A Bear Just Walked Through My Front Yard

[specimenfred1984]

I live on a mountain in VA and a 200 pound bear just lumbered through my front yard, tore apart my bird feeder then continued over to my neighbors house where it scared the living crap out of her.

I saw her car pull up her driveway right after I saw the bear walk over there then, about 30 seconds later, she backed down the 60-yard long driveway in a real hurry.

That is quite an amazing looking animal. I snapped a couple of digital pics but it was too far away and the pics didn't come out.

Just thought I'd share, a mere 35 miles outside of D.C. makes a bear sighting pretty rare.

[Lucky Luciano]

1. damn...i was going to ask for digital shots...but i guess you

answered that question...

[WI_DEM]

2. Wow

I couldn't imagine.

[undeterred]

3. Evidently he doesn't know about the "no bear zone" around DC

I'd be scared to death if something that big showed up in my front yard.

[LynzM]

4. Wow.

Awesome. I've never seen a bear in the wild (or even pseudo-wild)... and am unsure if I really want to change that!

[demnan]

5. Damn!

I'm in Lake Ridge, where are you?

[specimenfred1984]

7. Bull Run Mountain

It's at the very tip of Prince William County. It's really pretty here, we have deer in the yard everyday but this is my 1st bear sighting.

Friends of mine have seen it on top of the mountain but I'm near the bottom.

I wasn't afraid at all. The bear heard me open the front door, stopped and looked at me and then continued on into the neighbors yard at a slow paced walk.

I zoomed my Olympus camera as best I could and took 2 pictures but the bear is not visible at all, even when magnified on my computer screen.

[RevCheesehead]

6. Was it Ditka?

What the hell is he up to, anyways?

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

9. Heee. Cooooooaaaaach.

There was one roaming through Milwaukee several weeks ago...

http://www.jsonline.com/news/metro/apr05/321820.asp

Turns out bear was really there
By ANNYSA JOHNSON
Posted: April 27, 2005

Wauwatosa - Neil Tomkowiak was drinking his early morning java in the break room at Schwaab Stamp & Seal when he looked up to find a 154-pound black bear standing on its hind legs peering through the window.

"I spilled my coffee all over myself," said Tomkowiak, who ran quickly to alert co-workers. "All I was thinking was get your mug and get out of there."

:hi:

[RevCheesehead]

15. Yeah -

Those damn FIBs are everywhere! :hi:

[Zan_of_Texas]

8. Glad it was far away!

Once I was driving along a road in British Columbia and a black furry thing scampered across the street, near some garbage cans. I thought it was a standard poodle at first, then realized it was a young bear!

I've seen a grizzly family WAAAAAAAY far away, in Alaska. Wish it had been a little bit closer.....but not TOO close.

[MuseRider]

10. Pretty amazing!

Wow, I see lots of wild critters but that is some thing to come through your yard!

I have spent many vacations desperately searching for bears, I just had to have a sighting. One year, just as my husband was telling me to stop looking around, we were never going to see a bear here he almost ran the car into a mama black bear and her two cubs. It was perfect timing, my kids about died laughing. I don't know what was best, the sighting or the timing of it.

Let us know if you see it again, that is so cool. I hope it doesn't make a problem of itself and end up getting shot.

[BlueIris]

11. Cool. But also, sorry about your bird feeder. nt.

[TreasonousBastard]

12. Happens all the time here in Joisey...

but I'm downtown and never get to see them.

I did meet one asshole up north who saw some bear cubs in his backyard and went out to play with them. He didn't know... When mama bear burst through a bush like a freight train he barely made it back inside the house.

Bear cubs are cuter than kittens, and it's really a shame their mothers have such bad attitudes.

It's also a shame we're building into their habitat. We have the annual Bear Hunt Debate here.

[BikeWriter]

13. I'm glad he didn't check out your pantry.

[brook]

14. At least...

your bear was ambulatory. I woke up this morning to a traffic alert to be careful of a dead bear in the middle of the highway just south of here. :cry:

Poor thing. His Mama should have bought him a Humvee so he could cruise safely. I know they're dangerous, but damn they're cute! I read Heyhey's posts just to see the bear pix.

[roguevalley]

16. Bears like to eat out of bird feeders. A moose and her twin babies=

darling little red heads- just walked across my porch. :+

Bears, we have many.

RV, in Alaska

[havocmom]

17. Bears have an incredible sense of smell. That close to D.C. huh?

Drawn by the smell of pork and dead meat is what Havocdad says. His degree is in wild life management, you can trust him on this one ;)

[qnr]

18. Wow. But it could have been worse:

[chaska]

19. Ooh cool, bears no where all the honeys is at.

[chaska]

20. Bears ain't no thang, unless you mess with 'em....

I've been around a lot of bears on my hiking adventures. Never had a problem. I did have one give me a sniff one cold night (in Virginia, coincidentally) while I was trying to sleep. He kept trying to get at my food (hung in a tree)...all...night...long. They are persistent, but he didn't seem to care too much for my smell...can't say's I blame him, I was pretty funked up.

Edit: You don't want to get between them and food. And you never want to smell like food.