Black bear sow and cub

 

Yesterday was overcast, cool, and off/on rain.  Today's forecast was for sun - and then rain tonight.  Good day to get some outside things done.  Washed my sheets and hung them to dry on the line.  Mowed the lawn and the nearby trails.  Put some plants in.  Later bopped over to Neighbor Anita and Doug's place for coffee.    Doug showed me a picture of Neighbor John's rental house.   His trash can was on it's side w/ plastic strewn about and a brick wall recently made to conceal the can had been toppled over.  That had to be a bear.  Later that evening Whip was growling at something she saw out in the meadow.  There were three bear: a very large sow and last year's offspring.   Assume the sow was attracted by my salt lick.   The cubs just played and tumbled together.    I don't want these bear to get comfortable this close to the house.  I put Whip on a leash and we went out onto the deck.  Could see only two bear now and they noticed us.  Whip began to bark.   Seemed like a good idea so I barked too.  The two bear loped off into the safety of the dark wood.  Exactly what I hoped they would do.  We went back inside but soon I noticed another bear in the meadow.  Probably the other cub had realized mom and brother were no longer waiting in the same spot.  Whip and I went out again and barked at this bear.   It followed the same trail the other two had taken into the woods.  Bear may be the apex predator of this area but Whip and I are The Masters Of All We Survey.    

Or maybe not.  Sow came back again a little later w/o her cubs.   I'll need a bigger noise-maker.