Red River is located in the heart of the Kit Carson National Forest and black bears are our neighbors. You may see them in the woods or you may find them walking down the street.They are fascinating animals and are fun and interesting to watch. The key word here is "watch," for at no time, under any circumstances, should you attempt to have a hands-on experience. Keep your hands to yourself if you want to keep your hands.
Forget about Gentle Ben or Yogi Bear and his little buddy, BooBoo. Those images were created by people who wanted to entertain you. Their actual knowledge of bears, as reflected in the TV shows, is limited, to put it kindly.
The bears around these parts are not pets and they’re not tame. While they may appear docile and casual in their attitude to humans, never forget that bears are wild creatures and their behavior is unpredictable and potentially dangerous. As with all wild creatures, they should be respected and, above all, left alone.
Don’t Mess with the Bears
Don’t yell at them or throw things at them. If they don’t see you, keep it that way. Don’t try to attract their attention and don’t approach them in an effort to get a better picture, and don’t encourage children to get closer so you can get it all on video.
Black bears are usually shy creatures and don’t want human encounters. They will avoid contact if possible. There is a theory, although unproven, that people stink, what with scented soaps, aftershave, perfume, cigarette smoke and laundry detergent, and the bears prefer "bear smell." (Each species to its own taste.)
The scenario unfolds like this: During the summer months, when plants mature and become indigestible to bears, they extend their ranges. Their keen sense of smell all too often leads them to human food. Just one meal can transform a magnificently adapted, independent wild creature into a human-food junkie!
People complain, and conservation officers initially try to frighten the bear away with rubber bullets. If the bear is new to human food, this technique may work. Many other approaches have been tried as well.
In one town where a bear ventured in to raid a dumpster, the community moved the dumpster to an open meadow. The bear found the lack of protective cover too intimidating and never returned. Another town laced their trashcans with extra-hot red chile. (Ay, que picante!) After two nights, the bear had his fill of a burning mouth. Another bear found the sweet nectar in hummingbird feeders to be an appetizing dessert. The community simply brought the feeders in at night and returned them in the morning. It worked!
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