Handsome It Is...

I posted video of our first bear sighting of the season last week.  From a distance, the bear looked like the guy we've named "Handsome," but our long-distance sighting didn't give us the opportunity to confirm.  I had hoped that he'd swing by the water hole (or one of my other cameras) so that I could get a close up view in high def, and he did not disappoint.

As you'll see from the following video, the bear is, indeed, Handsome.  Dark black coat, no scars, not a hair out of place.  He seems to have wintered very well, looking healthy and well-fed even after months of hibernation.  I love that he spent some time on the scratching post.  He's basically telling all the other bears in the area that he's awake and that he's a big boy.  Or girl.  At this point, I'm just assuming he's a male.  While the back-scratching on the tree is serious to bears, it always makes me chuckle.  Just wish I had an angle that would allow me to see his face while he's scratching...

I also discovered a couple of really cool videos of a bobcat that lives in the area.  In the first one, he walks under a fence, squats, and looks straight into the camera as he walks past.  He's really a good looking cat.  In the second video, he happens by the water hole a short time after Handsome's visit.  I'm not sure what startles him into leaving so quickly, but it was nice to get such a good look at him on two different cameras.

This is about the time of year when the wildlife starts coming around again.  I expect to see a few more bears, some elk, mule deer, maybe a bobcat or mountain lion or two, and different species that aren't so common.  In past years, we've seen skunks, a badger, a golden eagle and great horned owls.  I promise to post anything interesting that wanders through.  Stay tuned...