The Black Bear Saga continues.....

Here in Northeast Ohio we have a little Black Bear Drama going on. Last week a black bear was spotting near the main campus of Kent State University (my alma mater). Apparently it was rummaging through the trash behind Bob Evans on July 26th. That isn't really that close to the main campus but rumor has it some students attempted to feed it. Higher education paying off! My office is in Kent, right by the river. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of the bear myself....until I looked at pictures of black bears! Yikes. They are HUGE. Well, the bear has stayed in the local news all week. Yesterday it was reported that it was in Streetsboro and was attempting to claw it's way into a house.



The authorities did see it and tried to shoot it with rubber bullets but the bear just ran away. I had many questions but after looking them up this is what I found...The black bear has been slowly increasing in population in Ohio. They had not been seen in many years but over the last 10 years the sightings have increased. I wondered if it is possible for it to be the same bear in Kent as the one in Streetsboro. I found that a bears home territory can be up to an 80 mile radius. The authorities keep telling everyone to call them if they see the bear. Why? Are they going to kill it? Capture it? Don't other people in other places live amongst the bears without problems? I am pretty sure we have enough deer for the bear to eat. Do they eat deer? I am so interested. Maybe I should go on a bear hunt. LOL. Only if I had a better camera. I could hunt and shoot the bear (with my camera) - sell the photos to the local paper and get rich. ha ha ha ha ha. I am only joking and just typing as I think things. Well, my Dad saw a black bear on his property. So, I could continue my bear hunt next week when I go to Tennessee. Which reminds me of something I heard a long time ago.... These guys (somewhere up north) were putting some substance out that lures bears, so they could shoot them. Couldn't the people in Streetsboro or Kent just do that, lure the bear and then capture the bear, feed him and then take him somewhere away from people?

In case you were wondering here are some black bear facts....

• Bears eat acorns, nuts, fruit & succulent greens. They will eat meat if those things are avalible.
  
• Bears are very intelligent. They have great memory and navigation skills.
• Most Black bears die due to human related causes. How sad is that?
• Bears can hibernate without food, water, going to the bathroom...for up to 7 months. They give birth while hibernating.
  
• Bear attacks on humans are very rare. Most bear related injuries come from people trying to feed bears. DUH.
• Bears only roar in the movies- not in real life.
• Bears are indangered species in Ohio - so you aren't allowed to shoot them.
  

Here is what to do if you encounter a BLACK bear.

• Do not look it in the eye.
• Talk in a soothing tone.
• Do not run.
  
• Back away slowly.
• And don't feed the bear!

While I was looking up bear info.... You MUST watch this ridiculous video!



Okay, I have to go fill my bird feeders and set some honey out.

For more info on the Ohio Black Bear & to see where I got the bear picture visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resource web site.