Several times a year I see a Black Bear,Ursus americanus, in my yard. Black Bears are around nearly all the time. I know that they’ve been around, even when I don’t see them, due to signs that they leave me. Last night I wrote a blog about how I can tell that Black Bears, Ursus americanus, have been in my yard. You can read that blog and see my photographs, by clicking here. Black Bears let other animals know that they are around. Read on, and find out how!
Black Bears are solitary animals, generally, except in the case of a mother and cubs, breeding pairs during the summer, and bears gathering at a food source.
Bears have ways of letting other bears and other animals know that they have been in the area. Ways of marking their territory through scents.
This utility pole is within sight of my cabin, and is a favorite spot for bears to mark with their scent. They rub their back, shoulders, neck, and the top of their head on the tree or pole. It’s not at all unusual to see them marking utility poles as well as trees. They will also claw the tree, or bite into the tree or pole to leave their scent. My husband grows Christmas trees, and bears really enjoy chomping off the tops of those trees. Frustrating, but not much we can do about it. Just life in the mountains!
Here’s another Black Bear, marking his territory by rubbing against a pine tree. He’s got a beautiful blaze (the white fur that looks like a necklace), which makes him easy to identify. I don’t see white blazes like this very often.
So many wonderful animals around here to enjoy. Black Bears are just a small portion of the wealth of fauna to enjoy in the mountains.
2 responses to “Sign Of Bears”
Wow! I would be thrilled (and a bit nervous) to live amongst bears. I still have very fond memories as a little girl of my parents taking us to the dump in Northern WI (instead of the movies), to see the bears! Love that white blaze! Are those tomatoes in the foreground? NGreat photos. I am reading a series of novels by Joseph Heywood this Winter that resonate with me. The setting is the upper MI peninsula and the main character is a “Woods Cop” and the latest involves bears and unfortunately, poaching, but I enjoy the “inside view” of his travels and encounters with both thieves and nature. I also enjoy reading your blog and am very intrigued that you are a Certified Master Naturalist. I am currently taking Master Gardener classes through our cooperative extension. Perhaps the next step?
Hi Kathy! I suppose that ignorance is bliss, but in my hikes, I rarely see any bears. We only have *Black* Bears here and they show me each time I come upon one, that they are quite frightened to see a human. I suppose that it helps that we have no close neighbors and there is seldom another human around — they don’t know what I am, or they have heard about me! On the rare occasion that I *do* see a bear, he turns and runs before I get a chance to be frightened.
Those *are* tomatoes in the foreground of one of those photographs. My husband is the one who puts in the vegetables and what a delightful reward his hard work provides! I tend to stay away from gardening, unless it involves a precious patch of native something or other, that requires *no* special care. That is in part why I chose the master naturalist route rather than master gardener. But somehow “naturalist” just sounds so much more like me than “gardener,” particularly since I live in the woods and can use that as an excuse to not fuss with plants around the cabin! I will admit, that when we lived in Arlington, Virginia, I did garden and it looks pretty nice too – that was before the days of native awareness though! And perhaps the neighbors would have booted me out, if I didn’t keep up a nice yard!
Enjoy your Master Gardener classes, and stay warm! BTW, I just saw your blog with your house plants — beautiful AND such a cute pup!!