05/27/11 Photos | Petra, Maine Wildlife Photos | Ken Anderson

05/27/11 20:50:55

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

With one last look in the direction of the wildlife camera that I have mounted on a tree just outside of the roped in compost area, on our hundred-acre plot of land that my wife and I refer to as Petra, Maine. The black bear is about the leave for the night. Although he failed in his attempt to maul my poor camera, he has had more success with the boxes.

05/27/11 20:50:35

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

At this point, the box is pretty much flattened. The Maine black bear has gotten whatever it was that he wanted from it, and is about to leave for awhile. I know this might look like a mess but it's all compostable material and it's not in sight of anyone or anything.

05/27/11 20:50:19

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

At this point, the Maine black bear has been in my compost pile for about twenty minutes. Noticing the flash of my Primos Truth Cam 35 wildliffe camera, he once tried to maul it. Unsuccessful, he has returned his attention to the cardboard box of compostable material in my compost pile.

05/27/11 20:49:26

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

The cardboard box contains mostly shredded paper and used paper towels, but it also has some food scraps. The bear raids my compost pile every night, and sometimes during the day. As you can see, he has the box open and is investigating. My Primos Truth Cam 35 wildlife camera is mounted on a tree just outside of the roped area. At night, it flashes when it takes a picture. The black bear has already tried to maul it once, and he'll turn his attention to it again, but he's obviously not intimidated. The compost pile is about a quarter mile from the road on our hundred-acre plot that we refer to as Petra, Maine.

05/27/11 20:49:04

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

The black bear comes right back to finish the job that he began with the carboard box in my compost pile. Every time my Primos Truth Cam 35 takes a picture, it flashes. As you can see, the bear is sometimes intrigued, but not afraid of that.

05/27/11 20:42:59

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

The Maine black bear appears to be walking away but he comes right back to complete the job he's doing on the box of compostable materials in my compost pile.

05/27/11 20:41:38

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

Having failed to murder my camera, the black bear returns to something he is able to do damage to - the cardboard box of food scraps, shredded paper and other compostable materials.

05/27/11 20:38:13

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

The black bear is up close and personal with my camera. Intrigued by the flash, he snuck up on it from the side and is trying to maul it. Fortunately, I opted for the optional rigid metal protective case for my camera. As you will see if you go through all of the photos in this album, this will not be the last time that he tries to kill my camera.

05/27/11 20:35:21

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

As you will soon see, the black bear is on his way over to see what the camera is all about. The camera is mounted on a tree just outside of the compost area. At night, it either takes infrared shots or uses the flash. In these shots, it is using the flash and that has the bear's attention.

05/27/11 20:35:04

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

Although any bear should be thought of as potentially dangerous, Maine black bears are probably less so than are bears in many other parts of the country. Maine black bears enjoy a rich and largely unspoiled habitat, which includes a lot of wooded areas that they can escape to. Given a choice, a black bear would prefer to hide from you than attack you. Eighty to eighty-five percent of a black bear's diet consists of plant matter, and much of the remainder includes insects and small animals. Humans don't rate very high on a bear's menu.

05/27/11 20:34:46

Sat, 06 Aug 2011 22:57:53 -0400

After leaving my camera at its first location for nearly two weeks without a return of the bear, or any other wildlife, I moved it to my compost pile. I know it looks messy but it's a quarter of a mile out in the woods, and it's all compostable. Sometimes I leave boxes of shredded paper, cardboard and food scraps and, as you can see, the bear begins the composting process.