8/12/2005: Tightrope bear
 

http://cellar.org/2005/tightrope1.jpg

This totally amazing set comes from xoxoxoBruce, who says they were taken in Connellsville, PA and never published as far as he knows. Happy Friday.

http://cellar.org/2005/tightrope2.jpg

http://cellar.org/2005/tightrope3.jpg

http://cellar.org/2005/tightrope4.jpg

Well, looks like my bear-bags are pretty much worthless now.. and that has to be some pretty dang strong rope to hold that ball of fur up

It's been a slow day...

Welcome Slurps. Happy Friday.

Awesome! I love this set of pictures. They tell a story, and the story is a funny and amazing one. I had no idea that bears could do that. :thumb:

Bears are so cool. I love furry critters sooooooo much. Even if they do have big, pointy teeth. :apaw:

What bullitt said. :(

I guess this is my new shopping guide.

:D

"some of these products have been tested by trial and error through direct experience with bears,"

Shenanigans!
 

I'm calling shenanigans on these pictures!

Nevermind the fact that the rope would have to be incredibly strong (which it doesn't look to be), but look at the size of the trees… I can’t see them supporting this type of weight.

And lastly, who uses industrial strength rope to hang a bird feeder the probably only weights a few pounds?

Someone who has bears and/or industrial strength squirrels regularly raid their feeders.

That forest looks pretty lush - was there a shortage on nuts and berries and other yummy things that forced Mr. Bear to go to such great lenghts for some flippin' bird seed?

ropes are strong. Humans are always over-engineering with ropes for safety sake, so you are used to seeing big ropes. Little ropes are very strong. Don't beleive it? Get a small rope, like a new sneaker's shoelace, and try hanging from it. It will hold your weight.

Notice the rope is stretching a bit. It feels the load.

And trees. Trees are strong.

But yeah, if you are saying these pictures are unbelievable, I agree with you.

cool pics. Very good. I like me some bears...as long as they're in pictures. Looking at them you wouldn't think they'd rip your lungs out, would you Jim? I don't think the bear wanted the bird seed as bad as he was hyper-curious about what the hell it was. I've seen honey bees build hives in things like this before.

Two more frames and he'd of busted his ass.

About the rope: Nothing is as it seems in Jellystone Park.

Four more frames and we'd have seen the Ranger. :bolt:

Yay!

Would you like my phone number? ;)

I typed "rope strength" into Google and hit the first link to get the chart below. Keep in mind the safe working load is only 20% of the tensile strength but the bear isn't concerned with safe.
From the articles I've been seeing lately, bird feeders have become to bears what a box of chocolates is to the fat lady. They've really been tearing them up in the NorthEast US.
I've no way of knowing if the pictures are genuine but I know they are entirely possible and I've no reason to believe they are not.

Has anyone else seen the video of the bear falling out of the tree onto the trampoline?

Good stuff! :lol:

Anyone notice that in the first picture he is on the left side of the feeder and on the rest of the pics show him on the right side?

I've had bird feeders for years and have tried every method I can think of to keep the squirrels off short of having a live exposed electric cord tied to it to zapp them. I once used my pellet gun and shot 6 of them and the next week a new group came over from another neighborhood to eat at the feeder. I took one of those old round discs that kids slide on in snow country and put it over the feeder and they still figured out how to get around it; I even painted it with axel grease so they would slide down so they just ate the rope and dropped the whole damn thing in my flower beds. Then I got smart and got rid of the feeder! :lol:

Ok, so maybe I have my stupid hat jammed on too tight but, I see a lot of stuff about keeping squirrels out of bird feeders and I'm wondering, why? Seems to me the only things the birds in my yard do is poop all over my car. What do squirrels do that's so bad??? Sue me, I like furry better than feathered.

Squirrels used to plague me about my bird feeders. I put out a couple of squirrel feeders (the ones you put a whole ear of dry corn on) and tada... no more problems. If they can find corn and get easy access to it they prefer it over the bird seed.

If you can't beat em, join em.

In Texas, (and elsewhere) discharging a firearm is a sexual act. :biggrin:

Look it's Yogi Bear. Yogi - "Who put my pic-a-nic-a basket up there". Hey Boo Boo. :apaw:

No kidding, plus it's damned entertaining to watch the little critters hang by their feet trying to get at the birdseed.