Cherry Bears, Saskatoon Bears, and The Very Big Bear Out Back

A Black Bear captured on a trail cam

Last year I began experimenting with trail cams as part of my job.  The first trail cam was not great quality, but I certainly did record a lot of bear activity when I placed that camera under a cherry tree.  The cherries were falling to the ground.   At least two different bears visited and ate the windfall cherries, despite the fact that the cherries were on the road.  The bears were out, in the light, eating cherries near people.  Cherries certainly do draw wildlife close to homes!

One of two orphaned black bear cubs feasting on cherries last year

That same summer, I was able to capture a black bear  (probably one of those eating cherries) eating Saskatoon Berries (Amelanchier alnifolia) at the edge of the bush behind my place.  That particular spot is a favourite wildlife corridor, partly because of the Saskatoon bush and wild apple tree, and partly because there is an old fence below the slope that most wildlife avoid.

There is  currently a big (very big!) black bear out back using this travelway.  I previously posted some of the clips included in the video below, but I have now pasted them into one video so that you can see the progression of video captures.  He (I assume it is a boar) appears in mid-October (when the fantastic huckleberry crop finally ended) and appears occasionally in the trail cam videos I captured.   He figures prominently in the story of the deer twin that died behind my home.  He may not have killed the deer, but he, four different dogs, and the Coyotes certainly cleaned up the remains.

A Black Bear in early spring out back.

Again, I apologize for the quality of some of the videos, but they do show wildlife that we do not ordinarily see without the aid of hidden cameras.  I hope you enjoy them.

All videos, photos and writing copyright Joanne Siderius, 2013