After hearing the recent news of a mountain lion or large feline roaming the neighborhoods of Becker, Kevin and Melody Gradin of Becker Twp. contacted the Citizen-Tribune this week to report their encounter with another, rarely-seen creature of the forests.
A black bear.
“Last Sunday morning, Melody and I awoke to find our bird feeder pulled nearly to the ground,” said Kevin. “We knew only a bear could do this.”
Kevin said he and his wife kept an eye out the window and weren't all that surprised when it appeared again once nightfall commenced.
“But we were surprised at how little fear it had of us or its surroundings,” Kevin said.
Kevin and Melody figured since the bear probably went a few months without food, it probably was honed in on getting food and wasn’t going to be intimidated by some annoying humans.
“I turned on the deck flood light so Mel could get some pictures,” Kevin said. “When she was finished (taking pictures), I walked out on the deck within 20 feet of it.”
Kevin said the bear noticed him, looked up, but just kept right on eating.
“I did manage to get it to shuffle off by clapping my hands and shouting,” he said. “However, it was back in a few minutes walking a few feet from the house to reach the feeder. We just watched it and let it eat.” Bird seed is inexpensive.
The Humane Society of the United States says bears have acute eyesight and hearing. Their sense of smell is seven times greater than a bloodhound’s. They also have a keen ability to detect pet food, garbage, barbecue grills and bird feeders—and once they locate a food source, they remember where it is.
The agency says bears are generally fully aware of people, but each time the bear finds food and doesn’t get scared away, it most likely will return if the food source is still plentiful.
Bears that lose their fear of humans become “nuisance bears” and in many states are killed or trapped and moved far away in hopes they won’t come back.
To avoid habituating bears in your area, follow these five steps the Humane Society recommends for homeowners:
Make trash cans inaccessible. Bring them inside at night or buy a bear-resistant trash can or an enclosure for the container.
Enclose your compost pile. Open compost piles, especially those that include kitchen scraps, are an irresistible treat in bear country. Burying compost won’t work because bears will easily find and dig it up.
Recycle wisely. If you store recyclables outside, use enclosed bins. (Persistent bears will break into even ruggedly built bins.)
Keep your barbecue grill clean and as free of drippings as possible. Move the grill away from your house when you aren’t using it, and clean it regularly with ammonia or bleach.
Rethink your bird feeders. In the summer, birds can make do with naturally available foods. If you do set up feeders, install them away from your house.
The Gradins live on Hwy. 25, about nine miles north of the City of Becker.
