Page 18 - Sentinel Septemberl 2017
P. 18

BEARY Continued from page 16                              A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE
                                                                  Susan Peters...
        which eventually left, she said. Why the bear decided to attack
        the young man in the middle of the night is still a mystery. No
        food source (the usual cause) was discovered near the site. The   Eclipse  Musings...Soggy  End  of
        bear’s behavior was so atypical that any bear found in the traps   Summer...Fun and Games...Mule
        set by the Colorado Parks and Wildlife in the next few days   Deer Surprising Behavior...Short
        will likely be euthanized and officials will test later to see if it   Takes
        was the same bear involved in the attack using DNA evidence,
        Churchill said. Dylan was treated for lacerations on his head   Plunged into Near Darkness
        and released.                                             One has to ponder what the animal
                                                                  kingdom does when it is suddenly
        Bear Wise Note: Although we black bears are usually not ag-  plunged into darkness in the middle of the day.  It is all quite
        gressive  toward  people,  always  assume  we  are.  Give  us  the   simple.  Diurnal animals settle down for what they think is go-
        benefit of the doubt and a good safe distance from you. If at-  ing to be a long nap.  Nocturnal animals sleepily come out to
        tacked, do what Dylan did – fight back.                    frolic before the lights get turned back on again.  So, how many
                                                                  beavers did you see during the eclipse?  Did you catch them red
        Durango, Colorado - A bear broke into an SUV and took the ve-  pawed hauling away your Aspen trees?  Did you catch a glimpse
        hicle for an unintentional joyride through a Colorado neighbor-  of a horned owl and hear its who-who call?
        hood by accidentally shifting the vehicle out of park and into
        neutral. The joyride ended when the car the bear was driving   One observation is that the hummingbirds started pigging out
        collided with a mailbox. The auto was later found abandoned,   on nectar and homemade sugar water just like they do in early
        rear window busted out, interior ripped to shreds plus the steer-  evenings until they had to hurry to find a roosting spot.  Then,..
        ing wheel and radio were missing. Oh, and a pile of bear scat   just kidding.  Our 90 percent eclipse did not even cause the birds
        was also found on the driver’s seat. Evidentially the accidental   to fall from the sky or silence their song.
        ride scared the %#$& out of him!
                                                                  Green, but Not with Envy
        Bear Wise Note: Always keep vehicle doors locked and win-  Trying to type this article with house flies darting in-between
        dows up when not occupied by you or else your car may be   my fingers is a bit challenging.  Usually they are inside because
        occupied by one of us. Do not leave food in the car.      the weather is beginning to cool.  But this past month has had
                                                                  me wearing fall attire and checking on my supply of long johns
        Durango, Colorado. A black bear (different from above story)   (now called base coats).  And the flies are tired of doing back
        made a daytime visit to a Starbucks in Durango recently. The   strokes outside in the lingering pools of water.
        bruin  climbed  a  utility  pole  outside  the  cafe  and  ended  up
        knocking out electricity to the Starbucks when it received an   The monsoons of August have outdone themselves.  We are one
        electric shock from a power line. No word on the bear’s health   rain storm short of a major machete session.  We frequently go
        but rumor has it he got his latte to go.                  to sleep to Alexa and her thunderstorm sounds, but this year,
                                                                  no point, as the storms are for real.  So many birds, particularly
        Bear Wise Note: It seems since we black bears are eager to   the young ones, looked so frumpled from their wet hair dos or
        drive (story above), that it would be safer for us to use the drive-  feather dos, I reckon it is.
        thru option next time we visit a Starbucks. Just a thought.
                                                                  The huge abundance of wild mushrooms this year serve a pur-
        Please send your bear stories, reports of sightings and pictures   pose.  I don’t know what, since they are poisonous, beyond be-
        to me at wisebeary@gmail.com I’ll share them with readers.  ing artistically show-stopping.
        Until next time, keep your head up, your paws dry and never
        pass up a free meal -especially this time of year.        Mule Deer – More than Just a Pretty Butt! (and doe eyes)
        Your furry friend,                                        If you have not seen PBS’s Nature: Touching the Wild – Living
        Beary                                                     with the Mule Deer of Deadman Gulch, pop open your browser
                                                                  and search for it to watch Joe Hutto’s incredible tale of his life
                                                                  integrating with mule deer.  Hutto is a naturalist who lived on a
                                                                  ranch in Wyoming for seven years.  He documented and filmed
                                                                  his story, and also wrote a book.  It will bring a range of emo-
                                                                  tions from you...smiles to amazement to tears.  Nature can be
                                                                  and is brutal.

                                                                  Mule deer, very skittish of people, came to know and trust ol’
                                                                  Joe.  Raggedy Ann, the herd leader, like with the female el-
                                                                  ephants, was his first conquest in friendship.  Except for the
                                                                                                  Continued on page 19
        Page 18 - September 2017 Perry Park Sentinel
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