Bear Damage

Bears can be destructive critters! During my recent visit with my sister in western Montana, she reminded me that black bears pass through their place now and then, and have been known to knock over trash cans and break branches in their fruit trees. I didn't see any of that this time, but she showed me some areas of bear damage on their property.

This is a stump the bear tore apart to get at the tasty ants living in it.

My brother-in-law had this firewood stacked neatly, until the bear came by and messed it up.

Here is another stump the bear clawed into to eat the ants.

Close-up of the remaining ants. Perhaps the bear will come back to eat some more of them!

We have plenty of deer where we live, and the occasional mountain lion is sighted in the area (although I haven't seen one), and moose are frequently seen just a mile or two away, although they rarely pass through our yard. I have only heard one bear story from anyone in our general neck of the woods, so I am not accustomed to living with bears nearby. It's something I'd rather not have to do!

All photos taken on my Android phone.