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Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Autumn Bear Escapades - including some funny mischief!

Autumn bluebird days make me smile! This meadow is just behind our house. I can't ride through it without stopping to gawk at the beauty.

Many autumns, our bears seem to go elsewhere, and I don't get many glimpses of them. This year is different, perhaps because bear foods have been so abundant here.

Some bears are still busy marking trees. I think that this might be our youngish female who I call "Dot" for a tiny white dot on her chest. She's marking a small tree that has nothing left but its trunk. All the branches have been ripped off by bears marking it.

Dot is not a big bear. It's amusing when the large males mark this one because the trunk reaches only to the middle of their backs.

One strategy that the huge males use is to squat down so that their back is at the right level for the tree trunk. Here's a large male marking it early this summer.

Indeed, we've had a large male around who might be "Tiny" although I'm not absolutely certain. He took a long bath in some of the yuckiest smelling water from a spring that flows into a muddy area. I can't believe that the bears like bathing in something so awful smelling. However, dogs like that particular spring too so I guess that we just can't understand the likes and dislikes of other species!

After the big bear bathed, he checked out the area around a marking tree. Then, later that night, he mauled a small bear marking tree. This tree still has branches but you can hear as he snapped some of them off as he attacked the tree.

Then, a couple of days later, a bear checked out a marking tree in close proximity to the spring and the other marking trees. This bear ended his visit by "rearranging" my trail camera. It's funny footage.

I hope that you enjoy this video of bear activity in autumn. You can watch it here or at Youtube.

I've realized that I want to finish showing you the best of the footage from the bear den, up until the date that the family departed in mid-May. My goal is to finish picking out the best clips and show them to you before our bears go into hibernation again. It made me laugh to realize how much I've stretched out the fun of looking closely at every clip. So, bear den videos will be coming!!!

15 comments:

  1. Great pictures and footage, KB! I watched the big bear video on fullscreen, so the kittens could watch with me. I wish I could get a good picture of them reading your blog - they really get absorbed :) I've tried, but the screen is so bright, all I get is silhouettes of kitten ears.
    Speaking of animals loving stinky things, Piper is about to go to the doggie spa for the THIRD time in about 6 weeks; it's usually twice yearly. She was only offlead for about 5 minutes, but rolled in something - I think fox scent, but not sure - and it literally makes me gag every time I get a whiff. I was going to try to wash her at home this time (the doggie spa is great, but it's killing my budget) but the weather has turned chilly and I don't want to wash her outside and have her catch a chill. She's not the rugged waterdog your pups are!
    Hope you all have a great week :)

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  2. We love the bears, well, on video and in photos!

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  3. You have provided us with some great footage. We know the bears scare Enzo and we get scared for him. You make them a little less scary

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  4. Wells....at least the bear had some modesty and 'washed' with his back towards the camera! BOL!!! I can't imagine how wonderful he smelled after that!!! ☺ I loved the twerkin' with the tree too! OMD, that was hilarious!!! All it needed was some Rhianna music, and some lights, and I thinks you got a viral video! BOL
    Kisses,
    Ruby ♥

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  5. At the end of a long day, this post has been a much needed and enjoyed escape - Thank-you for that, and for posting a video that beats anything on TV -- Wish it has been last night! :-)

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  6. Ruby just cracks us up - she always has the best and most enthusiastic comments!!! We have to admit we agree with all she had to say:)

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  7. Love all the bear pictures and video. I hope your camera is still working after that mischief.

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  8. I was reflecting on the bear we saw in Poudre Canyon 6 years ago-I believe it was a young bear. It was so incredible to see one up close(not really close). So glad your camera is working.
    Hugs,
    Noreen

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  9. Looks like he doesn't like the paparazzi! And we think the beauty of the smell must be in the nose of the beholder. We love smelly stuff.

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  10. we love all the bear footage!
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

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  11. It's so pretty there! I love the bear photos!

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  12. And is your trail cam still working? They so enjoy that pool, and marking , I wonder if there is a competition that we cannot fathom out, who gets which tree first?

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  13. I'm deep impressed... :o) I never saw a bear for real... not even a tiny one ;o)

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  14. Mom feels fortunate that she can't smell the small pond the bear is bathing in! They are so much fun to watch☺

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