Bears are coming for plums...

Tania · September 16, 2012

We now really have to watch it when coming out of the house, as you never know when you'd bump into a bear...

I am glad my tomatoes are safe behind the electric fence.

Cole_Robbie · September 16, 2012

Wow, that's a big boy! Great pics. Black bears are much rarer near me, but I have a few living on the refuge land next to my family's. My girlfriend has seen them, and I have heard one stomping around at night. I don't think ours are nearly that big, though!

Tania · September 16, 2012

Yeah, he was big. Much bigger than any of the three bears we had in our front yard yesterday...

These also came for plums, got zapped, and jumped up the tree - probably to hold a strategic meeting about how they could bypass the fence and get to the plums

jerryinfla · September 16, 2012

Whoa -- I wouldn't want to have to watch for something that size before I ventured outside the house. Nice pics!

ginger2778 · September 16, 2012

Great pictures Tania,
They are scary, but wasn't he beautiful sitting in the sun with his blue-black fur?
Thanks for sharing this. I can't believe you get that kind of wildlife so up close and personal. Do you have bear spray at the ready?

-Marsha

ContainerTed · September 16, 2012

Looks like a big male in the first pictures and then a sow with two yearling cubs. Both are extremely dangerous. I think I'd probably be thinking about bear steaks on the male and something less deadly to run the female and her cubs away. Do you have any "fire crackers"??? The loud "BANG" from some small fireworks would be too noisy for them. They would leave and probably not return very quickly.

I agree with the post above about how healthy that male looked. But the only pretty I see is that they are all "Pretty" dangerous.

Make some noise (from a safe place) and they will not feel secure and will probably leave.

Be careful. Black Bears are among the smartest (and most unpredictable) in the world.

PaulF · September 16, 2012

Great photos. Thanks for sharing.

halleone · September 16, 2012

Guess I'll quit complaining about the squirrels getting my plums! Nice photos....

ddsack · September 16, 2012

Those bears are so beautiful, and look really well fed! I won't go so far as to say I wish they were in my yard, but watching them would be a thrill. I hope they continue to respect your electric fence. We do have black bears in the area, but it's been years since I've seen any on our property. Only marauding deer, groundhogs and skunks to worry about here. Even raccoons have been scarce, guess they prefer the neighbor's garage where they opened and ravaged two storage refridgerators.

bower · September 16, 2012

Amazing photos.

Sadly I do agree, you should do something to make them feel unwelcome. When the wildlife consider your garden is their own place, it's only a matter of time to cause real damage or harm. Do take care!

paneman · September 16, 2012

wow, Honey No More!!

salix · September 16, 2012

Lovely pics, Tania. They certainly are doing their best to fatten up for winter in these last few weeks. I hear they are very numerous on the North Shore this year. Had one on the back deck yesterday (actually he has been in the back yard every day for the past week - just wandering through on his daily search), probably 'lured' by the smell of my roasting tomato - garlic soup base. Yelled at him, so he ambled off and flattened the neighbour's smallish Mountain Ash tree and nibbled a few of the berries. Looked/acted just like a petulant child after being scolded. Do take care, I won't go out to the compost pile unless the neighbour's dogs are out to give warning, or there is someone else here to stand watch. My b'ar fightin' days are long over...

Tania · September 16, 2012

I honestly prefer these little guys, despite the fact they ate all every single hosta that were not protected...

The bears are persistent, they seem to be on the mission to get our plums this year. They came again this morning to check it out. No load noise scares them, we tried. We do not have fire crackers here, I think they are prohibited.

My MIL is really scared to leave the house. This makes a problem for me

. Darn bears!

ginger2778 · September 16, 2012

My MIL is really scared to leave the house. This makes a problem for me

. Darn bears!

[/QUOTE]
Now that's funny!

-Marsha

rxkeith · September 16, 2012

we have bears in my area too, but not up close and personal like yours although we do know people who have had close encounters with bears coming on their porch or one guy who came across one in the woods, and said he just stood there talking to it. the guy loves to talk.
if i had bears coming in my yard like that i would be coming out with something that makes a loud noise, and hurts if you mess with me.
those must be some tasty plums.

keith

September 16, 2012	#4
jerryinfla Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Central Florida Posts: 377	Whoa -- I wouldn't want to have to watch for something that size before I ventured outside the house. Nice pics! __________________ Jerry - You only get old if you're lucky.

September 16, 2012	#6
ContainerTed Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: 6a - NE Tennessee Posts: 4,538	Looks like a big male in the first pictures and then a sow with two yearling cubs. Both are extremely dangerous. I think I'd probably be thinking about bear steaks on the male and something less deadly to run the female and her cubs away. Do you have any "fire crackers"??? The loud "BANG" from some small fireworks would be too noisy for them. They would leave and probably not return very quickly. I agree with the post above about how healthy that male looked. But the only pretty I see is that they are all "Pretty" dangerous. Make some noise (from a safe place) and they will not feel secure and will probably leave. Be careful. Black Bears are among the smartest (and most unpredictable) in the world. __________________ Ted ________________________ Owner & Sole Operator Of The Muddy Bucket Farm and Tomato Ranch Last edited by ContainerTed; September 16, 2012 at 09:52 AM.

September 16, 2012	#7
PaulF Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brownville, Ne Posts: 3,298	Great photos. Thanks for sharing. __________________ there's two things money can't buy; true love and home grown tomatoes.

September 16, 2012	#9
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Those bears are so beautiful, and look really well fed! I won't go so far as to say I wish they were in my yard, but watching them would be a thrill. I hope they continue to respect your electric fence. We do have black bears in the area, but it's been years since I've seen any on our property. Only marauding deer, groundhogs and skunks to worry about here. Even raccoons have been scarce, guess they prefer the neighbor's garage where they opened and ravaged two storage refridgerators. __________________ Dee **************

September 16, 2012	#12
salix Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: north central B.C. Posts: 2,310	Lovely pics, Tania. They certainly are doing their best to fatten up for winter in these last few weeks. I hear they are very numerous on the North Shore this year. Had one on the back deck yesterday (actually he has been in the back yard every day for the past week - just wandering through on his daily search), probably 'lured' by the smell of my roasting tomato - garlic soup base. Yelled at him, so he ambled off and flattened the neighbour's smallish Mountain Ash tree and nibbled a few of the berries. Looked/acted just like a petulant child after being scolded. Do take care, I won't go out to the compost pile unless the neighbour's dogs are out to give warning, or there is someone else here to stand watch. My b'ar fightin' days are long over... __________________ "He who has a library and a garden wants for nothing." -Cicero

September 16, 2012	#2
Cole_Robbie Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Illinois, zone 6 Posts: 8,407	Wow, that's a big boy! Great pics. Black bears are much rarer near me, but I have a few living on the refuge land next to my family's. My girlfriend has seen them, and I have heard one stomping around at night. I don't think ours are nearly that big, though!

September 16, 2012	#5
ginger2778 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Plantation, Florida zone 10 Posts: 9,283	Great pictures Tania, They are scary, but wasn't he beautiful sitting in the sun with his blue-black fur? Thanks for sharing this. I can't believe you get that kind of wildlife so up close and personal. Do you have bear spray at the ready? -Marsha

September 16, 2012	#8
halleone Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Walla Walla, Washington Posts: 360	Guess I'll quit complaining about the squirrels getting my plums! Nice photos....

September 16, 2012	#10
bower Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 6,794	Amazing photos. Sadly I do agree, you should do something to make them feel unwelcome. When the wildlife consider your garden is their own place, it's only a matter of time to cause real damage or harm. Do take care!

September 16, 2012	#11
paneman Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: florida Posts: 10	wow, Honey No More!!

September 16, 2012	#15
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,849	we have bears in my area too, but not up close and personal like yours although we do know people who have had close encounters with bears coming on their porch or one guy who came across one in the woods, and said he just stood there talking to it. the guy loves to talk. if i had bears coming in my yard like that i would be coming out with something that makes a loud noise, and hurts if you mess with me. those must be some tasty plums. keith