*image from http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/uncyclopedia/images/thumb/3/39/Yogi_Bear.gif/180px-Yogi_Bear.gifRemember those fungus among us moldy mushrooms I mentioned last week? We now have conclusive evidence that even large, hungry omnivorous animals won't eat them.
We live in black bear country which means we cannot just put our garbage can outside unprotected. That's like setting out a bear buffet and ringing the dinner bell. When the bears are bulking up prior to wintering in their dens or in the Spring when they first emerge ravenously hungry are the two worst times for garbage raids. We have a sort of shed-like thing that fits two large garbage cans (even though we barely even fill one can a week) and can be closed up with latches. It usually is a sufficient deterrent.
Mr. Lime came home after dark last night and found the shed up-ended, the cans tipped over, the bag shredded, and its contents strewn all across the front yard. Mr. Lime also reported the coffee filters and empty bottle which contained French vanilla creamer had suffered a great deal of damage. (The idea of a grumpy bear in bad need of a java fix strikes me as funny.) The moldy mushrooms remained untouched.
35 comments:
I didn't know you had bears in your state! But that is funny about the coffee.
Do the bears only come out at night? I'm wondering how your kids go to the busstop in the dark early morning? We have coyotes here and I'm always nervous about it, even though the "authorities" say the coyotes won't go near people.
cocotte, not only do we have quite a lot of black bears in PA but our corner of it is known for the biggest black bears in the state (i seem to think in the continental US as well but I wouldn't swear to that). you can actually run into a bear any time of day but dusk and dawn are common times. they are actually fairly shy creatures. and yes, my kids have seen bears at their busstop a couple of times.
Wow the things you learn. To live with the bears around all the time. I guess you get used to it. While we have black bears I think they are almost always up north. We tend to have deer wander around... I think I will have the deer instead.
So this leads me to a question... How do you put your trash out for pick-up? Or do you have to manage your own trash disposal? Trash day leaves us concerned about 'coons and cats. I'm rather relieved we don't have to add bears to that list.
:-)
barman, it's about respecting the animals natural tendencies. we don't put out bird feeders, especially the sugary hummingbird feeders, because those are magnets for bears too. you don't want to habituate them to humans being a provider of food because if the food source dries up then they become a bigger problem.
embee, during the spring and fall we don't put our garbage can out for the collectors until an hour or two before they will arrive.
I'd say the evidence was pretty conclusive in that case. Obviously you saved yourself from a nasty dose of something.
Cheers
When I used to live Up North, we'd have 'coons getting in our trash. I'm sure there were bears about, but we lived in town, so we didn't see many bears. . . We do see quite a few 'possums; those things are dumb as rocks. . .
And deer. . . the farmers in our area call 'em 'antlered rats'. . .
not too far from me in the Wharton State Forrest, we have black bears too, i learned this AFTER hiking 20 miles through a nice trail. didn't see any of my buddies, but i'll be sure to wear my mushroom suit next time
As with Yogi, your bears are smarter than the average. I don't eat fungus, neither do they.
I just leave my trash out for them... saves trips to the dump...
Just kidding btw!
Squirrels eat the mushrooms around here.. their little bite marks crack me up... love to watch them pull a bigger up and run across the property with them.
LOL! I could guess where the post was going to end!
gosh! that is so scary, about the bears roaming so freely around. with us it is street dogs & monkeys all the time. Last week there was fight between street dogs & a monkey in my porch , & my whole outer area was strewn with splashes & paw marks of blood & had to be washed with a hosepipe!
Aw, you must feel terrible about the missed photo opportunity. Bears like having their picture taken. They'll even let people get close to them while they're eating and let you pick up their cubs, as long as they know that it's for a picture. ;-)
You know you're supposed to wear bells when you're in bear country, right? They don't like to mess with people, so the bells alert them of human presence, and nasty confrontations are easily avoided. I can always tell when I'm in bear country because you find bear poop with little bells in it.
maddy, it did make me feel less guilty about tossing the things
desmond, antlered rats...now that's a new one to me. i should send my family to hunt there. we love venison.
furiousball, i would love to see a picture of you in full mushroom suit!
suldog, moldy mushrooms don't appeal to you? i'm shocked.
cheesy, we have squirrels out the ears too and yet none of them were enticed...go figure.
mona, it's not really scary. as i said, black bears are generally shy. you just can't be stupid about things is all. i don't believe there are any documented bear attacks in my state in the last 120 yrs or so. new jersey had it's first in a century or something like some time ago but the woman foolishly provoked the bear.
craver, actually i would have liked to have caught it on film but it was too dark....the destruction of the yard...not the process, tyvm. i'm no dingaling.
Even a bear has his limits I guess. Very funny that he was in the mood for a coffee fix. Hehehe.
We have black bears up north at the in-law's cabin but I have yet to see one for myself. I'm hoping sometimes soon. And hopefully from a distance. ;)
Wow. Rough times when black bears need a caffeine fix!
"tyvm?"
Oh yes! Black bears love coffee grounds. I used to work on an, erm farm, where we fertilized some of the um, crops with coffee grounds.
Those particular plants were always nibbled on, stomped over, then finally dragged off for sharing with the gang.
Have you ever seen a den of bears at 4:20? I haven't thank goodness, but I know what they were up to.
Now, rats, that's another story. I once followed a leaf trail to a hollowed log, cut it open with chain saw and found many stoned rats inside. Naughty rats!
Now I thought I had problems with my gang of racoons and the stubborn skunk that lives under my porch, and the deer that Gupta hangs around with, and the coyotes that run wild in the orchard at night.
But bears, girl....wow!
BTW yes California black bears are smallish.
I think they dont have as much deer to eat! :P
moldy mushrooms... fungus squared, huh? Both combos would be great band names. Perhaps they could play a double bill!
Yogi Bear? I do an awesome Yogi Bear impersonation. No, I don't wear the tie or hat...
kathryn, can you you imagine how badly this critter will need caffeine next spring?
flash, yeah, like i said to kathryn....
craver, tyvm= thank you very much
s, quite the story there. i am now imagining stoner bears...
lecram, fungus squared...i like it!
ve, i expect you to film yourself and post it
Nice work, Lime. I had a bear encounter in Kluane National Park last month!
Street Dogs and Monkeys and Bears..
Oh My!!!!
We do not have bears in our county per se', but last year a black bear followed a creek about 100 miles south, and was killed on the X-Way about 2 miles from my house..
Deer on the other hand are like Rats!!!
Oh, by the way......
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU
YOU LIVE IN A ZOO
YOU SMELL LIKE A MONKEY
AND YOU LOOK LIKE ONE TOO!
Yes, the word is out!
Back in the early 90's on my way to college one morning I saw a black bear come running out of the woods and up to the highway I driving on. He stopped looked both ways and then went running back the way he came. At the time SC highway 501 was mostly undeveloped open woodlands with only a few businesses along its way. Just a few short years later it was completely developed with absolutely none of the woods showing. Often wonder what happened to that bear. I do know that while bears down here are not a big issue we are up to our eyeballs in alligators with dogs being being a favorite fr many of them. Just for once I wish they would find golfers tasty.
I'm sorry. It was me not bears. I was hungry.
IS IT YOUR BIRTHDAY???? Maybe the bears were just looking for the party...no fun doing 'shrooms on your own...
LOL@ coop....HAPPY BIRFDAY!
12th OCTOBER is the D day! Don't you guys remember from last year?
In comparison tropical cockroaches seem to be very docile creatures...
david, i remember your story!!
gman, send some of those deer our way, we need a freezer full of venison to get through the winter.
s, thank you dearie but my birthday isn't until sunday
beach bum, it's kind of sad isn't it?
signgurl, LOL, all you had to do was ask and i would have fed you.
cooper, my birthday is sunday
cheesy, thank you
mona, d-day is a good term for it....i am dreading the day to be honest
cosima, lol, i've lived with tropical cockroaches too. the bears bother me less.
Happy B-day coming up..or is that Bear DAY!! My mom is up in PA and she see's them all the time. As often as I have visited there, I only saw one in the distance once when I was on my way to my cousins place.
I'm with ya on the bears vs. trop. cr's...do not like Roaches or de Rats!!
I always knew that animals were smarter than we were! Congrats on the POTD mention at David's...that's how I got here!
Sandi
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