miltonct.com

Thought you might want to let everyone know that the bears are out in full force. Last evening between 7:00 and 7:30, we received a knock on the door from a fellow neighbor. I am very sorry I do not know her name a very pretty woman with long red hair who walks every evening. I believe she lives on Headquarters Road in the white cape just before it turns to dirt. She told us that the bear had drug our garbage across the street. [That would have been Toby McKinnon. JB]

This particular one was not afraid of people and sat across the street and ate our garbage for at least 40 minutes. My sister Gayleen and her husband Leigh Pont arrived on their bikes and they watched him from our yard for another 10 minutes. As they rode away, they saw a second bear walking up the Watson’s driveway. I saw one of them again this morning at 8:00 as I was leaving for work.

Kim

We have been visited four or five times this summer by a youngish-looking bear - I’m guessing she’s a yearling (which means her mama must be somewhere nearby!).  Most recently (August 22?) she was apparently interrupted when I drove in the driveway at round 6:00 pm as the pole holding four feeders was on the ground, one of the feeders was found nearby in the bushes, and one is still missing.  Her reach is about five feet I would guess, given that she can bring down a window feeder at that height, but not the one that’s hung at six feet +.  She is not tagged, and we haven’t reported her - I was told the DEP is not very interested these days.  True or no?

We’ve taken our feeders in for several days.  Each time I put them back I diligently take them down at night for a few days, then decide she’s lost interest, leave them up - and back she comes.  I hate to quit feeding the birds but may have to.  Much as we enjoy living with wildlife I know it is not healthy for them to become habituated to humans or comfortable in residentiall areas.

Susan Eanes
12 Headquarters Road

As told to me by Don S. of Hubbard Pines: “A big black bear aproached my garden…” (note that it contains over 500 eight foot tall tomato plants of the variety Pear, Marzano, and Brandywine, each bearing fruit). “It was the tomatoes or me, so I threw a stone at the bear, and hit it at 20 yards.” I asked Don, “Are you crazy, what happened?” He said ” Nothing happened, so I threw another stone, and hit it again — it was the tomatoes or me!” Totally dazzled at the prospect, I said, “then what happened?” The reply, “The bear walked away.” This time it was neither the tomatoes nor Don. And they are all specimen quality.

Holly asked me to let people (women) know that she will be giving a Silpada Design Jewelry party on September 22, 2006, 7-9 p.m. at our house. If anyone is interested, please call her at 567-9716.

Dick

Hi all,

It’s happened again. Quite spectacular, really. Less than forty minutes ago, at 9:00 a.m. straight up (too much in daylight for my money), this big black bear came running up our side lawn while we were having coffee on the deck. Beautiful creature, pretty young, I think, but 350-400 pounds if he was an ounce.

I told Holly to run for the camera and our speed was rewarded. I got several shots, but one is really good. If I can figure out how to send a picture to the Milton site, I’ll show it. I have to go over Chris’s directions on how to do that, again.

We called the State and they took a report for a sighting. We did not take our feeders in, since the noise of our fascination with the animal while we were on the deck probably scared the critter off.

We were amazed at how fast that big animal could lope along and he wasn’t even trying. Couldn’t hope to outrun him if it came to that. Someone (I hope it wasn’t a sidewalk bear expert) told me that if you make a ot of noise it will run. We didn’t have to, today, but the feeders are coming in at night on a regular basis. Hopefully that will be enough.

As an aside: How about some activity from others on the site? This is a neat thing that Chris Majeske Has wrought and we should be using it.

I’ll send the pic if I can set up the program, so all can see.

Dick