Posted on 04/20/2020 5:40:12 AM PDT by marktwain
Fire Tower Bear Attack, 1958 Black-Bear iStock-648818154
It was dark outside the little cabin near the fire tower in the Oregon mountains in 1958. Eight-year-old David Conner and his two younger sisters had gone to bed. He had not yet fallen asleep. It was quiet.
His mother's screams sundered the peaceful night. Time and memories would be divided into two parts. Before the night of the bear, and after.
He jumped from the bed and scrambled toward the kitchen. The kitchen light was on. On his left was his mother. On the right was the kitchen window over the sink, with a black bear pushing its head through the window screen.
David's father had been in the army in World War II. In 1958 he took a job working fire watch in the mountains near the Rock Creek area, outside of Baker City, Oregon. The Forest Service supplied a surplus WWII Dodge Power Wagon, which was used to get in and out of the fire tower. The previous day, David's father had spotted smoke, probably from a lightning strike the night before. Triangulation with other towers had pinpointed the location. It was closest to their tower, so David's father and older brother had left the cabin, in the Power Wagon, to put out the fire.
There was electricity in the cabin. Water had to be hauled up to it. Indoor plumbing was limited to the sink. There were two outhouses and a woodshed. The fire tower was about 50 yards away from the cabin.
David loved living there. His father allowed him to help watch for fires from the fire tower, and feed the half-tamed chipmunks that shared the tower. A couple of mule deer does hung around the cabin and sometimes
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
Ping on bear attack story.
“...how can you tell it’s Bear Scat?” The little bells...
Baker City is near the blue mountains of eastern Oregon. God’s country. In my neck of the Sierras August through mid November is bear season depending on the weather and it’s pistol packin time and on the ready with the rifle. Mainly to scare them off but if I had to I’d pump the animal full of lead if I’m being charged. They love the trash and fruit trees. So far I’ve only had to scare off two bears but have seen at least 10. You know there’s been more in the dead of night when I’m asleep. But you know it’s a bear because of the way the dogs start barking.
I love fire towers. There is one directly over Cottonwood Cave on Lonesome Ridge in the Guadalupe Mountains. If you spend a summer week there visiting cavers may show you the entrances to a number of great caves on Lonesome Ridge. Hell’s Below, Three Fingers, a bunch of them.
The black bear population is booming across the lower 48.
So are the problems associated with them.
Tell me about it.
Bear meat is delicious; and the freezer inventory of bear meat is down to next to nothing.
Vermont has one of the densest black bear populations in the country, approximately one bear for every three square miles, most commonly found in the Green Mountains and Northeast Kingdom.
https://vtfishandwildlife.com/hunt/hunting-and-trapping/black-bear
“A bear?!? How did _he_ get here??? There is no time for wondering! You must fight the bear!” /SNL (”Nude House of Wacky People” sketch)
So is our bear meat supply I rather have a good bear then a deer to eat any day.
;^)
In praise of the .22 LR.
I think it is how you process it. I dunno for sure, but I don’t get involved in the butchering, I only donate my kitchen to the men folk to package it up.
I have enjoyed the meat; we got great steaks; stew meat...terrific kabobs too.
You have a bear freezer...
Bayah, venison, goose, duck, and now I’m hoarding bacon! >:0
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