear on the porch looking inside through the window. When she turned on the light he saw her and leapt over the railing and took off.
Being from Michigan I can't even imagine worrying about bears. I could see how bears could pretty much wreck an art show if artists or food vendors left food remains anywhere. Good luck to everyone as you venture west.
Michigan has bears too, just not that many in the LP. Last summer I taught at a retreat in Florida, on the national forest property, we were also warned about the bears in the area. On the second morning as I was walking to my class room I got a whiff of something that smelled really bad. At first I thought it was the trash, and then realized I was down wind of a bear, two fences away, walking around a pick nick table. After I dropped my stuff off in my class room I went to the main meeting house for breakfast and told them to be careful because a bear was on the grounds. Later I was asked if it was a big bear. I replied, no, just a small one and held my hand out to show about waist height. I was then told that was a BIG bear for Florida. I responded well he would be a little bear if he was in Michigan.
Mammoth Lakes, CA also has a huge issue with bears. The directors of the art shows that are held there warn us not to eat food in our booths and to leave nothing in the booth overnight that would attract the bears. Last year we went for a stroll one evening after the show and watched a bear on the golf course within 100 yards of where our RV was parked. The next morning it was obvious bears had been through the art show site and found the leftovers left behind from the gourmet food vendors.