Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: Pat B on July 11, 2014, 04:20:28 pm

Title: About an hour ago...
Post by: Pat B on July 11, 2014, 04:20:28 pm
..I was in my chair reading Undaunted Courage. It had just started raining which spoiled my attempt to mow. Because of the rain, Lucy, our choc lab was laying between the coffee table and couch(her rain hiding spot) and Marcia was in the sunroom working on a paper mache' project.  As I'm reading I keep hearing a thumping sound. I'd listen and it would stop then start again. For some reason I looked out the front screen door, which is about 6' from my chair, and sitting on the porch rail, 10" from the screen door is a 100# bear, sitting on his haunches stealing sugar water from the hummingbird feeder hanging from the porch roof.
  As not to piss him off but to startle him, I yelled and slammed the door. He jumped on to the porch and ran across it and down the stairs, across the driveway and down the powerline. Marcia grabbed her camera but it was too late. When I opened the door Lucy hit the ground with her nose to the trail the bear took. Two minutes later she came back.  ::)
  Now how cool is this. I love living in the country.  8)
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: SLIMBOB on July 11, 2014, 04:39:25 pm
Very cool. That is one of my all time favorite books.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: PEARL DRUMS on July 11, 2014, 04:54:17 pm
Cool experience Pat. Very cool. Bears are intriguing characters.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: osage outlaw on July 11, 2014, 05:02:23 pm
Next time have the wife get a few pictures before you give the bear a heart attack.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Pat B on July 11, 2014, 05:45:59 pm
Clint, I reacted to being startled. I wish I had just quietly mentioned it to my wife so we could have gotten pics. Marcia was ready with the camera pretty fast.  It spooked me because it is so unusual for us here at our house. I know they are out there, we just rarely see them. There are lots of bears in this part of the country. They hit bird feeders, trash cans, anywhere they can get a meal. Here on our property we have always had dogs and not on leashes or in pens. Our dogs, usually two at a time have always felt the freedom of coming and going as they please and we are lucky they can.
 Lucy is on her own now since we lost Sister. She needs a new partner and when we get a new pup she will needs a good teacher; Lucy ...local critters beware! The chipmunks are taking over to.  Our dogs have never run deer or bears or whatever, they run them off, then back to the porch or inside.
  Pearlie, bears are way cool. It's great to know we share the woods with them.
Bob, I've just started Undaunted Courage and just starting Chapter 4. My wife read it a few years ago and loved it.  She has been trying to get me to read it since. I've been down for a few days with a stomach virus so I have had plenty of time to read. 
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: bow101 on July 11, 2014, 05:59:04 pm
That is cool as long as its just fun and not the other way..... :)  They say that bears are #3 in smartness in the animal world next to pigs, then apes.   dogs have over 20-30 facial features that give off impressions but most people only pay attention to popular ones like tongue hanging out and tail wagging, droopy ears, been submissive, astute (curiosity), been baffled, shy, and agreesive.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: 4dog on July 11, 2014, 06:01:10 pm
patb...i live in the country...YOU apparently...live in the wilderness...lol..and thats different.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: blackhawk on July 11, 2014, 06:15:09 pm
Cool Pat!!! Earlier this spring our neighbor across the street witnessd a bear getting into her bird feeder, and we also had a momma n two cubs running the neighborhood as well this year....not to many bears on this side of Pa,but they are around....lots of bruins tho in the northern central mountains here...there's always a 700-800 pounder taken out of pa here it seems like most years...def some big boys out there....our bear season is a measly 3 days long,and no baiting allowed either...wish theyed change it a little....but that's prob why we have such a healthy population and record size blackies
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Pat B on July 11, 2014, 06:41:40 pm
Chris, like I said we have a good population here. Our county is almost half National Forest(Pisgah NF) and State Park(DuPont SP, The Gorges SP) with lots of large tracks of land, lots of remote areas. Our big bears are 250# to 350# although not too far from here last year in SC a 609# bear was shot. Most big NC bears live in the eastern Coastal areas.
  4dog, my 25ac property backs up to a 4000ac housing development.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Badger on July 11, 2014, 07:46:08 pm
  Cool story.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Marc St Louis on July 11, 2014, 08:29:43 pm
Good story Pat

We had to buy a new car, a mini van, last year as my old Mazda truck died.  I got up one morning, not long after we bought it, and went outside.  I noticed some dirt on it so I went over to have a look.  There were paw prints all around it about chest high and in front they disappeared and reappeared on the hood then windshield and finally the roof.  Looked to be about a 150# Bear.  No dents but there were fine scratch marks in the paint
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: 4dog on July 11, 2014, 09:40:32 pm
i stand corrected sir! ..lol...(wish i had bears to watch)
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Pat B on July 11, 2014, 11:22:59 pm
 A funny story happened around here a few years ago. A woman came home and heard noise in her kitchen. She went back to investigate and a bear was at her kitchen table eating a cake. She yelled, the bear grabbed the cake and ran out the sliding door off the deck into the woods.
  Another funny one was the woman that wrote to the local news paper complaining about the bears tearing up her bird feeders. She wrote that she had been there longer than the pesky bears and she wished the DNR would come take care of the bears. Funny how folks move to a small mountain town and they are surprised to see bears. 
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: TRACY on July 12, 2014, 08:42:52 am
Bear scare!



Tracy
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: neuse on July 12, 2014, 08:49:34 am
Pat,
I envy you. I live in a concrete jungle.
Good bear expeirence.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: RyanR on July 12, 2014, 09:03:13 am
That is really cool. Those are neat animals.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Gsulfridge on July 12, 2014, 09:22:48 am
Cool story Pat.  Wish you could have gotten pics.  They are getting more and more common here (North of Knoxville).  A huge bear was hit on the interstate a few miles from home and the game warden gave him to me over the phone.  He was in route to the office where the bear had been taken.  He called me back when he arrived and told me it was already gone.  All those quivers right down the drain!  I'd love to watch one in the wild.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Hillbilly on July 12, 2014, 05:21:21 pm
We had one in the yard here not long ago, and I ran into one at work the other day, he started to walk right into the shop!

And yeah, Undaunted Courage is a great book, got a copy on my shelf.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Pappy on July 14, 2014, 11:02:56 am
Cool story Pat,non around here that I know of,of course I said that about Turkey several years back,I found out not long later that I was very wrong about that. ;) :) I have always kept a pair of dogs also Pat,guess I need to look into Sally a partner.  ;) :)
   Pappy
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: EagleTexas on July 14, 2014, 07:05:41 pm
We had a momma moose and two brand new twins come through our yard yesterday,Really special to see.
 A moose is the second most deadly behind  a grizzly....they will pummel you with their hooves.
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: Pat B on July 14, 2014, 08:29:45 pm
Moose wins the cool sighting...especially in your yard.  8)
Title: Re: About an hour ago...
Post by: EagleTexas on July 17, 2014, 03:12:34 pm
We have a cabin on the hillside near Wilson, Wyoming. We spend our summers here out of Texas heat. Lots of animals.....and trout.