Volume 13 , Issue 35

Duchess of Weaselskin

It has been a wet, rainy one this weekend and continuing into Monday afternoon, in the southwest corner of Colorado. Maybe some of this rain and moisture will head towards Oklahoma.

In mid-August in the Colorado Rockies it is that time of year that the black bears move to oak brush habitat in search of berries and acorns. During this fall hyperfagia phase, if the food supply is there, they will feed 20 hours a day, consuming 20,000 calories and adding 2-4 pounds of fat daily for their winter hibernation. They may eat 20-30 lbs. of chokecherries (it takes 1500 to make a pound), serviceberries, squaw-apples, buffalo-berries and gambel oak acorns a day.

If their usual natural food sources are scarce, they will search for alternative food, which often brings them into conflict with people. Read more about bears at Bear Smart Durango. Also checkout the Bear Conflict menu tab to see a picture of the bear that used the stone wall behind our house at Vallecito back in . . . was it 2002 after the big forest fire? Anyway the photo is the one at the top of that page.

The reason we mentioned bears this week is because early this evening there was a bear sighting walking through our yard again just after dusk. Thanks goodness us Pugs were not outside at the time and the bird feeders were taken inside.

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