On Thursday night, my parent's neighbor's dog was going nuts and barking like mad.  My  mother was getting quite frustrated with the noise, especially as there is actually an ordinance demanding a 10 minute barking limit. Anyone letting their dog bark over 10 minutes is subject to a fine.  (As a dog owner, I'd like someone to tell me how to shut my dog up when she/he gets going.  But that's for another post...)

Mom finally decided that there must be a moose in the street or something, so she walked out on the front porch to check it out.

Nothing.

After searching a bit for the possible moose, she gave up and went to bed.  When she awoke the next morning, she and my dad were shocked to find tracks and scat in their back yard.

Not moose tracks.

BEAR!

Yeah.  Bear. 

Does it freak anyone else out that my mom was in the front yard while a bear was in the back yard?

This is February, people.  The bears aren't supposed to be awake yet!  They said on the news just last week that because of the warm weather we were having, some bears were coming out early.   And I guess we have proof of that!  Keep in mind that the snow in their backyard is knee deep.  (I know this because I hiked out there to get a closer look of those tracks and scat!)  So, the items in question are quite easy to see on the snow.

Yeah, you read that right.  I hiked out in the knee deep snow to look at scat.  This is after we spent several minutes searching online for pictures of bear scat.  Think about that people.  I have to say, that ranks right up there as one of the weirdest things I've ever done...

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Posted by Your Sister

So, would this land before or after picnics in graveyards? :)


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Silly Sister! This is definately weirder than picnics in graveyards. I love my graveyard picnics! There is so much history there. Looking up pictures of poop and hiking through knee-deep snow to look at a live example of it is just weird. Way weirder than picnics in graveyards!

Edited by crewchief on February 25, 2008 at 12:04

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Posted by GrandmaRosie

Bear!!! Not good. I feel bad now about fussing because I get a few foxes and coyotes. Scary stuff.


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It was scary! Especially since the bedrooms are downstairs, and therefore the windows are level with the yard!

Edited by crewchief on February 25, 2008 at 12:10

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Posted by morningsunshine

definitly weird, I agree, but - a-made-for-homeschool-science lesson! Bear scat. cool.


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Yeah, there ya go! It was a science project. ;)

Edited by crewchief on February 25, 2008 at 12:08

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Posted by UnlikelyHomesteader

Bears in the backyard! It's a good thing the dogs are barking. And might I say, that it's a bit odd to be talking about how it's unusually warm when you have snow knee deep?



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LOL, ok, yeah, maybe that is a little odd! But last week we had temps in the 40s! It was just unheard of. We were working on a snow sculpture for Fur Rondy and we had to just hold off for 3 days because it was too warm! Crazy. It did finally cool off a bit, we are currently 15 with a forecasted high of 25. Still warmer than normal, but at least its below freezing again. Maybe the sculptures will stick around for the whole week after all.

And I wonder if Mr. Bear has decided he needs to get back under his covers? ;)


Edited by crewchief on February 25, 2008 at 12:07

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Posted by gabbie427

A bear??? NO kidding??? How amazing is that??

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo

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Posted by CarolinaWren

Is it possible that we have more snow here in little ol' NH than you do in Anchorage?!? I mean, I would disappear in the snow in our yard!!....it's WAY deeper than "knee!" We're gonna have snow banks until June. Our bears are definitley not up yet. By the way, was it a Black or a Griz? Not that it matters too much up there....your Black bears are HUGE! (and that from a very close, very personal experience with one just outside of Tok....!).

I like the previous comment on this experience being a science project! But weird?....Nah, you're in Alaska! ;)

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Posted by vegiemama

Just curious ;-)

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