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Monday, October 30, 2017

More bear devastation

It was really depressing to get to CMO and see so much damage. If it had rained and everything was lush and green and birdy, it wouldn't have been so bad. That would have been cheering.  No Lucifers showed up today so I assume they're gone for four months. Don't know if they left sooner because of the lack of feeders or not. BEAR tore down one I had left for the Lucifers and I still can't find all the pieces to it. Don't have a clue what he did with them. Then he bent the pole on the thistle feeder and rearranged all the rocks in the area.


He took down a feeder back by the water feature that had been hung real high in a tree. He had to have climbed the tree to get to it. And he broke two screens on my Potty Shed and tore everything inside apart. There was nothing edible in there so I thought he'd stay out. He pulled down most of the clean stored feeders looking for sugar water apparently. I believe he went in through this window.


And out through this screen.


 Here is how he left it.


And here it is after I spent a couple of hours cleaning it. 


I'll repair the exit screen opening tomorrow. I started off puny this morning and totally wore myself out pruning broken limbs, removing this guttering he tore up, and other stuff too numerous to mention.


He repeatedly smashes my lovely stand of Horsetails.


Here's just one of many broken limbs on the Live Oaks. He tore them up again and I figured out why. Some of the acorns weren't ripe so he left them. There are still some green ones on the trees. And some ripening ones. I knocked down what I could find but you can be sure he'll be back looking for ripe ones. Woe is me!


He left this souvenir.


It has been suggested to me that I contact Texas Parks and Wildlife and ask them to come remove the bear. But that isn't feasible. They could come here and wait day and night for two days without seeing him and then after they leave he may return ...or not. I'm sure they won't camp out here that long for a non-aggressive bear. I have to be realistic. If I see him again, I could throw rocks at him. Doubt it'll help. At best, he'd return in the night when I wasn't there, and at worst, he'd attack me.

I was hoping he would soon hibernate, but have been disabused of that notion. He may be holed up near here and come around periodically looking for food. For more info on the subject:         https://www.nps.gov/bibe/learn/nature/bears.htm

"Black bears do not enter true hibernation in Big Bend. Due to the area's mild climate and the availability of food, black bears are dormant for only three to four months (January–March) each year. When their metabolism slows during the winter months, they spend time resting in dens or surface beds. However, they are awake much of the time, and may periodically emerge to forage.

4 comments:

  1. So get Hugh to obtain a hunting permit for Bear. So long bear, hello bear meat for a few months. : )

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  2. If I knew when the bear was going to show up, that would work, but Hugh wouldn't be able to stand it down here more than a few hours. But it's a good idea. If it hangs around long I could get a permit and kill it. Wouldn't know how to process the meat though. Guess I could call Hugh and have him come down and help once I dispatched it. I'm a terrible shot. Probably couldn't hit it.

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  3. Bears are a protected species in Texas. No hunting permits are available. TPWD would likely set up a trap and try to catch it then relocate it? Give them a call.

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  4. Yes, from what I researched online it appeared there were no permits. I wouldn't want to kill it anyway. Just have to get more bear-proof and hope he leaves. Otherwise, I will call them. If they set up a trap, then I could call them when it got caught. That would be doable.

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