But there was one year that I did.

 

I’d say it was about 1995 when a bear cub was spotted on Lawman Avenue, just a few blocks from where we live. My kids were little at the time and, like lots of other parents in town, I thought it would be a cool experience for them to see a real live bear while it was visiting a residential area of our city. So, I quickly took them to the nearby neighborhood where we stood with lots of other families peering up into a tree where the cub had climbed. It was a pretty big deal. The city's police and fire departments - and maybe DNR reps - were there and the mission was to capture the bear and take it a refuge area where it would be safe, back in its element.

 

A big tarp was spread out to catch the cub and the plan was to tranquilize the little guy so he would fall from the treetop. In our acid washed jeans and with Instamatic cameras in hand - all anxiously awaited, standing back in the designated safe area. One of the law enforcers fired a shot and the bear fell in the tarp which was being held by several men. The cub was immediately whisked away. Rumor had it that the bear might have been accidentally overmedicated, but I guess we’ll never know.

 

My kids – and I’m sure many of you – remember seeing the bear. It’s really the only time I remember that happening in that period of time. Summertime bear sightings have become more and more common, but that still doesn’t compare to the increase in the deer population. When I was a little girl living here in town, there were no deer to be seen. I remember going to Canaan Valley and thinking it was so cool to just see them out in the open like that. Forty years later and they are everywhere.

 

Who knows? Maybe someday it won’t be such a big deal to encounter a bear. But for now, it sure is a thrill, isn't it? As fun as it can be, the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources reminds residents that it can be dangerous, especially when the bear venture onto the grounds of personal residences. The DNR urges residents to never feed bear scraps or tempt them onto property with food. That can lead to the bears losing their natural fear of humans and feeling less threatened, they may destroy property or even worse, hurt someone. To read all tips offered by the DNR, visit the WVDNR Web site HERE. 

 

Editor's Note: These photos were provided by Travis and Brenda Friel after a trio of bear cubs and their mama visited their home in Timberbrook. If anyone has pictures of the mid-1990s sighting, please share with us. 

 

Julie Perine can be reached at 304-848-7200, julie@connect-bridgeport.com or follow @JuliePerine on Twitter. More "It's Happening" HERE.