Bear

I might have a visitor around here.....a bear. I'm not 100% sure, so far I have gathered some evidence. I have an area in the yard that I use to feed the birds, squirrels, rabbits and whatever other animal that wants to munch on the food scraps that I've been putting out since I moved here. I throw all my veggie scraps there, potato peel, apple cores etc.....I have a tree stump that I put out bread pieces on (Odie's Deli sometimes have bagfuls of bread for free), nuts and I have three bird feeders hung up in the trees which I put suets in. Talk about crazy animal lady! The other week I put in two suets in the bird feeders, the next day when I looked both feeders were ripped off from the branches (one slightly dented) with both suets gone. Now I know that birds and squirrels come and nibble on the suets but they never finish them overnight, it takes about a week or two for them to finish the suets and I never had to pick up the bird feeders from the ground.
This morning I found these strange holes in one of my trash bins outside, I have four total. Three for stuff that I recycle and one for regular trash.



I don't know what could had ripped two holes in some sturdy plastic. A bird? Probably not, unless I have an upset woodpecker around here. I'm thinking a bear would had toppled over at least that trash bin, probably all of them while searching for food but all four were standing upright. I don't throw away food but I'm sure Chhaya's empty cans of dog food omit an enticing smell for a bear. And yes, I know that there are bear proof trash bin for purchase but I have regular large semi sturdy plastic ones. Although not bear proof.
So today I put in three new suets in the bird feeders. I also left a handful of cherries on the stump and some leftover cauliflower.



About four hours later I went outside to put an empty yoghurt container in a trash bin and decided to check on the bird feeders. One was already open and empty. I looked for the suet on the ground but couldn't find it. Maybe I have been feeding the the squirrels so well that they got strong and one, or two of them (joint effort) carried the suet up a tree and had a food party. I don't know. The cherries were gone too but that's nothing unusual.



I do have a can of bear spray, I got it mainly for camping and hiking and I never used it. I don't mind sharing my left overs with a bear or bears. But in case I do have a bear visitor, I hope that we can respectfully stay out of each others way. I don't want the bear to get upset with me or Chhaya or prey on any of the moose that come to my yard to sleep and eat the grass.
I know that this is bear and moose land and I think that the animals have the right to be here, more so than I do. I'm the one imposing on them. I hope they will allow me to co exist with them. So far so good.
Sounds crazy? Perhaps. I'm that "crazy" person that talks to animals, trees, doesn't kill spiders etc. Although I do swat at mosquitoes and horse flies when they try to suck my blood or bother Chhaya.
And that was the exciting news this Tuesday from Kenai.......!