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One of the two 'regular' bears we have around our Mtn home this season...one is a younger/smaller male with a remarkable sleek coat, and this larger one, that has snatched a couple of feeders, inc a brand new one.
I buy cheap plastic feeders, and bring them in every night, but our rovers are daytime robbers.
I have not rehung any feeders, but I do spread some seed on deck rail and steps occasionally to enjoy the dwindling species this season, and this bigger bear was caught climbing up a Pin Cherry and surprised me as I was sitting on deck having a pre dinner bev.
I could smell a bear, but didn't hear him until he was right below deck. He huffed and puffed at me for 'confronting' him and he took his time to retrace back down the tree.
I see bear scat regularly on my morning trudge but have only seen the two bears I mentioned.
However, friends lower down the Mtn and around our golf club have dozens of vids and pics of several bears down lower.
Maybe 'too many' for the area's square miles/bear pop?
I have a birdseed feeder suspended just outside of our bedroom window on the porch hanging over our driveway (to keep the dropped seed from germinating). After a short time we started having nightly feeder raids from a pair of racoons...they would actually climb out on the pole (1" metal conduit) to get the seed out of the feeder. We could hear the chittering outside of our window as they contemplated the fruits of their raid.
Now, I don't mind the raccoons, opossums, squirrels, turkeys, doves, etc. from grabbing fallen seed from the driveway (I always spill some when I refill the feeder), but these racoons were determined to pig out. I tried bringing in the feeder at night, but it was a pain to remember and when I would forget, well those two raccoons would take full advantage.
So...
I purchased an electric fence generator and rigged it to the metal pole holding the feeder and the porch railing the racoons were using to gain access. The generator delivers a brief, mild shock that I tested myself (unpleasant, like a static shock). In addition, the contact points were positioned in a way that the racoons would not fall down to the driveway.
It worked perfectly. Racoons were disuaded from reaching out to the pole holding the feeder and were not injured in the process. The generator is plugged in through a wireless outlet controller so I can easily control the schedule.
FWIW - the configuration would probably have to altered to deter squirrels (they can easily jump across the ground/positive contact points as currently configured) but we don't have an issue with squirrels). We also have occasional bears (saw a "Big Boy" crossing our lower field about a month ago), but no issues with them.
If so inclined, you might think about something similar to dissuade bears from climbing up...but you'd need to think about all the ways they might access your porch.
Another year, another successful migration back to our Mtn Home...
Becoming a bit more arduous, stressful and tiring, but I love our Mtn house and my CEO likes our SW FL house, so 'we like it there', for ~ 5 months max.
Our EscapeWinterHouse eve before migration drive. Yes, we still drive 2 of our 3 cars. Trying to get it down to one, but my 22 yr old Vette Vert needed some work and there are few Vette joints here in western NC:
Yours truly and my CEO, not exactly spiffed up lol!, lunchola at a rest area somewhere in north FL, Day 1.
90 degs in the shade with the usual dodge'em cars on I-75 North:
Some Interstate around ATL: pouring rain all 2nd day. One of the few mins of not packed traffic and I could sort of see out the windshield.
1st night home on the Mtn view from our Mtn house deck, after the all day rain from Macon to Waynesville came to a conclusion:
1st morning, home on the Mtn, sunrise from our deck view:
And, our ChillyWilly temp our 1st morning back on mtn. Quite a change from mid 70s overnight and high 80s daytime in SW FL but I prefer the 'better temps' here
I miss my 2003 C5, Nice pics MD, thanks for sharing.
Living a tiny bit closer to our mt retreat than FLORIDA, we have made the trek back and forth several times already this year.
We are experiencing a cool spell here in the lowlands of Mooresville, but the weekend promises to be in the mid to high 80s so we will be back at Beech by this Sunday.
Peace, and happy C5-ing
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