Sunday, August 17, 2008

Scat, Bear...

The Bag Lady was out in the pasture yesterday and happened to find one of the rags that ordinarily are tucked into the space beside the seat on the Cat that is parked out there. She picked it up and pondered how it came to be lying so far away from the Cat. When she looked more closely at it, she noticed it had been chewed on. Blaming the calves (they will chew almost anything) she took the rag back to the Cat. Then she got to wondering how on earth a calf would have been able to reach the rag in the first place.... but thought perhaps it was blown off the Cat by the wind. Highly unlikely, because the rag has been tucked in there for a couple of years, but...

When she got back to the Cat, she noticed this:


The seat was not damaged like this a couple of weeks ago. She and the Rancher assume that it was a bear. She looked around for any other signs, but didn't find anything.

Oh, and see the trees behind the Bag Lady's garden? That Cat is parked just behind those trees. Maybe a couple hundred feet from her house....



Later on that morning, when they were checking on things over at their summer pasture, she happened upon this:


Sorry for the blurriness, but that black-looking mass? That is bear scat. Yup, the Bag Lady has stooped to posting pictures of bear poo.

Have a nice day!

14 comments:

Leah J. Utas said...

I am sure it was done as a public service. Not all of your readers will have had the pleasure of seeing it for themselves in the wild.
I certainly hope Yogi doesn't get any silly ideas about visiting closer to the house.
Do you have abundant berries nearby? It's fattening up time and that would entice them.

Anonymous said...

Im in as one who is appreciative of the public bear pooooop service.
as is my toddler.
who is screaming poo poo.

M.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

This is the second time I've seen bear poo. The first time was distressingly close to the tent I had been sleeping in at a mountaintop yoga retreat in '91.

I like this bear poo better from a proximity standpoint.

Christine said...

so, in your neckathawuds, is that likely to be a black bear or a grizzly?

the Bag Lady said...

dfLeah - dang, why didn't I think to call this post a Public Service Announcement!?
There are not many berries close by, thank heavens. I'm sure he was just passing through...I hope he's long gone.

Miz - glad the toddler was happy about poo. :) Happy to help.

BG - A few years ago, I found bear poo in almost exactly the same place the Cat is parked - must be on his migration route. It was distressing to see it so close to the house.

Christine - it could be either. Most likely black, but there have been reports of a grizzly in the area - in fact, right up on the porch of a house a mere mile from here....gulp.

Reb said...

That is Black Bear scat...Grizzly scat has bear bells in it! ;)

I wonder what was on the rag that smelled so good though?

the Bag Lady said...

Reb - it could have been anything. I know the time the bear destroyed the seat on the Cat that hubby left at the lease overnight, he had spilled a bottle of Sprite or Seven-Up or something. That bear totally destroyed the seat in his quest for the sugar!
The rag might have only had grease on it that the bear thought was appealing....

Terrie Farley Moran said...

df Bag Lady,

Very cool post!!

I learn so much here.

Terrie

the Bag Lady said...

dfTerrie - Public Service blogger...hehehehe.
Glad you enjoy reading all about bear poo. Oh, wait, that isn't what you said...... :)

Crabby McSlacker said...

I thought they only did that in the woods!

(and Reb, that Grizzly/bear bell comment totally cracked me up)

the Bag Lady said...

Crabby - well, technically, that WAS in the woods.....
And Reb's comment cracked the Bag Lady up, too, when she finally 'got' it...duh.

Maggie said...

lol@bear scat. You're a very good bear detective. They best watch out for you.

Hilary said...

Leave it to you, Baggie, to give us the "bear essence"tials. I'm glad it didn't decide to explore closer to home. Evidently it was hungry!

MizFit and Reb both cracked me up!

the Bag Lady said...

Maggie - I'm meaner than a bear, too!! :)

Hilary - I'm more than happy for him to keep his distance...