Page 18 - Sentinel August 2017

BEARY Continued from page 17 fewer options for bear remote relocations.
We need your help to keep you and us safe.
might be a good idea for you to ask the owners before you dive
in unannounced.
Please don’t feed us! Consider purchasing a bear proof garbage
container. Keep doors and windows closed, especially during
Local Bear Sightings
It sure has been a busy season for bear sighting this year. It’s peak bear activity season. Avoid surprises – make yourself
weird because we bear are reporting an increase of human known when you are outside: hum, sing, talk. Recite the Con-
sightings as well. stitution. If you do witness aggressive bear behavior or have
concerns, call 911 or the Colorado Department of Wildlife for
assistance.
Since this is our active time of year, it’s always a good reminder
to use extra care when roaming around. Bear wise means being
observant when you enter your garage from the house to make We live in the most beautiful place in the world. Let’s work
sure some flat footed hairy legged brut (not your brother in- together to keep it that way by enjoying nature at its best – wild
law) is not snooping around because you left the garage door and free.
open. Make sure that bird feeders are hung 10 feet up and 10
feet out from any climbable object and are brought in at dusk. Email your pictures, stories, comments and questions to:
Remember, we are not hunting you, just any food you may wisebeary@gmail.com
have left around for us to supplement our diets of insects, ber-
ries and bushes. Also, if you would like me to name a future article bear sighting
picture after a family member, please send me their name, age
and relationship.
Tou Pee

Until next time, don’t drool and keep your paws cool.
Be on the lookout for Tou Pee. No, not your uncle’s hair piece,
but this young, local, multi- colored black bear with a bad tou- Your friend in the forest,
Beary Bear
pee and a hyper disposition. If you had hair like his, you’d keep
moving too. Rumer has it Tou Pee found a tube of blonde
hair dye but dis-
��������������������������������
covered too late
�
there was only A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
enough to dye Susan Peters...
the top of his
head. Actually, Late Summer Joys of Nature
multi colored from Crickets to Toads, and, yup,
black bears are Snakes, again...Those Future-
not uncommon. Looking Crows...Short Takes
We come in four
basic fur colors: Summer Reverie
Black, brown, cinnamon and blond. Tou Pee is a combo of all Say what? That snow could return
possible colors. Show off! as early as next month? Imposi-
ble! as one would say in Spanish.
Another recent sighting was this traditional black bear beauty
named Carla who was recently captured on camera casually Carla who was recently captured on camera casually
named
named Carla who was recently captured on camera casually While you still can, I urge you to open a window at bedtime to
sitting and enjoying a pine quietly take in the sounds of summer nights. Recently I caught
needle salad. the whiff of a skunk, fortunately a bit out of close proximity,
hopefully scooting the resident bear off to other digs. And then
Sad but True for the first time in years, the soft coos of an owl floated through
the night air. Shortly later, the chirps of the nocturnal crickets
The Colorado Department began to swell. OK, they aren’t chirps, but the ol’ wings rub-
of Wildlife estimated that bing together as their mating calls. To each its own.
they are on pace to destroy
around 60 Colorado black Once again, the high-soaring night hawks have been elusive.
bears this year. Most of And with the late summer monsoons rolling in afternoon after
these cases are a result of afternoon, it is doubtful that they will grace the skies here.
bear/human contact be-
cause we bear lose our The towhees this year have sure made the most of the season.
natural fear of people. As It seems that all three sub-species – the eastern, the western,
more people inhabit rural
area of our state, there are Continued on page 20
Page 18 - August 2017 Perry Park Sentinel