For years I lived in the country, where there were no streetlights and where you couldn't see another home from your own. In the numerous years of living out in the country I had not once had an experience with a bear.  Honestly I hadn't even seen one in the wild until a couple of years ago while I was on "caravan" with my fellow agents. (Caravan is when we travel around to tour the homes and land that are new listings at Peabody & Smith so we can all see them.)  And while on caravan a momma bear and two very small cubs crossed the road in front of us.To say the least, they were adorable little black bundles of fur. A couple months later, I saw another black bear walking along a stone wall eating berries.  That was pretty exciting as I had buyer clients with me from Massachusetts that had not seen a wild bear before. Then last year I moved into town and really didn't give much thought to the trashcan that was on my porch. At about midnight when my 100lb Newfoundland dog was going crazy—barking and trying to go through the window—, I realized I should have taken care of the trash beforehand.  o there I was in my pajamas at midnight, alone with a dog that was ready to go through the window to attack the bear.  The bear, on the other hand, was sitting on my porch very lackadaisically lumbering around looking like "oh shucks, why can't that dog just be quiet."  It didn't move. So now my dilemma was that I had a very angry dog ready to go through the window after the bear, and a bear who didn't care and only wanted to snack on my garbage.  I tried to call a friend to maybe drive by but it was after midnight and I didn't get an answer.  Now the only way for me to get out of the house was to go directly by the door where the bear was only a foot away. Out of fear of what my very loud dog would do, I decided it was time to call 911. (Yeah, I know I thought I was overreacting too). The 911 operator answered the phone in the very calm and professional manor.  When I told him that I had a bear on my porch, his tone immediately changed to a quick tone and was all business.  He wanted to know what my address was and assured me an officer would be at my home momentarily.  This went on for what seemed like forever, but in reality it was only a few minutes. After another minute or so, the bear lumbered along and around the corner out of sight.Very soon after, there was an officer pulling up in front of my home. He used his spotlight to look around to see if he could see bear.  He pulled into my driveway, got out, and started to go in the opposite direction of the bear.I opened my door just a crack and let him know that the bear went the other way. The officer tried quite hard to not laugh at me as I was peeking through a small crack in my door. He tried to reassure me that the bear was more afraid of me than I was of it.  I told the officer that was simply not possible. At this point he did laugh and nod his head in acknowledgement.  He verified he couldn't see the bear anywhere and that I should be all set. Now bears, like all animals, become a creature of habit. They never forget. The bear came by my home every single night, multiple times a night, to see if there was any trash out. After, that first experience I never put the trash out again.  But the damage had been done, and the bear had started its habit. It frequented my house so often that it had worn a path in my backyard. I have learned my lesson and the trash is taken to the dump promptly.  So far this year, the bear has not made an appearance. However, the pictures I have here are from Sheryl & Michael Moss who live in Lancaster, NH. They have had a family of bears that have come back for two years in a row now. Her dog, Boone wants nothing more than to play with the bears. And the bears certainly do not seem to mind him.  In fact, Boone has brought his favorite stuffed animal for them to play with.  But as you can see that there is no safe place for a bird feeder.  Bears are truly fantastic climbers. And are quite smart.   And no matter how cute you think that bears are, they are wild animals and can be very dangerous. As we encroach on their habitat they become more and more a part of our daily lives.  If we respect them, and follow some simple rules we can live in harmony with the wildlife that is all around us. Please check out this link to the NH Fish and Game. Ultimately, do not feed wild animals. They become dependent on the food and stop fending for themselves. There is the natural course of nature so that the strongest survive. And above all else keep a safe distance away.  If you are too close the wild animal may feel threatened and ultimately feel it has no choice but to defend itself. Stay tuned for my next blog about where you can safely see bears and learn more about them.