Bears!

[Bowwowmeow]

I saw bears!!!!!!
:bearface: :bearface: :bearface: :bearface: :bearface:
:fireworks4:

It was Monday morning at 10:45, and the last thing I expected was to see bears my first day in the new campgrounds. I camped in White Wolf, which is located off the Tioga Pass Road in Yosemite's High Country, at a little over 8000 feet above sea level. My campsite was on the edge of the grounds, and across the creek that runs along the back was nothing but true trackless wilderness. I caught movement out of the corner of my eye, and I couldn't believe I was looking at my first wild bear! And it wasn't just a bear, it was a mama and her baby! I didn't have my camera ready, and it was hard to tear myself away from seeing every bit of them I could see, but I did grab the camera and managed to get a very bad picture of the baby. Sorry for the Bigfoot quality of the photo. That really is a baby bear running behind the trees. :o
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Yosemite/BabyBear2.jpg

Afterwards I went over across the creek and had a look around, and I found out what bear poop looks like:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Yosemite/BearPoop.jpg

A few days later I found some bear poop only fifteen feet or so behind my tent!

Here is some bear damage to a fallen tree at the edge of my campsite. At first I thought it was people hacking at it for firewood, but on closer inspection I observed the claw marks. Bears eat the grubs and things that burrow into dead logs.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y31/lauralb/Yosemite/BearDamage.jpg

This was my fifth visit to Yosemite, and I finally saw bears! So I celebrated and bought bears socks, a bear t-shirt, bear toys, and I was going to buy a bear charm for my little Yosemite bracelet but they were out. I don't usually go all consumery like that, but this was a special occasion. :o

I saw BEARS!!!!! :D
:pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong:

[Oracl]

I saw bears!!!!!!
:bearface: :bearface: :bearface: :bearface: :bearface:
:fireworks4:

I saw BEARS!!!!! :D
:pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong: :pingpong:
Did you say you saw BEARS?! ;) :D

Fantastic! :yea: Very exciting! :cheer:

Oh, and of course I believe you when you say that is a bear cub in the photo. :uhuh: :whistle:

[Gliondrach]

So, they got the message from Fuzzy. He asked some to show themselves. He won't be pleased that they used the area near your tent as a toilet though. Most undignified.

[thevegantwins]

:wow:

I showed Mr. TVT just now. He said my poop is more impressive. :o

[Oracl]

.....my poop is more impressive. :o
:master2: :poop: :wipe: :flush: :rofl:

[Bowwowmeow]

So, they got the message from Fuzzy. He asked some to show themselves. He won't be pleased that they used the area near your tent as a toilet though. Most undignified.
Thank you Fuzzy! :master2: :fuzzy:

[1vegan]

I can see the baby bear :)

I'm glad you had a good time there.

[paul]

im so pleased for you.

[Bowwowmeow]

Thanks everybody! :nanakiss: :nanakiss: :nanakiss:

The mama was of course much bigger than the baby, and a very light golden brown color. Black bears actually come in many different colors besides black.
The baby was most likely born last January, and will be going into hibernation with the mama this winter. Females only give birth every other year, because the babies need two years to become mature. If the baby is a boy, he will leave his mama next spring, and find a territory very far away from her. If she is a girl, she will find a territory much closer, though she will not maintain any contact with her mama. Bears are solitary animals.

Black bears are not dangerous to people like Grizzly bears are, unless people in campsites leave food around, or try to feed the bears. They are actually very frightened of people, and prefer to stay away from them, but at this time of year they need to increase their daily caloric intake from 5,000 calories to 20,000, in order to build up enough fat to last them through their winter hibernation. This can make them forget their fear, and risk coming closer to people in order to find all the food they need.

They also have very good memories, and will remember every spot they ever found food for many years. They can also smell food from about twenty miles away. They mostly eat acorns, berries, and insects, but will catch mice or squirrels, or sometimes fish. They will also eat not just honey from a beehive, but the wax, bees, and all. They don't seem to be affected by beestings. They like tree sap too, and can tolerate foods with very high levels of tannins that people, for instance, can't.

I haven't seen a Valley bear. The bears in Yosemite Valley are all ear-tagged, which I don't like. The ones in the high country, where I camped, are not, unless they learn to enter occupied campsites while searching for food, and frighten the people. But it seems to me that if you don't like it, you shouldn't camp there! They want people to report bear sightings, and shout and throw rocks at them if they come near. I doubt very much that I could even raise my voice to a bear, let alone throw rocks at one. I did not report the bears I saw, because they were across the creek minding their own business and not bothering anyone. I went there because I wanted to see bears. If I didn't like bears, I would stay away. :bhead:

[thevegantwins]

I found out last night that NJ Fish & Wildlife (AKA Murdering Hunter Scum) killed a black bear last week because he/she allegedly killed a goat.

Sooo, it's okay for humans to kill goats and eat them but not okay for a bear to do the same? :confused:

[Bowwowmeow]

I found out that the Boy Scouts (aka Lords of the Flies) stoned a black bear to death in Yosemite. :( :mad: :flamethrower:

[Gliondrach]

Yes, humans are a right nuisance to bears. Always have been.

[Phoenix]

I saw bears!!!!!!
:bearface: :bearface: :bearface: :bearface: :bearface:

Congratulations. :colors: