Racking up the bear encounters

In my neighborhood, Trail Creek, the early snow translated to hunter success. Although I have yet to get my winter’s meat, my close neighbors have harvested two bull elk and at least four whitetail bucks.

I don’t know whether other North Fork neighborhoods have been as successful, but apparently not. I accompanied a neighbor to town with his elk last Sunday, and R.J. at the checking station said it was the first elk he’d seen, and he’d checked only two deer in the first two weekends of the hunting season. The checking station is only open on weekends, so animals taken out during the week are not recorded.

All summer long, most North Fork residents keep track of the number of bears they see. Most sightings I’ve heard of is Gary McDonough’s 19. For weeks, I was stuck on six, but thanks to recent sightings while driving to and from town, I am up to 10. Latest sighting was a grizzly sow and cub of the year crossing the road just south of Moose Creek.

One neighborhood may have the biggest number of sightings. For the last six weeks or so, four or five residents have had multiple sightings of two different grizzly bears — one collared and one uncollared. Neither bear was a problem, and both seemed to just be wandering through the woods eating grass and kicking open rotten logs.

At least two residents got impressive photos taken through the windows of their house. Since the bears were just passing through, no one reported their presence to Fish and Game and only shared their sightings with neighbors.

As hunters went into the woods on foot, things began to change. At least two hunters fired their rifles to scare bears that were too close for the hunters’ comfort. In both cases, the bear changed course and left at a run.

In another case, a hunter was pretty close to a bear and startled it. Both retreated quickly in opposite directions. I don’t know if the hunter has gone back into that area, but the bear probably has if it had a food source.

Then a third bear entered the area — or was just seen for the first time. A smaller griz, it was limping on its front left foot. Seen by two different residents from the North Fork Road, someone now felt it was time to notify Fish and Game.

The combination of multiple sightings, firing of shots and a limping bear brought game wardens up to investigate. Fresh snow showed that the limping bear was not bleeding, and both hunters were positive they didn’t shoot at a bear, but only to scare it.

Game wardens do want to be notified of any type of encounter with a bear, while most North Fork residents prefer to notify authorities if a bear causes a real problem. I enjoy seeing bears — especially grizzlies — and tend to not report them if they’re minding their own business. What do you think?