It is exciting to be able to observe these beautiful creatures, but this closeness presents challenges. I want to collect photos and factual data for my Bear Project while remaining safe. The bears are actually very patient, but the human perspective is much more humorous and chaotic.
I mentioned in an earlier blog that this is not a scientific study! It’s just me pursuing my passion for bears. If this were a scientific study, I would quietly observe and document natural bear behavior, but I am improvising as I go. It is recommended not to surprise a bear, especially a mother bear with her cubs. So I want any bear near our home to be aware of our presence. Therefore, my husband and I are both noisy and very visible during the evening and early morning hours.
Our noisy and visible precautions:
- Both dogs are always on a leash.
- We have powerful flashlights that have an additional strobe feature.
- We carry bear spray.
- We carry loud whistles.
- One of my friends told me that bears hate AC/DC’s Highway to Hell, so I play that loudly on my iPhone.
I pay close attention to Teddy’s behavior as well! His sense of smell and hearing are far superior to mine. He can read the scents in the air, and then track each bear footprint in the dirt. If he locks his feet and barks at something I cannot see in the dark, we retreat into the house as fast as possible.
10/13/2019 – Camera 1 – (timestamp is incorrect) – Teddy knows!
We are cautious wherever we go in the Mother Lode because of the possibility of encountering a bear. We went to the Big Trees National Forest recently, and one of the park rangers cautioned us about walking anywhere but on the paved paths with the dogs. We had already been warned that dogs were only allowed on the paved paths, but this park ranger told us that a mother bear might perceive the dogs as predators and attack. WHAT??? Oh my, Candy can barely walk and rides in a stroller, and Teddy is more of a danger to himself that he is to any bear. Are we out of our element or what?
Anyway, the bears keep coming back regularly to the house even though my husband and I are bungling humans in a bears’ world. Black Bears are particularly intelligent so perhaps they are just as curious about us as we are about them?