Headed for CMO before daylight and nearly hit a deer south of Alpine. I braked and swerved as it darted right in front of my pickup, knowing as I did, that I would still hit it unless it braked. Thankfully, the deer braked and jerked back, barely missing getting hit. Whew!
Daylight was just dawning as I turned off highway 118 onto Terlingua Ranch Road.
At CMO I stopped to unload the ten bags of birdseed I had brought with me. Then I went and filled seed feeders. Normally I go unload the pickup at the house first. But today was cool and I had extra ice in my ice chest, so I tarried at the oasis. I noticed the chair cushions in the back viewing area were tossed around in a way that the wind couldn't do, so must have been a bear. Then I heard crunching across the wildlife pond that I was sure was a bear. I ran to check, and sure enough, a Black Bear was working on my smallest Chinkapin Oak. I figured I'd take photos first real quick and then try to chase it away with mace and maybe save the tree.
After a few minutes photography, and hearing the limbs on the oak tree snapping, I ran for the mace. As I approached the bear, I sprayed lavishly. A cloud of orange mist appeared between me and the bear, and it continued foraging. So I moved closer and sprayed the tree he was casually pulling down around him. Oops! I had walked into the fog of mace and immediately my bronchial tubes began closing. Minutes left to live unless I could save myself. I ran for the pickup, where luckily I hadn't unloaded anything from (at the house) yet. Grabbed my purse for the Albuterol inhaler I keep there and couldn't find it. Knew there had to be one in the little plastic tote that I carry from home to home. It hadn't been unloaded at the house yet either. By then, I couldn't get any air into my lungs. So I couldn't inhale the inhaler when I did locate one. Sprayed it into my mouth and tried the best I could. Frantically, over and over. Simultaneously, I began driving to my sister's house. Nothing she would be able to do, but it seemed like what I should do. Nearly halfway there I was starting to take some wheezy breathes. So I sat there a bit, then turned around and went back to the oasis. Squirted some Futicasone in my nose, plus a dose from my Futicasone inhaler. When I was back to normal breathing I wanted to survey the damage.
It was bad. When I tried to clean up the mess, the mace residue on the leaves again gave me trouble breathing. So I'm forced to wait on trimming the broken limbs.
The bear? After the second spraying of mace he ambled a few feet away, then came back and finished up the acorn feast. A while later, I went to remove the seed feeders so that if he came back he couldn't ravage them, when suddenly he popped up beside me, seemingly out of nowhere. I yelled and waved my arms and he slowly ambled away. Haven't seen him since. He couldn't have enjoyed those mace-covered acorns.
Lessons learned? First, never use mace. Ever. Second, never be without Albuterol. I'm horrified to discover that the one from my purse is missing, as well as the one from the house here. Wonder if I even have one in town. Going to remedy that situation. And the third lesson is not to fear a bear unless maybe it's a mother with cubs. Here are a couple of stills I shot.
UPDATE: He's baaack! (to be continued)
Glad you're ok. What a story! Our success creating a space for wild things often brings mixed results, but so exciting!
ReplyDeleteI love all the stuff that visits my place, but the twin fawns have developed a taste for my roses.
I can well empathize with you on the roses.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry to see the limbs torn off your Oak tree. But that is one glorious Big Bend black bear. He is a beauty.
ReplyDeleteCarla in Rowlett
It's the first time I've seen a bear up that close and personal so I don't have anything to really compare him to, but I think he's a fine specimen.
ReplyDelete