The bear and I, (continued)
Just checked. (will try to clean one up and then post it) They aren't great pictures but its definitely a bear. Up the tree. About the size of one of my dogs. Maybe a little larger. 150 pounds. Maybe 200.
In the picture he's looking at me from about 10, twenty yards away.
I'm yelling at him. Telling him to go home. "I'm tired." "leave me alone."
"Leave my beehives alone.'
He doesn't listen, but it does look like he's coming down the tree. Is he going to chase after me. this is dumb I should go back to the house. I start back and he comes down all the way and is at the base of the tree.
There's a bushel of those hard winter apples. Ozark Blacks. So I pick up a couple and throw one.
I don't hit the bear (I don't think). But I hit the tree.
splat. and I turn around and start back toward the bear. What else am I going to do?
And I flash the light and instead of chasing me, the bear turns off and runs.
runs down the driveway. So I follow. In the dark. But not too far. There he is, Maybe another twenty yards away.
And I'm following with the torch and my apples as weapons. And I'm yelling at the top of my voice (my throat still hurts).
And he sees me and grudgingly turns and trots another twenty yards down the driveway. And stops. And I follow.
It's obvious he isn't going to take off running in fear. I think it is obvious he isn't afraid of me. Not much. But he stops and I keep on shinning my light and calling him names. Telling him to go home. Leave my vegetables alone. "The same goes for my bees." Its a felony to destroy a hive. You know that?"
Apparently he doesn't. Or doesn't care. He trots another twenty yards and I follow, and another twenty. Another. We're slowly moving down the driveway, toward the gate, a quarter mile away.
nd the dogs? The brave Great Pyrenees? They haven't followed. They aren't barking. It's just me and my light and the bear in the night.
Finally we get to the gate and the b ear slides on under and then disappears up the hill into the forest. I can hear him go. Not running. Not going far, just backtracking around me along the outside of the fence.
I think then that its probably a good idea to go back to the house. I probably would have been wise to bring the shotgun along with me. Even with bird shot to give3 the bear something to think about.
--
In the picture he's looking at me from about 10, twenty yards away.
I'm yelling at him. Telling him to go home. "I'm tired." "leave me alone."
"Leave my beehives alone.'
He doesn't listen, but it does look like he's coming down the tree. Is he going to chase after me. this is dumb I should go back to the house. I start back and he comes down all the way and is at the base of the tree.
There's a bushel of those hard winter apples. Ozark Blacks. So I pick up a couple and throw one.
I don't hit the bear (I don't think). But I hit the tree.
splat. and I turn around and start back toward the bear. What else am I going to do?
And I flash the light and instead of chasing me, the bear turns off and runs.
runs down the driveway. So I follow. In the dark. But not too far. There he is, Maybe another twenty yards away.
And I'm following with the torch and my apples as weapons. And I'm yelling at the top of my voice (my throat still hurts).
And he sees me and grudgingly turns and trots another twenty yards down the driveway. And stops. And I follow.
It's obvious he isn't going to take off running in fear. I think it is obvious he isn't afraid of me. Not much. But he stops and I keep on shinning my light and calling him names. Telling him to go home. Leave my vegetables alone. "The same goes for my bees." Its a felony to destroy a hive. You know that?"
Apparently he doesn't. Or doesn't care. He trots another twenty yards and I follow, and another twenty. Another. We're slowly moving down the driveway, toward the gate, a quarter mile away.
nd the dogs? The brave Great Pyrenees? They haven't followed. They aren't barking. It's just me and my light and the bear in the night.
Finally we get to the gate and the b ear slides on under and then disappears up the hill into the forest. I can hear him go. Not running. Not going far, just backtracking around me along the outside of the fence.
I think then that its probably a good idea to go back to the house. I probably would have been wise to bring the shotgun along with me. Even with bird shot to give3 the bear something to think about.
--
posted by Bull Run Mountain Vegetable Farm at 7:21 AM
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