Bears coming out kind of early...

[grouseking]

At least in southern NH anyways. There is a little diddy on WMUR about it.

http://www.wmur.com/news/22742797/detail.html

Anyone seen any yet?

grouseking

 

[Chip]

one was put down in NJ this week, apparently killed a dog or 3 and was under a persons deck.

 

[Jay H]

Yup, that was in Wayne, NJ, where I used to work. The bear apparently was habituated to running through people's garbage and suddenly came across this yummy border collie (named "bear", coincidentally) and thought it made a better lunch then garbage. The article I read said it's been seen in the neighborhood before and since it killed a dog, was tranquilized and then euthanized somewhere at animal control.

However, bears in NJ don'y necessarily "hibernate" just because food/garbage is plentiful and temps never go terribly cold anymore.

Jay

 

[RollingRock]

I saw racoons going after my bird feeder in East Thornton last night so the bears are not far behind in the Whites!

 

[grouseking]

Bear climbs deck in Newmarket...

http://ulocal.wmur.com/_Bear-Climbs-Deck/VIDEO/939670/63455.html?widgetId=53479

 

[weatherman]

Yeah, and the redwing blackbirds and chipmunks are out earlier than I've seen them in at least 7 years here too. No good reason that I can think of.

Weatherman

 

[sardog1]

Yep, Bruin be doin' it in the woods as of February 20 hereabouts:

Those car keys are 3.25 inches long. And yes, I did examine the contents after taking the picture -- all vegetative material. My wife spotted this first, along with some tracks. I have subsequently seen tracks that were left at about the same time, probably by the same bear.

 

[The Lisa]

^^^^^
At last, proof that bears DO poop in the woods!
They must be pretty hungry right now.

 

[sardog1]

^^^^^
At last, proof that bears DO poop in the woods!
They must be pretty hungry right now.

Yep, our feeders are coming down tomorrow morning. Heard footsteps on the front porch the other night, but it was probably a raccoon -- the dogs would have gone you-know-what had it been a big burly visitor.

That video on the WMUR site is amusing to watch, until the bear decides that after the deck the kitchen would be worth exploring. You can see it looking for ways to get into the house.

 

[Barbarossa]

Yeah, and the redwing blackbirds and chipmunks are out earlier than I've seen them in at least 7 years here too. No good reason that I can think of.

Weatherman

What about that big honkin' rain-induced thaw we had a few days ago?

 

[brianW]

sorry Sardog, that was me at least I packed the tp out.

 

[sardog1]

Well, if it was you, you're getting more roughage than even Euell Gibbons would have thought healthy.