BEAR TIME
/Its bear time in the Rockies. That time when the bears find out that running around town is the best way to find food. This can be anything from trash cans to dog food left out to hummingbird feeders to bird feeders.
As the summer population of tourist climbs in the summer, they begin to put out food for the birds and deer and other wildlife so that they can enjoy watching them out the back window. The problem with this is the bears and coyotes and other wild creatures, catch on quickly to the routine and come into the towns or around cabins in remote areas and look for free food.
While I love seeing a bear in the wild, they can be quite dangerous if cornered especially with cubs or in the darkness as you return home from Bingo or some other activity. Also, they get so used to people being around that they begin to break into cabins to get more food. Many people leave screen doors open and this just is an open invitation to a bear to come in.
The biggest problem with allowing bears to feed around a house is that it eventually ends up in their death. If a bear is found to be a violator 3 times, the Department of Wildlife has to kill that bear to prevent further damage. Once they learn to break into houses, there is no stopping them. So the very people who love to see a bear, end up causing their death.
Living next to wild creatures, we have a responsibility to keep out of their way and also to prevent them becoming too accustom to man. Every week there is a story in the news about a coyote attacking a child in a city and this is due to animals being able to adapt to more and more population.
There is no easier pickings for a good meal than a small dog or cat in a back yard. In fact, two of my friends lost small dogs to owls that swooped down and carried them off.
This is the time of year when bears are trying to get as many calories as possible for the winter ahead. So they go to the easiest source. The recent fires here may have pushed more bears out of those areas and therefore there will be more depredation ahead.
This week in Creede, Colorado, a small mining town nearby, a bear was spotted in a tree in town and had to be removed by the wildlife officers. They tranquilized the bear and yet still had to pull it down by hand and face a dangerous situation as the bear fought them aggressively. It was funny to hear people comment as they watched this activity. The sheriff provided backup with a shotgun and all the tourist and people who have no idea about the dangers of a wild bear were so worried he might shoot the bear. I do believe they would rather a officer get mauled or killed than have the bear shot.
This is from years and years of watching pretty wildlife films that depict animals as having human traits and characteristics to the point that people think they are cute fluffy balls of fur. The animals found in the wild are not only wild and cunning but dangerous too. Proper care in how we live in and among them is essential to their survival also in a growing population of humans.
Remember, keep you distance and know that they are only trying to protect themselves or their young but if provoked, can cause extreme damage to a person
We can enjoy nature close around us with proper care and a clear understanding of the dangers involved. This is a good time to see wildlife and an evening drive around neighborhoods often leads to that experience. Just stay in the car and be safe out there.
Moving problem bear from Creede Colorado to the forest.