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[calhound]

Articles
Bear Food is Everywhere. Bears are Scarce - UPDATE July 28, 2018
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It?s the peak of bear food in the woods. It?s even a great hazelnut year, meaning cubs will abound in the wild in 2019. Holly
Holly


Sharon tells the story of the Bear Center woods and bears with pictures and words.

Bear News ? July 29, 2018

Ted eating raspberries
Ted eating raspberries
Soon our bears will be entering hyperphagia but the food in the forest couldn't get much better. Hyperphagia is a period of excessive eating and drinking to fatten for hibernation. Learn more about the 5 Stages of Activity and Hibernation on bear.org. https://www.bear.org/website/bear-pages/black-bear/hibernation/191-5-stages-of-activity-and-hibernation.html.

Many of our visitors ask what are the bears eating in the enclosure besides rye grass and white clover. The answer is, many different fruits and seeds are available during the months of July and August. This has been a very good year for wild bear foods and we are seeing that here too. Many of the same fruits the bears in the wild are eating, our bears have access to in the 2.5-acre enclosure. These berries, nuts, and seeds keep our bears very busy.

Lucky eating sarsaparilla
Lucky eating sarsaparilla
Sarsasparilla
Sarsasparilla
Raspberries
Raspberries


Lucky was tasting red-osier dogwood. It?s the first time I've really seen him tasting them. Holly loves eating them and they have successfully given her diarrhea and sometimes when she eats them green, she vomits. It isn?t anything that we are concerned about. Holly currently sits by Ted's bear gate in hopes that we might leave it open for her to go in and clean up his dogwood and raspberries.

Tasha enjoyed the beaked-hazels nuts growing where the bear trail goes into the mound area. A video was taken of Ted pulling beaked hazelnut branches to him and mouthing them. Ted was also seen eating raspberries in the viewing area.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEmOvM_uwAI

Tasha sniffing hazelnuts
Tasha sniffing hazelnuts
Beaked hazelnuts
Beaked hazelnuts
Dogwood
Dogwood

The enclosure is abundant with wild bear foods as is the forest surrounding the enclosure. Some of the foods not shown that the bears are eating: woodland strawberries (Fragania spp.), Pincherry (Prunus pensylvanica), and Aspen catkins (Populus tremuloides).

Mountain Maple Seed
Mountain Maple Seed
Bunchberry
Bunchberry
Black chokecherry
Black chokecherry


Ted was eating raspberries, Mountain maple seeds (Acer spicatum), Red-oiser dogwood (Cornus spp.) Beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta), Sarsasparilla (Aralia nudicaulis), Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana), Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis), Serviceberry or Juneberry (Amelanchier spp.)

I hope you enjoy the pictures; the fruits are adding extra weight to our bears, which is a good thing for them and hibernation.

Thank you for all you do.

Sharon Herrell
Senior Bear Keeper
North American Bear Center

Thank you for all you do.

Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center

[calhound]

hi jewelies it is 72 here and it is raining! not a hard rain just a little more than a light rain but rain. i went to the barn and i could not hear it on the metal roof when i was coming out i said oh please still be raining and it was. i saw lighting to the south weatherlady said it is raining harder and lighting down by susie to the south heading east but will probably miss here but for right now it is raining i can not see any stars so cloudy out. sharons update so good. love seeing her bears and hearing all about them great pics today of them and the food. holly hoping to get in teds place eat his food. those bears are like big dogs. and all the bears should be treated right. taken care of right including dobie i am so irked about that.

hi jp! thanks for the pic of holly and tasha! and the good morning yay your marlins won. i thought the royals would win but in the 8th yankees scored not only the tie run but go ahead and they went ahead 5-4.

hi rues i hear that mouse in my closet. sweetness heard it too. it did not go in that live trap yet.

Today is my Boobies Birthday.



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[calhound]

http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/A616CA63D89?z=7

[jpalmken]

I mailed that letter in 4:27.

[ruesgram]

Hi Cal! How old would Boobie be today? I know you two had great times together and you miss her so much.   Lots of pics in the update! I had never seen sarsaparilla or hazelnut plants before. The bunch berries are pretty. They look like Christmas! The bears have an abundance of food to pick from. Wish it could be that way every year. Yay, you got a little rain! We are having another nice day. The ac hasn't come on since Friday evening! The windows and doors are still open. Tomorrow there is a 50% chance of rain. I hope it materializes! I saw on line that most of the originals will be coming back for Murphy Brown! I hope it's good. I always got a kick out of Corky Sherwood Forest and Michael giving out fashion citations! lol! I think the mouse in the closet isn't ready to leave yet!

Jp, wonder what Tasha and Holly are saying to each other? Hope you are having a nice day!

Have a nice day, Jewelies!

[lupinelady]

good evening everyone- we got back this afternoon- had a great trip. I haven't read to catch up- will do that in the morning. Need to upload photos too. Night all!

[jpalmken]

Bow with one of her cubs.



Monday is here and I greet all of you with fond thoughts for a fine day, as July winds down.

[calhound]

Daily Updates
One-eyed Jack is Back, Jewel has 3 Healthy Cubs - UPDATE July 29, 2018
29 July 2018
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Jewel's cubs
Jewel's cubs
Jack is back showing signs of age or injury. He doesn?t use his back left leg and hops along on the other back leg. The second claw of his left front paw is overgrown and twisted. He has white hairs scattered among the black hairs of his torso. His canine teeth are worn. Immediately recognizable from his left eye, he is also recognizable from his disposition. He is his same calm old (somewhere in his 20?s) self that many have grown to love. And he has survived over a score of hunting seasons despite the fact that the local bear-hunting guide surrounds the property with hunters each fall. We hope his leg heals.

We got a call that Jewel and her three cubs were about. We hurried there. The family thrilled the group. Jewel has become a gentle, calm mother. The cubs drew many exclamations from the group as the cubs interacted with each other, looked extra cute, and went about their lives. Eventually, Jewel gathered her cubs and headed down to the nearby lake for a drink. They made everyone?s day.

Jewels and cub
Jewels and cub
Jewel's cubs
Two cubs
Jewel's male cub
and male cub
Between bears, the gulls showed their different behaviors. Two have learned to peck on the window, fly to the feeding spot when I get up, and watch cautiously as I approach and lay a slice of bologna a couple feet from them. If I toss the bologna, these two dodge and fly off, but 4 others have learned to catch the Frisbees of bologna I sail toward them. They have become very adept. Each of these face me head on, watching with both eyes, and then agilely catching the thrown bologna.

Jacks left front foot
Jacks left front foot
Jack
Jack
Jack's hair
Jack's hair
A family of gray foxes, two adults and a pup, were a point of interest when they appeared briefly at the forest edge.

In between the outdoor events is good discussion about bears, including presentations about the den cam bears, clan bears, bear danger, bear vocalizations, body language, etc. People who arrive with trepidation shortly thrill to experiencing bears and coming to enjoy bear country without fear.

More fun and learning tomorrow.

Thank you for all you do.

Lynn Rogers, Biologist, Wildlife Research Institute and North American Bear Center

[calhound]

hi jewelies it is 64 here and really foggy. sad to read about one eye jack. there is another one who probably needs some aide but probably will not get it. poor old jack. i always felt bad for him losing his one eye. makes me so angry that hunter guide surrounds the bear center. i mean really how low can a person be? if i was there during murder season i would walk those trails not stay off so hunter can use them and shoot bears. trails are for everyone not just those ^%#$ hunters.  nice to see our jewel with her new kids and what cute kids she has! she is such a pretty bear.

hi jp! thanks for the pic of bow the good morning and i love those smiley faces on that little bench!! royals lost 6-3. i do not think we get out of last place at all. hope the chiefs have a decent season with our new quarterback.

hi Lupe!! yay you are home!!  i was hoping you would be back yesterday! cant wait to see the pictures you have!! i know your cats are super happy sure tank is extra happy! cant wait to hear about your great trip!

hi rues! i did not get very much rain sister got almost an inch susies place did too it stayed more down to the south. but more chances this week so maybe. but did get some. up north of me they are putting restrictions on water. boobie would be 63.  i was watching murphy brown downstairs with mom cats the other day on the old tv shows station. what a good show it was. i saw some previews for the new one saw corky she looks good. brownie ran out the gate into the living room with boo boo earlier. he as following her around and she got scared ran into jims room and in his bathroom he was in the tub i got her come back out and got back in the kitchen. she jumps up on that gate and puts her face up to his penny too so he does know them. one time that gate not locked and he was coming up to it and the girls both jumped up on it and hit it it swung out and knocked boo boo back! 

hi to all you guys!



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[calhound]

http://www.jigzone.com/puzzles/F016DC11365?z=0

[lupinelady]

Good morning everyone- so good to be back with you all- vacations are fun but it is good to be back to my normal sleeping times. When we camp we go to bed as soon as it gets dark because it gets chilly and get up at daylight. My nemo bed pad that costs so much was worth every penny. I slept sound and warm every night- very little rain. Our first night out we had planned to stay in a motel expecially if our ac didn't work. Our vehicle of choice is a 1995 Chevy S10 Blazer with 270,000 miles on it. Hubby is a mechanic and has over the years kept it in good running condition because its 4 wheel drive is sometimes necessary in the winter. Well, the ac works but somehow the Freon escapes and hubby couldn't find the leak. Well, it did work our first day out and I said if it's late and cool enough let's just camp in our usual place. Got there and ate at a buffet around 7Pm. Then went to check in- no one in the office- big sign says all sites $35 and No Tent Sites!! So plan B was a motel 6 in a nearby town. And it stormed that night- got up at 4- normal for me- and it was pouring and windy. So we really lucked out. Not especially impressed with motel 6 but it was clean- but not quiet. But I really don't like folding up a wet tent. We are using a 1970's canvas tent we really like. We have a newer one that is light and dries quickly but it's noisy when it's windy and it leaks. Have tried everything to waterproof it. Not fun waking up to your feet in a puddle of  water and your feet are in your sleeping bag. We've done that  and have to make a stop at a laundromat to throw  bags in the dryer. This canvas tent seems to not leak but we've not been in a full out downpour in it. Day 2 is heading through Colorado Springs to the mountains. Hopefully i'll get my pictures downloaded today and find my journal.

Have a good day jewelies!

[jpalmken]

It took me 5:02 to decide he might have been bluffing.

[calhound]

hi lupe! i been in a motel 6 i remember it was not so bad it was clean we was at a family reunion down south so it was noisy but we knew all the noisy people it was fun. when i was married to my first husband. when i was very young. lots of miles on blazer happy it made it. old smokey jim had to put more freon in it every year it had a leak it would make it all summer but the next one no so last summer i bought that expensive one says will stop the leak has its own hose deal well my ac in old smokey been working great all this summer. freezing at time really and been a really hot summer. the fan relay went out but jim fixed it and works great. i was working on my puppy harness today. penny first and she howled to the top of her lungs her sister and calihoula outside but at the door let us in what are doing to penny boo boo at the gate what are you doing to penny she howled and did the gator roll threw herself on the floor and rolled and rolled. so i tried to calm her down let her roll then i pulled on the harness howl roll did it again howl roll. so i sat by her petted her talked to her got a piece of mcdonalds sausage out of the frig she loves that and she sat up i had the leash and pulled her with the sausage here she came then sat down no howl no roll. so will try again tomorrow got brownie and hoped she would be better no howling no rolling she was scared. i would pull she sat down but got her up and even out the door with augie on the side of the garage. she is much smaller than penny. i can put the little harness on her medium one on penny. lupe i got my ray carroll fuel paper i get my propane from them they do crops and stuff i scanned it off for you. nuts grizzie woke up howling.

[calhound]

lupe if you hit that newspaper deal it will get bigger it does on mine

hi rues i called missy today and pete charges if 40-60 lbs 215.00 a piece! over that 250.00!! they will be going to dr harris i need to get them trained on the harness leash and getting into old smokey. will set it up on a day sister is here. ann she will come out and help too but dr harris place right on a busy rural highway pete is on a real busy highway too.

[jpalmken]

Patsy Cline Medley:  I Love You So Much It Hurts Me -Always - You Belong To Me

Patsy Cline Medley