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It has been an eventful week hiking
in Massachusetts woods. While bushwhacking a new area and reaching the top of small
knoll, sixty yards away in a white pine two yearling cubs clung to the side of a
tree watching me. I stopped and thought , if the cubs are in the tree ,where is
the sow? It was just a few seconds before both cubs slid down the tree and all
three bears ran in the opposite direction. That is a first for me! My biggest
concern while bushwhacking is wandering between a sow and her cubs, fortunately
a good outcome with this encounter. I carry bear spray on the outside of my pack
and started to reach for it when seeing the cubs. I reminisced for a moment
before veering off in the other direction. It was only a short distance before
coming upon an area scattered with bear scat. Closer investigation revealed a “
Bear Babysitting Tree”. This consisted of a day bed at the base of a white pine
tree. Broke away bark showed where the bears had been climbing the tree. A short
distance away there was a skunk cabbage patch where the family of bears have
been feeding. The sow will send her cubs up the tree while she wanders foraging.
I will
make it a point to stay clear of this area while the bears find refuge.
Finally, a camera trap
videoed the first bear cubs of the year. Video Below.
Jim
