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Bears Prove Strangely Charming

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Today’s post is a text from Bart, the bear who found a smart phone in the woods.

Hey. Bart here.
Loved seeing this in the Star Tribune:

“Wolves Prove Elusive on Hunt’s First Day

Yes, wolves are sneaky and suspicious – they’re not easy to meet. Kinda wallflower-y. Hang with their own crew, y’know? Not a big surprise to me, but it’s kinda fun when something you’ve understood your whole life becomes headline news for other people.

I’m trying to stay neutral on the question of whether there should be a wolf hunt. I’m not a big fan of having people in the woods with guns, but as long as they’re out here looking for something that’s not a bear, I guess I’m OK with it.

I do feel more relaxed now that Minnesota’s bear hunting season is over. Spending those weeks wondering whether the food I smell is really a bag of Doritos that fell out of someone’s backpack, or a hunter’s bait station – it gets kinda stressful. Always second guessing the nose, y’know?

Using bait to draw in one of your fellow creatures is kinda low, in my opinion. If you know what they like and you put it out there to get their attention, not really ever meaning to let them have it. How can you feel good about that?

But then you wouldn’t know how it feels to have that “uh-oh” moment when you’re taking your first bite of something that smelled so good and it suddenly dawns on you that this is just a big con job and you’ve been had. That’s pretty much an everyday experience out here in the woods. Or so I hear tell. Not many animals who have had that feeling come around to talk about it later. Funny, eh?

Or maybe you DO know.

I’ve been seeing lots of ads on the phone for candidates in some election-thingy coming up. Looks like everybody’s using their own special bait formula to get your attention. I’m sure that whatever it is, the stuff seems pretty great. Better give it a good once over before you go in close.

I’m just sayin’.

Your pal,
Bart

What sort of bait do you find irresistible?

51 thoughts on “Bears Prove Strangely Charming”

  1. Good morning baboons. My internal clock is stuck on daylight savings time, so I’m up extra early this morning.

    Good corn chips and hot salsa would get me almost any time.

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    1. I wasn’t given a vote. The dogs got up before regular wake up today after having me mess with their clocks yesterday,
      I think the candidates should be given a plaque with the proclamations they made that must be carried with them everywhere they go while in office. When they accomplish a promise they can takevcrit . On the other items they can keep us updated until the next election,
      I hope the wolves make a good effort to hide out until January when the legal killing stops. I think the first snowfall may be a bit problematic though.

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      1. Most of the killing is over, I’d guess. There are more hunters afield on the first day of deer season than at any other time, and the wolves will quickly get the message that they should keep their distance. Don’t worry about snow. Wolves are built to live in snow, and they handle it beautifully.

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        2. The second half of the hunt includes trapping, using leg-hold traps, considered a more reliable way of killing wolves. To my mind it’s an inhumane way to harvest any animal; I think it should be outlawed.

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  2. It’s all in the spin isn’t it? Our local paper proclaims ‘Minnesota Hunters kill more than 40 wolves on 1st weekend’.
    I’ve never seen one but a neighbor says he’s seen three different ones over the years. And when I asked if you can tell the difference between a coyote and a wolf he said a coyote doesn’t make the hair on the back of your neck stand up. ‘The way a wolf looks at you gives you the impression he’s trying to decide if you’re too big to kill or not. A coyote just runs away.’ Plus a wolf is a lot larger.

    For me it’s chocolate chip cookies…but you all know that already so it’s not secret.

    Thanks for all the comments yesterdays. Very good thoughts gang. It was nice reading. Well done BA!

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    2. Wolves are much larger than coyotes, but you can’t always tell how large a critter is if you don’t have anything to use as a guide. Coyotes are skittish and nervous. Wolves typically stand calmly, and they often look like they are trying to figure things out. If you are close to a wolf, you might be aware of its huge feet.

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  3. If you wanted to lure me into a bait station, you’d be smart to use ice cream.

    Many years ago when touring London for the first time, I discovered creme brulee. I haven’t had it in many decades, but I remember it very fondly. That would be good bait, too.

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    1. I’m sure you don’t want to hear this, but Izzy’s is having a Pint Sale starting today and gong through Sunday, Nov. 18.

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      1. I figured it was either you, Edith or perhaps BiR. Just teasing. Wonder if BiR is going to be back soon, miss her. While I’m off topic, Steve any news on the cabin offer? I’m on pins and needles over here, can imagine you’re pretty anxious as well.

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  7. Morning all. Right now I could be baited by a cord of dry oak cut and split. Of course, I’d be mighty disappointed if someone shot me while I was trying to gather it.

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  8. Husband can be baited with most baked goods, but this weekend I found new bait-I made a chocolate Babka. It was wonderful and he ate a whole loaf. My children are starting their Christmas lists-not for gifts, but baked goods. I have been informed that they both have extensive requests, and that if I know what is good for me, I had better be prepared to bake. I think I am going to buy stock in Land o Lakes, given the amount of butter I anticpate using.

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  9. “But then you wouldn’t know how it feels to have that “uh-oh” moment when you’re taking your first bite of something that smelled so good and it suddenly dawns on you that this is just a big con job and you’ve been had.” That’s my description of the State Fair.

    I am a sucker for a ‘deal.’ Doesn’t seem to matter what kind but something that makes me feel like I’m coming out ahead…I just really have a hard time with that.

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    2. Lol! Missed you all the last few days — had way too many chores over the weekend, so stayed away from the computer.

      I was going to quickly answer “chocolate”, but after my weekend I think any indication that there might be a competent handy-person somewhere would draw me in like a fly to honey!

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    3. The host site of that joke, Avolites, makes lighting control boards. Back in the 80’s they had the board of choice for rock concerts and I lusted for one. (Not that I needed on, it was just pretty cool!) They’ve lost the lead in the market but are still a player. I didn’t know they had jokes on their site. Gotta like that.

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  13. I just spent two hours at Head start, and I was certainly bait for all the children in the two rooms I observed in “Who are you? What’s your name? Why are you here? My name is ______. Watch me! Please tie my shoe, I can’t zip my coat. Eat this. I made you supper. Here’s your milk. What else do you want to eat.” (Plastic food tastes so good)

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  14. Well, it seems as though a $3.20 per hour increase is working well for me. I have been offered two nursing jobs – one in Faribault and one in Northfield. The Northfield job made the first offer but the Faribault job has one of the clients I worked with back in 1984, and adored! I think I may have written about her here once. I’m overjoyed to know where she ended up and that she is safe and doing very well. It’s likely, however, that I will accept the Northfield job. Decisions, decisions. It’s feels nice to have to decide whether to stay in my old, stable, easy, boring job or to take a challenge for more money. Anybody want to buy a house in Waterville? I didn’t think so. What can I do to tempt you?

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    2. Oh, the wolves, the wolves! A very big and complex picture that is! The DNR is not wrong when they say that the wolf population in MN is healthy and stable. If their population grows too large, it won’t be long before they run out of deer to kill and go to work on cattle (or goats). They will move south and into more populated areas. They have no predators to naturally keep their population in control. The more there are of them, the more easily they can transmit diseases to each other and to domestic dogs. Farmers can kill a wolf that is preying on livestock. What is better and more humane? I hate the idea too, but I’ve gotten to know some hunters and I know that most of them are good people and are good at what they do. I don’t have a strong opinion either way on this one, but I know that the USFWS and the DNR are working from good data and care about these animals too.

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      2. All of that, Krista, is partially true. The process to legalize wolf hunting in Minnesota was severely truncated. No public hearings. Whenever a process that should be public is not, I, and a lot of other people, become suspicious of what’s going on. I’m not a hunter, but like you, I accept that many ethical hunters are out there. I agree, this is a complicated issue, for a lot of reasons, trapping I just can’t abide; it’s cruel and inhumane. There are so many battles to fight, and you have to choose which ones you’ll engage in. Too old, and too tired to really do to much about any of them anymore, so I send $s to organizations that fight the battles I believe in. Bless them.

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        1. There were public input meetings, but they had them the first time the wolves were delisted. If I remember correctly, the public response was negative. The DNR elected not to have them again because they knew how the public felt. I agree about trapping. Coyotes are trapped the same way.

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    3. Krista, I hope you can work out the details of this change. Can you rent out your house if you can’t sell it? I sounds like a wonderful opportunity. Good luck.

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  15. I am back at home with my computer after a couple of days in the Twin Cities. A mug full of a good dark beer would be hard for me to refuse. An added incentive would be some food to go with the beer, maybe some slices of pizza with some of my favorite toppings – garlic, spicy peppers, basil, and dried tomatoes.

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