Sitting here last night snoozing through yet another tv show, I woke to a clanking sound outside. My bird feeder pole is about 10-12 feet from the window, tucked between the house and the woods for optimal photograph opportunities. Lately, a giant raccoon has been trying to get passed the squirrel guard.

So, picture me with my flashlight, Gidget barking, Paul grumbling that I’m interrupting the tv show, trying to shine the light on that little bugger through the open window. But I can’t seem to find the feeder pole with my flashlight. I go off to find a bigger flashlight and make a bit of a racket as I try to find the right angle to view through the screen and window with the light.

The snuffling and huffing and big clank should have been my first clue this wasn’t the raccoon on the other side of the window screen. I finally spot the pole on the ground and the bear. My efforts to catch him on camera failed. My video shows the glare of the window, the screen, and a big moving shadow – and Paul’s voice telling me, “don’t piss off the bear.”

This morning, I’m happy to find my feeder pole on the ground, but in good shape. The bird feeder tops are open, but nothing is broken. The plants are crushed where he settled in. Four years ago, we had bear interaction, and he bent my shepherds hook right over.

Our road is all of 1/4 mile long with five houses. We’re tucked in the woods at the end of the road, but seem to have the fewest bear encounters. After hearing that my neighbor had multiple bear visits to their feeder and another found the bear on their deck pulling down the feeder, I left my feeders up but didn’t refill them. There was a bit of residual feed and suet. The bear didn’t get a great haul at my house.

I know it’s an invitation to leave the feeders up in the summer, but I do enjoy observing the birds – and it had been such a long time since I’d had trouble. This is my sign to give them up for a while.