Oh boy, Bears!

[Jmsmithy]

Hello all,

Not sure if this is the correct forum but here goes...

Been wondering, anybody ever have bear issues? :o

I know this time of the year Yogi generally denned up with the family. I'm in South West corner of the Adirondack's and we have plenty of the critters, together with cats, coyotes and various other predators (that includes Bigfoot depending on who you talk to!).

Has anyone ever had any bears come nosing around the sap buckets or sugar house when syrup being/been made?

I know some of my bee keeper friends have had issues.

Just curious.

[Scribner's Mountain Maple]

Personally no, not other than them chewing laterals and main lines this year. However my friend in Roxbury,VT over the hill from me was boiling last year at around 2 am by himself when he went out into his open woodshed for more wood. To his surprise was a Black Bear 20 feet away. They had a face off for 30 seconds and he hollered at the the vermin and it ran off. I am generally not ever scared, but I do look around when I go outside late at night when the sugarhouse is smelling sweet.

There is another thread on bear damage within the past few days.

[Jmsmithy]

Interesting. I've had one stare down my then 11 y/o son outside our barn. We've hunted them successfully on our place. They are some gutsy bruins in our area! Few years back saw tracks and scat of what appeared to be approx. 6'er standing in chest high ( human chest ) brush on a ridge top overlooking a ravine bench where me father had been posted on deer hunt. That's about 35 yards from one of my largest sugar bushes... He must've been there at same time as Dad as we were up there early that afternoon and no sign, following morning dad talked about some noises he was hearing above and behind him all afternoon but nothing showed....:-|

Sure does make you pay attention when those sweet fumes floating off into the dense North Woods late at night :(

[Run Forest Run!]

I am so thankful that I don't have to worry about seeing bears while gathering up my sap. I would be absolutely terrified.


Few years back saw tracks and scat There would be scat all right, but it wouldn't be from a bear!

[Michael Greer]

In the Nearings book they mention that cows and horses are way too eager to drink from your sap buckets.

[sg5054]

In the Nearings book they mention that cows and horses are way too eager to drink from your sap buckets.

So is my dog. When we are in the shack, her water bucket has sap in it.