They're REALLY Hungry........

[SteveH]

The bears in Colorado are really hungry this year it seems because they had a dry spring and they have little to eat. A week or so ago we were in an RV park Southwest of Gunnison, and there was a bear there tearing up everything that smelled, or looked like food. He tore up everyone's sewer hose one night, bit holes in a couple of water hoses, loosened one TPMS sending unit causing a flat, and even broke one of the amber clearance lights on our trailer. To eat plastic clearance lights, and whatever they find in sewer hoses, they must be REALLY hungry.

This same bear ripped into one camper's tent, and mauled the person, who will be OK, but sadly the Colorado wildlife officials had to distroy the bear.

The drought seems bad all over this year, well, all except Louisiana.

[Kosm1o]

The bears in the Tetons were more frequently seen this summer as well. It was said by the rangers that the drought has dried up food supplies in higher altitudes and has driven more animals to lower elevations. We saw grizzley bear and many more moose and elk on this years trip. Both grizzlies and black bears were seen together in moose junction.

[Len n Jeanne]

We went to Banff last week, and some of the hiking trails were either closed or required a minimum hiking party of four, due to bear activity. We were about to have lunch on a picnic table near Lake Louise, but some rangers in the parking lot warned people away, saying there was a grizzly in the area, about 300 metres away. Lunch in the open might have attracted it!

Turns out a lot bears in Banff have radio collars, so the staff have a pretty good idea of where they are.

There are all kinds of warnings in the western parks to stay away from bears, but some people just don't understand that they can be dangerous. It is shocking how near some tourists will get to a bear to take that photo.

We stayed at the RV campground at Lake Louise (recommended!) and at the entrance there is a sign saying that picnic coolers are not bear-proof; with a mangled cooler mounted on the sign to proove it.

We get bears around here, especially this time of the year when they come out of the hills to eat the fruit in our backyards and orchards.

[Silver Otter]

Thanks for the warnings, Steve, and all the rest of you. We're heading West in a few weeks, and will take precautions.

[Gene]

There have been more bear sightings around here this year too. So far they are mostly staying near creeks and ditches. That makes sense because other animals come there to drink and the bears and mountain lions know that. More mountain lion sightings too.

Gene

[Lily&Me]

There was a mountain lion (called cougars out here) spotted in Winnetka, Illinois the other day.



Maggie