BIG surprise!

[grizzled47]

Well, We got the trail cam set up last night and placed it near the apple bucket to get first hand evidence of the raccoon at last. I had seen him/it, but we wanted a picture. Anyway, when I looked at the camera this morning, it had taken 5 pics, so I was anxious to see them. I hooked up the camera to the TV, and was shocked to see the result....see pics!!
There we were, expecting a nice pic of a bushy tail, and there was a black bear looking back at us!!! So it was a bear eating all the apples!!
We had given up on the bear theory after seeing the raccoon, so it was a bit of a shock to the system!!
I am very pleased with the camera, and i think we placed it well for the first time of using! I went and got a SD memory card for it today, and I'll get a re-chargeable battery next.
I don't think it is a mature bear, but it is big enough, especially 8 yards from your back door!! Take a look at the pics and see what you think.
Grizzled.
Just arriving!


Gone!!
Returned for final check!

[TYE]

HEHE, that's pretty cool!

[LoneWolf]

Nice pics, grizz

Yeah, that's last years cub ( a little over 1 1/2 years old).

As nice as they are to see I'd be careful with feeding them though, it can become a real problem for you later on.

[grizzled47]

Thanks for that Lone wolf. I thought it looked like a juvenile, but wasn't sure. I was talking to a ranger tonight, and she said that the cubs stay with mum for around two years, and maybe ours was now on it's own. If you say it looks around 1 1/2 years old, then will mum be around???
The ranger said that it will be feeding up before the big sleep, and if we had it re-located, it might have trouble finding another den at this time!? Does that make sense to you? She seemed to think that it's winter quarters would probably be not too far away from here?
I'm not too bothered so long as it keeps to it'self!! No more frre feeds after this!!
Grizzled

[LoneWolf]

The ranger said that it will be feeding up before the big sleep, and if we had it re-located, it might have trouble finding another den at this time!? Does that make sense to you?

Yep, right about this time they start fattening up for the winter's hibernation.
And I'm sure it's already got it's den picked out and it probably isn't too far away. It would be too late to relocate the bear. Not sure if the mother would still be around or not, but the yearling bears will usually get pushed away from/by the sow so she can breed again ( this takes place during the months of June/July ) especially if it's a boar as they will kill the new-borns.

You see the sow takes the young into the winter den during their first year. The family may stay together again until fall, or they may split up as soon as they emerge from hibernation in the spring. A female also only breeds every second year.

[Golden Eagle]

Wow. nice. Thanks for sharing. What do you guess his weight at?

[LoneWolf]

What do you guess his weight at?

Judging by the pail I'd guess it's weight at about 110-120#

Also see how big it's ears are for it's head size...

[maple]

Grizzled.

Neat photos. I still think the previous photos show coon tracks, not bear.

Too bad that bear shows up after dark (21:15 according to your clock). Do you put out the feed in the evening? Maybe it'd visit sooner if you put your apples out at noon.

You can pretty well be guaranteed it'll be hanging around there next year, so be prepared. If I were you, I'd take it out now.

Maple

[franklinm]

Well ,Well looks like this old Florida boy was right after all .
And I think you would be wise to stop feeding that bugger , as the more it eat`s the bigger it gets , and that spell`s trouble .
Thank`s for the pictures , and the Mystery is solved .
Some big coon huh ,

[A.W]

Might even want to consider buying a couple of bear repellant sprays for you and the wife to carry around with you.

[LoneWolf]

Might even want to consider buying a couple of bear repellant sprays for you and the wife to carry around with you.

Very good advice!...

[Herbinator]

Keep feeding him. Fatten him up for next fall
Seriously though, they can be a big problem if they get used to regular feeds. A neighbor of our's (cabin) kids used to feed an immature bear without the parents knowing. They did it all year (few years back) until fall when they went back to school. When the food stopped showing up, the bear went to the house and made a huge mess. This happened for a few days until the dad stayed up one night to find the culprit. Needless to say, they have a lovely rug in the living room now. The kids fessed up and were pretty upset about the whole deal.

[Kenton]

thanks for sharing

[russm]

I got some great bear repellant spray, it comes in shells, and you apply it with your shotgun.

[grizzled47]

Hi Guys,
Thanks for all your replies and good advice. I was thinking of getting some sort of repellent before we knew about this bear, now I think it will be a priority!! The Ranger I spoke with didn't think there would be any danger, but you can never tell eh? Any advice on bear repellents would be appreciated. i.e. bangers and sprays etc, and where to buy them. someone told me about some on here awhile ago, but I've lost it.
We had the apples out last night, but he didn't show up...? strange??
Just wanted to get a few more pics, but may give up now!
Went for a walk down the road this morning, and found some fresh deer tracks on a couple of trails! I'm getting into this "tracks" thing! Just feel a little more on edge whilst walking after seeing the bear! Suppose we will just have to get used to it.
Grizzled.