No more picnics.....

Jim and I are from Pennsylvania and we are not from Pittsburg of Philly, but from the wilds of PA. We come from an area where there are a lot deer, skunks, wood chucks, beavers, porcupines, foxes, and Lord only knows what else. But one creature we never saw much of was the Black Bear, but for some reason the bear population has exploded in the state of PA. I was reading on the net that PA is has some of the largest black bears known. Someone killed one during Bear season (which is way too short in my opinion)...and it was 700 lbs. That is one huge bear. I have also learned they run about 35 or 40 miles per hour sometimes. That is a scary statistic as well.

My parents live right on the edge of the forest. They are the last house on a particular street and on a dead end....sorry Chuck....(my dad hates that phrase, "dead end"). Behind them is "the woods" or as Josh called them "Nama and Papa's Woods".

Out of those woods bears are lumbering and not only just walking around they are climbing poles to reach decks searching for food. Now I know most of the time.....key word here is MOST.....bears don't bother anyone, but lately they are getting bolder and bolder. I remember seeing a tv program where some bears broke into a person's house and turned over their refrigerator. They were searching for food. I don't think it was in Pennsylvania, but still!

My parents are careful about not putting their garbage cans out over night, they don't leave any food on the counter tops and they shut the kitchen windows before going to bed....but still the bears come around. I am worried they may try to get inside at some point. The program I saw when they actually broke into a house it was winter and the house was closed up but they figured out a way in. I remember being so freaked out when I saw what they did to the inside of the house...especially the kitchen.

There are honey farmers (and other farmers)having trouble with the bears....they are not allowed to shoot a bear on their property. One guy a couple years ago did just that and paid a fine of around $2,000 for trying to protect his lively hood. That seems nuts to me.

During the short bear hunting season in Dec. (when they are all looking for a place to snooze for several months)those who get a license are able to shoot one bear. People have trouble finding the bears at that time of the year. I am thinking maybe they ought to change bear season to May or June when they are wide awake and HUNGRY.

My parents tell me the game warden really doesn't help. He is there to protect the animals from people....not the other way around. He will tell them to be careful and put all their food up......good grief they do that and it isn't helping. The other day there was a big black bear down town in a tree lined neighborhood with side walks. That is just unbelievable.

I guess I wouldn't be so freaked out about all of this, but a bear was seen with a deer fawn hanging out of it's mouth. Bears are not suppose to be meat eaters ....or at least it was not my understanding that they were.....so they must really be hungry! The towns are the same size they have always been....there is NO urban sprawl. Why the population is suddenly out of control?

Gone are the days of going up on the hill with a packed lunch like my sisters and I used to do. I remember a hawk swooping down to snatch my balony sandwhich and that freaked me out as I was sitting atop one of the huge rocks up on the hill. I will probably never see those rocks I used to love to scale again because there are caves underneath them and probably great places for bears to take a snooze.

This summer when I go "home" I will be careful, but I sure wish the game warden would trap these bears that are far too bold and take them to some area that is desolate. My cousin wrote me an email tonight and said they were doing just that....and they were taking them from other parts of PA that are more populated and setting them free in my parents back yard. I might have to have a little heart to hear with the game warden...I have already written a letter to a state official