I saw my first black bear and didn't die
Alternative title: It's a hog trap!
Pictured above:
- That's the weirdest looking hog I've ever seen
- Okay, that is one huge bear
- Emily gets into position to open the trap but the door is stuck
- The bear sticks his head alarmingly high through the raccoon hole in the top of the trap
- Goodbye for now - we will return later with assistance to get the trap door unstuck
- Leaving corn at a different site
- WE ARE VERY OFFICIAL AND IMPORTANT
- Hog wallows
- Revisiting the trapped bear, only to discover it has escaped
- Yes, that is the giant hole the bear tore in the top of the trap to escape to sweet, sweet freedom
I had another resource day today, but this time instead of mapping ash trees, I got to go out with the wildlife SCA intern, Emily, to go check hog traps.
Wild hogs have been an invasive species in the park for about a century and cause a lot of damage to the natural environment. In an effort to curb their populations, the park has been trapping the hogs in these giant, chainwire traps and then delivering a PETA-endorsed kill shot in the brain, just above the eyes (think of how Javier Bardem from No Country For Old Men would do it).
We checked a handful of traps today, and here are some things we found instead of hogs:
- Evidence of wild turkeys
- A LARGE puddle of coagulated blood from a recently executed piggy
- A black bear
The very first trap we checked had a giant, surprisingly calm black bear in it. I was offered the honorable option of fleeing to the safety of the vehicle, but like the opportunistic invincible young fool I am, I stood at a distance to snap pictures while Emily, the wildlife SCA, attempted to open the now badly-warped trap.
Sadly, I never got to see the bear amble off because she was unable to dislodge the stuck trap door, and by the time we returned with help, the bear had made its timely jailbust and escaped. Still, it was exciting for me and a great excuse to get out of the office.
PS Happy St. Patrick's Day, especially to Levi since he has Scarlet Fever and is obsessed with the color green. Feel better, buddy!
