Out There

By Christopher Miller

Have you ever heard of Ursa Major or Ursa Minor? If you learned about the planets or the constellations you may be able to draw the connection to the Big and Little Dippers. Did you know that they also have another name? Great bear and lesser bear, in Latin. Now you may have gathered that this column is about bears.

Ursus Americanus is the scientific name for American bear. Only the black bear can be found in Pennsylvania unless you are at a zoo near the Panda enclosure.

In 2015 it was estimated that 20,000 bears may be living in the commonwealth.
The reason why I am talking about bears in this column is because I saw one run through my backyard, carefully cross the street, and run into the woods in front of my house.

You see, with the pandemic I have been at work-from-home status since March of last year. I normally call my office desk my seat of choice when working, but on Friday afternoon I opted for my recliner. My wife and I were talking when we both looked out the window and witnessed what appeared to be a large dog running through the yard.

This “dog,” as we thought ended up being a black bear! After speaking with neighbors it was estimated to be a yearling since the mother was well-known to the area and this was a considerably smaller bear.

It safely crossed the road and sauntered up through the woods and out into a nearby field where it wasn’t seen again.

Now being a member of many Yellowstone and Glacier National Park Facebook Groups, and having visited those parks many times, it is not rare to see a “newbie” posting questions about bears, and being “bear aware” when hiking the backcountry.

Black bears eat human food – this almost all of us know living in the PA Wilds! Anything they can get their paws on, they will devour. And they will keep coming back over and over again.

The PA Game Commission has a great outline of what you can do to stay safe if you come across a bear on your property. The first course of action is to make loud noises or shout from a distance – which is a great way to attempt to spook a bear. The second option is to leave it alone and clean up the mess (if it got into a trash can) after it leaves.

Out west they sell “bear bells” and “bear spray.” I cannot say that I have seen those items around these parts, but they are also decent options if you are hiking or camping in the woods.

I remember many reports of bears being in the Lock Haven city area a few years ago. It was a very hot, dry summer and they were coming out of the mountains looking for food and water. Heck, a mother and cubs were spotted running down near St. Agnes Church, and I came within 10 feet of a bear by my car late one summer night!

With the warmer weather creeping in fast, just be aware of the other creatures, other than humans, that inhabit the area we call home. And if you see a bear in the wild: pay attention, stay calm, and do not attempt to feed it!
Co-exist.