Oh! Momma!

I believe I mentioned that there was a bear season playing out here in PA. Three days. Started Saturday continued today and tomorrow is the finale.

While I have a tag, I didn't spend any time in the woods searching for a bruin...yet. It's more of a team game around here anyway. Groups of hunters go out with half standing post and the other half pushing through the woods driving the bear towards the standers. You're permitted up to 25 hunters total. No dogs. No bait. As a single hunter, I would have to have incredible luck to see a bear. Or a lot of hunters on surrounding property.

Anyway. I've had the bird feeders out for a little over a week now. Since they haven't been bothered, I haven't taken them in at night.

That changed tonight. About 6:30 PM, well after dark, Terry said she thought she heard something outside. I flicked off the interior lights and picked up my high beam flashlight. Sure enough, there was a bear out at the bird feeders. In fact there were FOUR bears out by the feeders: a very large sow and three yearling cubs. Mom had busted one of the new bird feeders like it was a pinata and spilled sunflower seeds all over the ground all were licking up their new found goodies.

I opened the porch door and they ran off up the hill while I went out and collected the bird feeders and what pieces I could find. If I've got them all, I should be able to use some Super Glue to put the one back together again. *sigh*

To top it all off, even if I had come across this group in the woods with a rifle in my hand, I would have let them walk--or scared them into running. Couldn't/wouldn't shoot a sow with cubs. Especially cubs as young as these. From their size I'd say they aren't even a year old. Probably born last winter. If mom had been by herself however.... She had to be over 300 pounds.