A bear at lunch About 10 years ago when I still raised beef cattle, I went to the woods after burying a dead calf. A huge, wild paw print on top of fresh-dug dirt caught my eye. I gave a delicate probe with a stick so as not to disturb the grave, and found that part of my dead calf was under the loose dirt. Back at the house, I phoned Animal Control, who called the Wildlife Commission in Raleigh. When the game warden came, we drove to the woods. I noticed when he got out he left his pickup door wide open. His eyes darted from left to right. He examined the grave in a hurry and said, “Come on.” We got back into his truck like two darts. “Definitely a large bear,” he said. “Do not bother that grave. You never know when a bear is close by guarding his food supply, and he will fight for his food.” I let the bear have the calf. Marvin Beaman |
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