Edit: Kids, don't try this at home!
In early October, a little bear cub wandered into the Haskell Creek Tract. Fish and Game thought that he was a yearling, on his own for the first time. He was awfully small, but the mother bear was nowhere in sight or sound.
The little bear seemed lonesome and was wary, but not afraid. He climbed several trees then slid down, as if wondering quite what to do ... and played peek-a-boo around several of the trees. He climbed onto a woodpile between Cabins 23 and 24,
looked as if he were measuring a tree ...
that proved too big ... then decided to come to see who I was.
I stood very still, moving only enough to take photos ... lots of them ... as he approached. As he approached, his lower jaw was quivering and he was whimpering very quietly. About 14 inches away, he looked up as if asking ... "Are you my Mother?"
... paused for a few moments, gave a big sigh, then turned and walked away.
It was all I could do to keep from sitting down and cuddling him, but look at those claws. Our visit lasted about 45 minutes, then he went into a thicket behind Lot 13 and disappeared.
In any other situation I would not advise this. Bob Winzeler was close by, no one else was near and we were ... very cautious. All the same, our interaction was not the wisest. Bears of all sizes need to be fearful of all human contact. We called Fish and Game and the Sheriff's office to ask if any female bears had been found dead or taken by hunters in the area, and none were known. We hope that this little Haskell Creek bear makes it through the winter.
