NDR: Bears and Other Nuisance Wildlife

[Jeff Reardon]

My next door neighbor stopped by a few days ago and said he'd seen what he thought was a bear cub out behind his house late in the evening, and went out the next morning to find a bunch of his blueberry bushes torn up. I do live in Maine, but bears in my part of the state are pretty rare.

I planned to set my single game camera on our compost pile. It's pretty close to the house, and if the bears are raiding it, I'll secure or move it.

As I was trying to remember where the game cam was stored, a state police car stopped in front of my house, and the state cop came walking up my driveway. It turned out my mailbox had been hit by a gang of bat-wielding ruffians. Apparently they left quite a trail, I was stop #15 for the policeman that morning, and he said the county sheriffs had dealt with a similar spree a week or so ago.

He got a tire print from the sand on the road at the end of my driveway and compared it to my car and my wife's, and seemed confident he'd catch up to the culprits eventually. I'm not so sure--about 5 cars a day miss a turn up the road and make their turnaround in my driveway.

I asked if I could do anything to help, and he suggested I put a game cam up when I replace the mailbox.

So, which culprits do I want to focus on?

My take: I already know there are dumb teenagers in the area, but confirming black bear in the woods behind the house would be pretty cool.

Thoughts?

 

[Chuck J]

Move the compost pile out by the mailbox, let nature take it's course...

 

[Jeff Reardon]

Neighbors might not like that, but it would vastly increase my chance of seeing the bear. Great view from the desk at my home office out the window to the mailbox. We can see it from the kitchen, too.

 

[Vince Pagliaroli]

Maybe a large yellow & black BEAR CROSSING sign, like I see on highways, placed by the mailbox might help... If the vandals are able to read.

 

[Chris Finch]

Put the camera next to the compost and put up a mail box filled with concrete. The kid with the broken wrist is the one who smashed your mailbox.

 

[SJ Fairbank]

Put the camera next to the compost and put up a mail box filled with concrete. The kid with the broken wrist is the one who smashed your mailbox.

HaHa, Chris is right on. Did a metal post filled with concrete for the lady down the road maybe 20 years ago. Some time later, a bat scuffed the paint and the broken end was still there in the morning. I bet that kids wrist hurt. The post and box remained until the lady passed, the new owners still use the post.

 

[TimJ]

Put the camera next to the compost and put up a mail box filled with concrete. The kid with the broken wrist is the one who smashed your mailbox.

HaHa, Chris is right on. Did a metal post filled with concrete for the lady down the road maybe 20 years ago. Some time later, a bat scuffed the paint and the broken end was still there in the morning. I bet that kids wrist hurt. The post and box remained until the lady passed, the new owners still use the post.

Those ideas sound great until someone skids off of the road and hits your mail box. Here if they are not light and breakaway you will be in heap big trouble if someone gets hurt or killed hitting a solid mailbox.
It sucks but best not to ever risk it.

I doubt the baseball bat culprits will return to bust up the mailbox very soon, it isn't like they aren't all over the place. I'd try for the bear.

Tim

 

[Mike, B]

Set it for the bear at the compost pile.... especially if it has a visible flash at night.
If it's out at the mailbox, someone driving by will likely see the flash and steal it....

 

[Jeff Reardon]

Should have mentioned earlier--it's nice living in a place with a crime rate low enough that kids smashing mailboxes warrants a state trooper taking tire track imprints!

We did have a drug related murder (apparent deal gone bad) a few miles up the road last winter, but mostly it's pretty safe here.

Put the camera next to the compost and put up a mail box filled with concrete. The kid with the broken wrist is the one who smashed your mailbox.

That would work except for the fact that I've already been forced to install a swing-away mailbox to prevent the snowplow from taking it out. With the added weight the box won't swing away from the plow so nicely.

And what Tim J said makes sense.

 

[Shawn Linn]

the little nit-wits should be smarter than messing with the US mail. That little joy ride could end in a federal charge if they get a judges dander up. I remember these type of sprees when I lived in Vermont. The great thing about small towns is that eventually someone runs their mouth and the spree stops.