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There is a funny relationship the habituators seem to have with the resident BF. At first the humans are scared to death. Then interaction develops, with at least mutual acceptance. Perhaps animal feed is being consumed or chickens go missing but that is tolerated. Then at some point the humans go protective. Looks all the world like a Stockholm Syndrome thing to me. But it can turn ugly when humans stop feeding BF if they have started that. Don't feed the wild animals is probably applicable to BF too. Who knows what damage to them might result. Someone mentioned leaving out sweet sticky rolls. Can you imagine what refined sugar would to to BF teeth? Anyway efforts to introduce myself into such situations are always rejected. Protective? Maybe. Whole thing made up? Good possibility. One cannot be for sure since most humans that claim to be involved simply fade away at some point and stop communicating. If anyone had the opportunity to get pictures, it would be these people, but they seem unable or unwilling to do that.

Wow. Thanks for reminding us about this story, JDL. I remember pretty much all of it, because it was very interesting to me when you first told it (and when you told other parts of it). And I'm sooooo glad that the wife reads these posts, because that means there's now an opportunity to invite her, once again (I've said this before, about her situation, so she may have seen these words already), to consider that she may have been consistently misinterpreting the actions of her hairy visitors for years. This is not uncommon. Most humans respond to things they don't understand in a fearful way. So she is not alone in this. It's important to remember, however, that fear distorts things. It is my opinion that the apparently heightened presence that the BF seemed to have when her husband was ill was a reflection of their concern for her: not a rubbing of their hands in glee that the obstacle to their domination of that property was about to be removed. An old man is not an obstacle for a BF. A BF who wants to eat you for dinner will eat you in a heartbeat, whether you're small, tall, old, or young. BF carry off deer and elk and hogs in one hand, or slung over their shoulders. We weigh a lot less than full-grown hogs and elk. :-) I believe they had no interest in harming her. I think it was quite the contrary. They had lived side by side with her for a loooong time, and they understood the stress she was under. That concerned them for her, and made them forget that physically being visible to her could increase, and not alleviate, her stress. When has THAT happened before? There are many stories of humans -- forget BF -- reaching out to help other humans, and having their advances rebuffed, because they were misunderstood. But anyway, I'm glad the wife accepts and values the mystery. I think the only thing that could make all that even better is to accept, to understand, that there is no need to fear that mystery. She knows this, somewhere. I just wish her greater ease in embracing what she already knows. Here's a great interview that Michael Merchant just did with a long-term witness that I think the wife might like. It explains a lot of things and covers a lot of bases (but you have to listen through to the end to get to the most interesting part). Oh, and I think the title is a bit of a joke. Please don't be deterred by it. The video is about anything BUT what the first part of the title claims it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-QWL6pwC9M&t

Planning a trip out West and am leaving in mid August for about two months on the road. My spouse have been tent campers all of our lives right up through last September. But this trip we thought setting up a camp and breaking it down daily of every other day would really cut into our time and energy so we decided that since we'll also be visiting big bear country a hard sided vehicle would suit us and our Golden Retriever the best. S we purchased a two year old travel trailer. We then found out that living on the coast of Maine had rotted out the ten-year old truck's tow hitch. With all the foreseen and unforeseen issues with that truck we decided to replace it. This is now our new road warrior rig and we are looking forward to going on this extended trip is some style. Yep, it's small but for lifelong tent campers it's a palace LOL This week I also added a rear cap on the truck with racks for the canoe. Can't wait to get outa Dodge: