Bears!

[WWMtnGal]

She says it is huge and comes around a lot at night.

[ChattyCathy]

It seems that there is more bear activity now than in the last three years I've been here.  Why is that?  Has there prevously been a lot of bear activity?

[Stitches]

Probably the same bear that knocked over Hillbilly's neighbor's can knocked over ours last night.    I went out of my way to keep my non-bear can (I'm convinced it is slightly bigger) and I've taken some of the straps that my husband uses to transport wood in his car/truck/van and tied the lid to the can.   When the can got knocked over, the animal could not get the lid open as I had strapped it really well and tied it.    I've had to pick up trash twice in the last couple of weeks and I'm DONE.   The can was on the ground this morning but the lid was firmly on.   There were several scratches on it, but from the size, I'm guessing the bear gave up after only a couple of light swipes because the scratches were not deep and there were only three or four.  Either that or it was a large dog.

I think that I've heard more about the bears this year than others.   Perhaps I'm just paying more attention because I've had to pick up trash for the first time in the eleven years I've lived up here.

[superMom]

Our house has been in the family for over 30 years and other than one set of bear tracks we saw in the snow in our yard a couple of years back we have had no bear activity since the house was purchased back in the 70's.  Back then a bear broke into a neighboring home (smashed through the front screen door) and ransacked the kitchen looking for food.  That summer bears were all over town.  Don't know what could really be that different this summer to bring so many of them out into town - it's ALWAYS hot and dry in the summer.
Oh...CR&R has bear proof containers again, got ours switched out yesterday!  Hopefully it will slow him down a little. 

[Iris]

In '06 we had several bear sightings. Front yard, back yard, street, neighbors yard...you name it. We had one neighbor who has been here more than 20 years and it was the first encounter they had. Nothing since.

I have read about all of this recent activity and wondered why I haven't seen any. Though I thought that I heard some grunting the other night. However, I have noticed that one of two apple trees seems to have lost just about all of its apples...hmmm.

[snowave]

It's real simple guys... keep your trash inside until trash day, and you'll never have any problems. Otherwise, you're helping to contribute to the strong likelihood of a bear being killed. F&G has already responded to some of the bear issues in town, and are aware of what's going on.

Not trying to be mean here, but I have too many experiences with what usually happens to a habituated bear. 

[Jack]

Whats the number for CR&R?

[makgirl]

1-800-336-0396

[Sagebrush]

I have heard that there are more bears in town this summer because the Memorial Day snow froze off all the plants and berries that they would normally eat. Any truth to that?

[rdnckgrl78]

My husband and I were standing on our front porch and a bear just walked by...wow what a sight!

[Wrightwood]

Let's see if he/she shows up in other places around town tonight

[fiendishsquirrel]

Bear near sheep creek and thrush, my dogs freaked out, will hear it from the neighbors tomorrow 

[Breezymtns]

When I lived in Big Rock Creek... the bears would come to my front yard & play in my sprinklers it was crazy.  Also when we bbq'd they'd come down to check that out.  One time our mare & a bear were nose to nose snortin at eachother.  It was the most amazing thing I have EVER seen.  My husband & I were runnin' round the house like a couple dorks tryin to find my camera.  We found it snapped the photo... & when my daughter was about 6 or 7 she took the film out of the camera & pulled all the film out   I was soooo SAD!  I know my friend Wrightwood would have loved to have seen that photo!

[wwpt]

 
  Robin Circle has bear scat with pieces of whistles and pepper spray containers in it...HaH!
   Bear was seen living under a house on Lark West of Spruce last winter and has been knocking over trash cans nightly the last few weeks at about 11pm-3am.....He chased my golden retriever in the house and up the stairs....but stopped at the porch. 
   My dog is now terrified now wants to only chase ducks like a golden is supposed too.

[fiendishsquirrel]

Oh, I 'm so glad your dog is o.k. and it had the smarts to run in the house! 

[Hillbillies]

We were up in Mammoth this past weekend.  They have been having a lot of bears this year too.  We thought for sure we would see one..... We didn't!  

[Stitches]

Will bears chase me up the stairs??     Tomorrow is trash day and we'll see what kind of activity we'll have.

If I were a bear, I'd dine the east side on Sunday night, town on Monday night and on the west side on Tuesday night. 

[fiendishsquirrel]

Hee-Hee.   I'd hit Mexico Lindo's trash cans 

[tlc]

Our local bear or raccoon or whatever has a constant feast across the street. They never shut the trash cans and once the animals get into it they wait for days to clean it up even tho they drive in and out all day and night. All the dogs in the neighborhood have been going nuts each night. I assume it is a bear 'cause of the skat in my yard.  Hey neighbor - listen up!!

[snowave]

Will bears chase me up the stairs??     Tomorrow is trash day and we'll see what kind of activity we'll have.

If I were a bear, I'd dine the east side on Sunday night, town on Monday night and on the west side on Tuesday night. 

Don't think they won't..   when I did some bear work on the other side of the Angeles, we saw the same bears hitting the same campgrounds/picnic areas on specific days and even times down to the hour..( based primarily on visitor use and trash pickups.) Bears are very repetitious in their behavior.

According to Fish and Game, there is some kinda of CFR (not sure if it's county or state) that can be enforced in town for people not properly storing food from wildlife... and... if they keep finding the same people being irresponsible with their trash/food, it will start being enforced more.

It's a tough call on neighbors leaving stuffed open trash bins.. most people don't feel comfortable confronting their neighbors... but maybe a friendly "reminder" note left somewhere for them could be an option.