I think there was a bear on my deck! (Scranton: living, eat)

[EnyaGirl]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

It might have just been me with my shirt off. I AM an Italian stallion, you know!

LOL. Paul, I've seen your pictures, and I'm pretty sure bears are brown, and YOU certainly are NOT. You must be eastern European like me

[memoriesbre]

Oh no! an Italian bear!!! I better keep my screen door and windows closed when I am making pasta!! LOL Yo! Paulie, time for dinner!

[weluvpa]

You never really know where you might see a bear!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by EnyaGirl

LOL. Paul, I've seen your pictures, and I'm pretty sure bears are brown, and YOU certainly are NOT. You must be eastern European like me

I'm from the not-so-tan part of Italy.

[Summering]

Ah yes, Bears! We use to get quite a few in Penn Estates. One was the biggest guy I ever saw........right in my backyard. it frightened us both, because of its size........We pictured him climbing up onto the porch.
Then there were a few smaller ones..........
The last I saw was another huge guy walking throught the woods. Many of us stayed in our cars to just see this grand sight. One man who was walking got so frightened when it started heading forward.........he almost jumped in the back of our car.........and would have had the fond company of my two little dogs. But, the seats were folded down, so this would have been a sight to behold.

[gemkeeper]

While living in Mt. Top outside of Wilkes-Barre, we had frequent visits from the bear community, including a mother and her two cubs one summer.

It is so deceiving watching these cumbersome animals slowly cruising through the backyards. They look so cute and harmless, but not so!

Our closest encounter occured when our cocker spaniel thought that she should protect our family from this black fuzzy intruder. She parked herself about 6 feet from the bear and proceeded to bark like a . . . like a . . . like a cocker spaniel!

The bear suddenly didn't look so clumbsy as it tore after his appetizer - our dog. Within inches of her life our dog made it through the patio door with the bear in hot pursuit. Soon, we had two of them on our deck trying their best to open our gas grill. Oh, boy, something sure smelled yummy in there!
When we talked with animal control they told us that they no longer pick up bears that wander into neighborhoods UNLESS they attack a pet or resident. They said that they used to trap the animals and relocate them up state in the wooded park areas, but that the bears are so territorial that they would make their way back to the area even if it was a 50 - 75 mile trek. Unfortunately, in the process they often ended up on the roadways and even the turnpike. So, to preserve the bears they only trap dangerous, threatening animals.

They are the only thing I miss from all my years in PA. I would be back to wonderful NE PA in a heartbeat if it was up to me alone.

[Summering]

You don't miss the deer?
The first day I moved to Pa there was a herd of deer in my back yard. The buck with a big rack, with that pose they make..........stunning.
I had a friendly deer........she use to come to the house and look up for me.
I gave her some apples. ( I know it, I know it......not suspose to......) She would go off and fetch for her own food afterwards.
Oneday she was far off, and I called her "girlfriend" was her name.........and in leaps and bounds she came over to the house.
She was a little shy.........but, slowly she became our friend. There were tons of deer in our neighborhood but, she was the one to come and with her big eyes, looking up until I would come sit on the steps. The little fellows and our company were amazed by her.
I wouldn't do it again,because I know they have to live in their own environment, and it could be harmful to them to be befriended.
it was a once in a lifetime thing.........we have fond memories of her.
PS. Most of the deer did stay in the community and were not targets for hunters.

[Robhu]

Don't throw rocks at them.
If you hit them in the nose or face area they really get P.O'd.
I know.
Put your bird feeder on a slim branch in a tree that is not strong enongh to support a bears weight and rig a a rope and pulley type thing to lower the feeder to refill it.
Don't ever leave anything out they might feed on.
They will be like a stray cat. Once they get food at a certain location they will always come back for more.
If you are on a hillside and encounter a bear that is above you, run down the hill because they have a tendency to tumble running downhill.
If the bear is below you, good luck.
If worse comes to worse, lay flat on your stomach and try to cover the the back of your head and neck with your hands and arms as much as possible and play dead.
If it's a grizzley, hum the theme from the Grizzley Adams show and hope for the best.

[mbs7]

Originally Posted by Robhu

Don't throw rocks at them.
If you hit them in the nose or face area they really get P.O'd.
I know.
Put your bird feeder on a slim branch in a tree that is not strong enongh to support a bears weight and rig a a rope and pulley type thing to lower the feeder to refill it.
Don't ever leave anything out they might feed on.
They will be like a stray cat. Once they get food at a certain location they will always come back for more.
If you are on a hillside and encounter a bear that is above you, run down the hill because they have a tendency to tumble running downhill.
If the bear is below you, good luck.
If worse comes to worse, lay flat City-Data Forum - Reply to Topicon your stomach and try to cover the the back of your head and neck with your hands and arms as much as possible and play dead.
If it's a grizzley, hum the theme from the Grizzley Adams show and hope for the best.

We have bears up here in NY too (although probably not as many as in NE PA). As Robhu said, they are attracted to food and they have a great sense of smell, so the best thing to do is not attract them--which means making sure that no food sources are left around (that includes bird feeders, greasy grills, garbage, meat scraps in compost piles, bowls of cat or dog food, etc.).

The bears in this area are black bears, not grizzlies, and black bears are easier to deal with. (I think grizzlies are very cool, but I will admit that it's nice not to have to worry about finding one on my porch.) Since there are bears in our area, and since I like to walk in the woods, I have consulted several sources to try to find out what to do if I should suddenly find myself in the presence of a bear. Generally, the bears around here are pretty shy, and aren't really interested in humans--a lot of the sources I consulted said that "acting human" is a good idea. That means staying upright and talking in a loud, deep voice. If you see a bear, back away slowly. Don't run. Running will make you seem more like prey. (I'm not sure about the running downhill advice given above--I hadn't heard that before.) If it's a black bear (and in NE PA, it will be a black bear, unless someone's pet grizzly has escaped) do not play dead. Black bears eat carrion and may decide to check you out to see if you might be edible. Be aware that if you are walking in the woods, carrying a granola bar or any other type of food in your pocket might be a way to attract a bear. The bear will not be terribly interested in you, but might view you as the granola bar's "wrapper," which, needless to say, would not be good. Most of the time, though, the bear will be as interested in staying clear of you as you are in staying clear of the bear. Most of the sources I have read say that in the very unlikely event of a black bear becoming aggressive, you should try to fight back, as there is a fair chance that you will scare the bear off.

One other important point: while climbing a tree may be a good way to get away from a grizzly, I have read that it is not a good way to try to escape from a black bear. This is because that black bear might just be a mother with a cub. In a threatening situation (like when a human is around) the little cub will go up a tree to stay safe. The mother bear then knows that her cub is up a tree, but she may not be smart enough to know exactly **which** tree the cub is hiding in. So...if she sees you climbing a tree, she might think you are going after her cub, which is the very last thing you want!

While it makes sense to take precautions, it's also important to understand that the chances of being attacked by a black bear are really very small as long as you treat the animal with respect and don't antagonize it in any way.

[Robhu]

The running part was told to me by a cousin in W.va. I didn't think it was very good advice.
You shouldn't run from a bear, either down hill or up hill.
The experts say (according to Readers Digest) to back away slowly and not to make eye contact. Making eye contact is considered a hostile gesture by wild animals. And even some domesticated animals that don't know you.
Just wanted to clarify that running from a bear is not the thing to do. Probably should let my cousin know about that.