{"id":9260,"date":"2019-03-30T11:01:17","date_gmt":"2019-03-30T15:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/?p=9260"},"modified":"2019-04-01T11:12:39","modified_gmt":"2019-04-01T15:12:39","slug":"rise-and-shine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hagarty-on-wine.com\/OnWineBlog\/rise-and-shine\/","title":{"rendered":"Rise and shine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Black bears poised to leave dens<\/strong><\/p>\n

One of the delights of living in the Piedmont is the seemingly endless vistas we encounter as we motor around our countryside. But our verdant landscape is home to not only natural beauty but a host of wildlife.<\/p>\n

Chipmunk, squirrel, rabbit, beaver, raccoon, skunk, fox, bobcat, coyote and more call our home their home. Oh, and of course, black bear.<\/p>\n

Black bears have made a remarkable recovery in Virginia since the early 1900s when they were largely hunted out. Today it’s estimated some 17,000 of them roam almost all of the Old Dominion.<\/p>\n

The state\u2019s western mountains have the highest concentration with the Shenandoah National Park home to about 500. Bears can live up to 30 years in the wild and even longer in captivity.<\/p>\n

For newcomers, the reaction of hearing or seeing sightings of Ursus americanus, especially around homes and subdivisions is, \u201cOh, my. That\u2019s scary.\u201d With a large boar weighing in at 400 pounds it\u2019s an understandable reaction.<\/p>\n

\"\"But rest easy. The black bear is one of the most intelligent, shy and gentle of mammals. Attacks on humans are extremely rare. Its full-time job is filling its belly. If you really don\u2019t one to encounter one, don\u2019t leave a menu lying around.<\/p>\n

But if they find out you\u2019ve opened a local \u201crestaurant\u201d, it\u2019s almost guaranteed you\u2019ll be treated to repeated visits. They are omnivores and opportunistic feeders. Up to 75 percent of their diet is consists of berries, flowers, acorns and other plants. But they will eat meat, including insects, roadkill and garbage.<\/p>\n

Commercial farm crops like corn, apples, and peaches are also on its menu. Increasingly winery owners are encountering bear depredation. An entire vineyard can go down in a couple of nights as a bear vacuum cleans its way through chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, and other grapes. An unsettling thought for wine lovers.<\/p>\n

During the lead-up to winter denning, they may forage for food 20 hours a day. Guess what happens when they stumble upon a birdfeeder or unprotected garbage can?<\/p>\n

Life cycle
\n<\/strong>The cycle begins in June and July when males and females \u201chookup\u201d for a three or four-day lovefest. Within days a repeat encounter with a new mate starts the lovemaking all over again.<\/p>\n

These guys want to make sure they are propagating the species properly. They then part ways until the party starts over again the following year.<\/p>\n

The animals also sport a characteristic called \u201cmultiple paternity\u201d. For example, a sow\u2019s three cubs may well have three different dads. An even more interesting trait is females are \u201cdelayed implanters\u201d.<\/p>\n

To assure that an impregnated mother does not have to forage to support both herself and up to four fetuses the fertilized egg is held in what might be called suspended animation while she puts on weight to survive the winter hibernation.<\/p>\n

Once tucked comfortably in a den of a hollowed-out tree or dense thicket of vegetation, the egg implants in the uterus and the wee ones begin to grow.<\/p>\n

As solar energy increases in the spring males are the first to stir beginning in mid-March followed by the females in early to mid-April. Mom has to assure herself her young family is capable of moving about the forest learning the rudiments of its lifelong food search before she leaves the den.<\/p>\n

For those living in bear country, a good rule of thumb is to be alert to bear depredation beginning around April Fool\u2019s Day. But this time it\u2019s no joke with what you may encounter.<\/p>\n

The cubs will again den with the mom the following fall and be urged to make their way in the world the following May when the cycle repeats itself.<\/p>\n

Protective measures
\n<\/strong>While its obvious removing potential food sources is the best way to stop bear encounters it nonetheless can be difficult for bird and squirrel lovers to forgo putting feeders out. Resist the temptation. Feeders equal bears.<\/p>\n

The fastest way to discourage the furry predators is to remove all temptation.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s some state recommended preventive actions:<\/p>\n