Living with Black Bears (Ursus americanus)
I love to watch the birds moving around the back yard in the early morning light. They flit around the pine tree and the yet-unidentified-by-me deciduous trees, and hop along the fence rail and along the ground, always singing and calling out to each other. There is a bunny who makes an appearance every morning now. I think he likes the shelter provided by Beth's altar just as much as the birds and butterflies like the flowers in her garden.
Every once in a while I see the shambling movement of a Black Bear (Ursus americanus) as it makes its way along the greenway that runs beyond our tree line, about 30 feet from the bedroom window. There is a gap between the ground and the lowest hanging branches that allows me to see just the bottom of Bear legs and feet moving. Describing that visual makes me chuckle, but every time I know there is a Bear out there it makes me catch my breath.
I have lived in Bear Country for years and have had several encounters with them. I have never ceased to be awed by their power, their beauty, and their intelligence, and when we decided to purchase this home I was thrilled to know that we would still have Bears for neighbors. Not only did our human neighbors confirm this, but the Bears let us know by leaving their, ummm, calling cards in the yard. One friend said to me "Only YOU would be happy to see bear poop!"
I don't feel threatened by the proximity of Bears; what makes me uncomfortable is the habits and behaviors of humans that change Bear behavior or cause Bears to become habituated to humans and human homes as sources of food. Rhodes and I work hard to educate ourselves (and anyone who will listen) about safe and peaceful co-existence in Bear country.
Life at the Cottage means we have gardening and lots of yard maintenance. We decided early on to place a compost pile at the back corner of our property, and I'm surprised at how quickly that pile has grown. Because we know we are living, literally, on a Bear Path, I decided to do some research about whether or not it would be safe to compost food waste.
I found this great piece published by the District of Squamish, and ran it by my favorite Bear people in the universe, the staff at Appalachian Bear Rescue https://appalachianbearrescue.org/ to make sure the suggestions in the Canadian article work for our Bears here in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. They were kind enough to review the information, and confirmed it as excellent and accurate.
They further emphasize the need to make sure the compost doesn't contain bear attractants and that is must be secured. "A bear's nose is exceptionally sensitive and we must remember they will eat carrion if they come across it."
Check. No meat, fish, or grease in the compost! And our personal decision is to compost fresh vegetable waste, but not fruits, as the sugary smell is just too tempting.
If you live with Bears, please be mindful about how your behavior impacts their lives. Bears who become habituated to humans and human spaces as a source of food often end up being killed. Also, if you live with Bears or just love them as much as I do, you can learn a lot about Bear behavior by following the efforts of Appalachian Bear Rescue on their wesbite or Facebook page. I am willing to bet the escapades of the cubby and yearling residents, and even the curators, will make you smile or laugh at least one time.
http://www.bearsmart.com/docs/Composting-in-Bear-Country-Squamish.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0_QencrdgOLimm5DXLuQGSV8p_u2dIwDlJoF_Dzrr44qABzZBCL_HofoU
I don't feel threatened by the proximity of Bears; what makes me uncomfortable is the habits and behaviors of humans that change Bear behavior or cause Bears to become habituated to humans and human homes as sources of food. Rhodes and I work hard to educate ourselves (and anyone who will listen) about safe and peaceful co-existence in Bear country.
Life at the Cottage means we have gardening and lots of yard maintenance. We decided early on to place a compost pile at the back corner of our property, and I'm surprised at how quickly that pile has grown. Because we know we are living, literally, on a Bear Path, I decided to do some research about whether or not it would be safe to compost food waste.
I found this great piece published by the District of Squamish, and ran it by my favorite Bear people in the universe, the staff at Appalachian Bear Rescue https://appalachianbearrescue.org/ to make sure the suggestions in the Canadian article work for our Bears here in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee. They were kind enough to review the information, and confirmed it as excellent and accurate.
They further emphasize the need to make sure the compost doesn't contain bear attractants and that is must be secured. "A bear's nose is exceptionally sensitive and we must remember they will eat carrion if they come across it."
Check. No meat, fish, or grease in the compost! And our personal decision is to compost fresh vegetable waste, but not fruits, as the sugary smell is just too tempting.
If you live with Bears, please be mindful about how your behavior impacts their lives. Bears who become habituated to humans and human spaces as a source of food often end up being killed. Also, if you live with Bears or just love them as much as I do, you can learn a lot about Bear behavior by following the efforts of Appalachian Bear Rescue on their wesbite or Facebook page. I am willing to bet the escapades of the cubby and yearling residents, and even the curators, will make you smile or laugh at least one time.
http://www.bearsmart.com/docs/Composting-in-Bear-Country-Squamish.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0_QencrdgOLimm5DXLuQGSV8p_u2dIwDlJoF_Dzrr44qABzZBCL_HofoU
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