Today’s post comes from Bart, the bear who found a smart phone in the woods.
Yo, Bart here.
I know all the people are pretty happy about the weather finally making a turn towards actual spring, but if you think you’re glad, imagine for just a minute how nice it must be for the wild things that live around you.
Me, for instance.
Yup, we’re all smiles out here in the woods, too. Everybody’s in a good mood. I had a rabbit wave at me yesterday – just a feelin’-good, how-ya-doin’-neighbor type of wave, which is odd because I eat rabbits sometimes. And I waved back! It really does lift your spirits when the weather gets warm.
But in case you were wondering, it’s still not a good idea to be too friendly with bears. And I say this even though I’m the friendliest bear you’d ever want to meet, assuming you want to meet a bear.
We can have tempers.
I read this article online about bear awareness that had lots of good information. It really opened my eyes to the risks we pose in springtime. For example, I had no idea that some people don’t clean their BBQ grills! There could still be greasy, crusty meat chunks in there. That’s gross and really exciting at the very same time. I know where I’m going to look next time I’m on the deck!
But here’s what convinced me that they really knew what they were talking about – the story quoted Jeff Selinger, a biologist for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. He was talking about wild animals and the need for people to be cautious when he said this:
“You don’t know what they’ve been through lately.”
Exactly!
I’m glad somebody finally gets it – not every day is the same for a bear in the woods. Yesterday, for example. I went down to the lake because there’s finally open water and I thought maybe I could find a fish. Well there wasn’t a fish, but I found this cooler that looked like it had been sitting out there all winter!
That’s really a great find, because people keep all kinds of tasty treats in their coolers, and if was left there last Fall the stuff inside might still taste pretty much OK. I tried to pull it open and the top wouldn’t come off. I shook it and could hear there were some heavy things sloshing around inside – I was imagining hot dogs or hamburgers.
I had to throw it around a lot before it finally popped open and what did I find inside? Plastic bottles full of water! Water is not in short supply right now. What a letdown!
And then when I looked across the lake I saw another bear who had broken open a different cooler, and HE was EATING something. It figures – I found the drinks cooler and he got the one with the grill food inside. Darn the luck!
I caught his eye and I let him know with facial language that I was not happy, but it didn’t seem to bother him at all. We bears aren’t too supportive of each other, and I felt miserable that he was getting all the good grub. Plus, he let me know that he didn’t respect me much.
Somehow word had got around that I had waved “hello” at a rabbit.
Your hungry, frustrated pal,
Bart
What kind of springtime wildlife activity are you seeing?
Trail Baboon 
A baby possum waddled through my front yard the other day.
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This is a reply to Holly. If you ever want to turn that lil’ possum into a really small, ugly and stiff rug . . . I’m the guy who knows how.
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And this is a reply to Steve. Now that I’ve read that whole story, I believe you!
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Your foray into taxidermy in childhood still traumatizes me when I even remember it, Steve. A ping pong table covered with the necessary materials for stuffing the animals you caught on a trap line. Although I don’t remember the finished product, I still see jars full of little fake eyeballs………….
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It brings me comfort to know that the statute of limitations now protects me from any misdeeds in that period.
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better than real eyeballs
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Good idea, Steve, to preface your comment with “this is a reply to…”
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We saw lots of Swainson and Red Tail hawks on our drive to MN last week. There seemed to be a hawk every mile or so. We think they were migrating back to the plains. We also spotted two little skunks ambling along I 29 in the afternoon. Lots of lambs and calves in the pastures and feedlots.
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This is the time of year for the Muddy Stomached Hound replaces my otherwise fairly clean dog. The MSH is still sweet, but makes a mess of the house. Sitting outside yesterday with MSH I heard a cardinal singing for all he was worth – a few other birds happily joined him in his chorus, but his was definitely the main theme yesterday afternoon.
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A – I saw you and the muddy-stomached hound last week. You were walking away from the library as I was driving toward it. There were 2 cars behind me so I didn’t stop…..
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Muddy paws are the spring wildlife around here. Big, huge muddy paws. The mop just lives in the kitchen during this time of year!
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We have towels at the front and back doors…and I live with the floors not being as clean as they might otherwise be in other months. Sigh.
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i had a friend when i was young and impressionable who flooring philosophy was find something you can dump a cup of coffee and a peanut and jelly sandwich on and not be able to tell and thats the floor to buy
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I used to refer to this time of year as the “moon of the muddy toes.” Of course, unlike Anna’s basset, our springer spaniels and Labradors came equipped from the dog factory with legs. Very useful, legs.
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OT – Roughly half an hour ago, Jesse Winchester’s son posted a note on Facebook that Jesse hasn’t died yet. He’s calm and at peace, but still here. Please hold him gently in your thoughts in his final hours.
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Saturday I photographed and blogged on the woodchuck who arises sometimes from the ravine.
http://beneathaquiltedsky.wordpress.com/2014/04/05/how-much-wood-can-a-groundhog/
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One of the most intriguing passages in H D Thoreau’s Walden is where he describes his war with a woodchuck, fully recognizing the irony of a nature-lover like himself going to war with one of God’s own critters. Thanks for sharing the pictures.
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Yesterday I found a lovely, fuzzy caterpillar in the back yard. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about caterpillars to be able to identify it. It was dark brown with green eyes, and, as I said, fuzzy and very much alive. Otherwise, our wildlife is pretty much limited to squirrels and birds. The feral cats stay across the street, for which I’m grateful. I can tell from scratch and chewing marks on our garbage containers that there are also raccoons around, but I never see them.
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I awaiting the annual influx of bald eagles. They love Crystal Bay for some reason and I’ve had up to a dozen perching in the trees at a time. This is also the time of spring when I allow my cats to roam the out of doors, so at first sighting of a bald eagle, I race out and swoop up the fur persons before the eagles do!
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OT: My internet connection is blinking, more often very slow than anything else. Hickorytech says they think it’s a fault with my devices (so two computers, an Ipad, and a Kindle all went bad at once?) and I will have to pay a steep service charge if it is. They cannot come here until Wednesday.
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I haven’t seen much wildlife yet. The other day when I took some stuff out to the recycling bin, two cardinals zipped by and nearly flew into my face.. But cardinals are here in the winter, I think, so that’s not a spring thing.
The main thing that I’ve seen, as the snow melts, is all that dog poop that didn’t get picked up before the next snowfall covered it. Now as it all melts, I can see all of it. It is pretty gross and I’m not looking forward to cleaning that up.
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Just the usual suspects at my house. Mr. Walter Mitty Squirrel, who assaults the peanut feeder as though he thinks he’s a lion taking down a zebra on the Serengeti. Cardinals, finches, sparrows, chickadees, doves. No caterpillars sighted yet!
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Saw two small butterflies outside my mom’s window yesterday at the nursing home.
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This is the first spring for our 2 delinquents who have serious cabin fever. Kitten mostly wants to just soak up the rays, but the squirrels don’t know that.
and may I rejoice? laundry. on. the. line.
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(this is a reply to MIG) – I LOVE the smell of laundry dried on the line outside. Even in the city, it smells so good.
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widlife and i run on different schedules. mice and dogs are abut all i see. the cats are on the lookout for the mice so i dont see too much of them. the dogs toasted my yard last year so it is mud everywhere. muddy stomach is getting clost to sedimentary so the mud is minimal from her but the maniacs are ripping across and rolling and chasing squirrels and other visitors. deer coons turkeys coyotes birds. those long neck gees are back the herons willl arive soon. i am waiting in anticapation of the crickets. jeeze i love the crickets. this summer its ely, yellowston and on to be determined spot for a week each with rotating kids to do outdoorsey stuff. i have nticed a number of asses on the roadways these last couple of days a couple of birds flying out of drivers seat windows.
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