Fall has arrived. I’ll need to put the mouse traps in the attic and bring in the houseplants when the first frost is announced. I forgot that this is also the time that our black bear population prepares for hibernation. 

I’m one of those people who feed the birds throughout the year. Bears have a great sense of smell and black oil sunflower seeds are a tasty treat.  All summer my feeders remained untouched but on this Tuesday I had a visitor.

I figured that my presence would be a deterrent but I was wrong. After I opened the door we stared at each other.

A false sense of security

There is something about having a camera that gives you a false sense of security. My main concern was that I get a good photo of my visitor. There is something about looking a subject through a viewfinder that adds a level of detachment. I worried that I might get the focus wrong rather than if it would swipe me with a paw.

Speaking of paws, check out the claws on this bruin as he (or she) sits in my driveway.

Lessons Learned

I’ve taken in the feeders near the deck for a while until the weather gets a lot colder. There is only one active feeder which is suspended out of reach. The others will go out after hibernation time.

I leave the garage door open when I am home much to the dismay of my wife. She warned me that animals may move in. I now take that as some important advice.