A couple of weeks ago, my nearest neighbor had a black bear just outside his living room window. It wandered away. It is a rare occurrence here but has happened in the past; a few years ago, one got into the trash and attempted to get in through the front door at this house. We have also had bobcats, cougars/mountain lions and who knows what else?
For this very reason, I usually look out the windows before letting the little dogs out, especially when it is dark, This morning at 0530, I got up and was about to let one of the little dogs out into the fenced front yard. There was trash on the sidewalk just outside the front door. Some large? animal had knocked over the two lidded trash barrels (one with kitchen trash, one with yard debris) and dragged the intact kitchen bag out of the barrel, down the sidewalk, then tore it open and rummaged through it.
The little spaniel mix was standing at the front door, anxious to go out. I told her firmly, "STAY! STAY!" because she likes to dart out there. She did, sitting there with a puzzled look on her face. Good Doggie! I grabbed my Glock .40, racked a (hollow point) shell into the chamber, turned on all the flood lights, and went out there. No animal. Came back in, got the big flashlight, went back out and looked up into the very large, thick spruce tree to make sure nothing was up there waiting to pounce. Should have done that first! Once the area was cleared, I let the dogs out, picked up the trash and replaced the barrels where they belong.
It could have been a raccoon? But I think a raccoon would have just torn it open where the barrels laid, not drag it down the sidewalk that far. IDK. I lean towards it being a bear. There is no place else to keep those barrels. Whatever animal it was will return now that it found food there. Luckily, today is trash pickup day so the barrels will be empty for a few days. The only thing I can think of to do is to secure those barrels to the wall where they are kept and somehow lock the lids closed. Or find a bear proof barrel. I also want to speak to the neighbors on the other side, who have a dumpster (large family) and find out if anything got into it.
AND...why didn't the dog alert during the night? She must have been sleeping soundly, worn out from hunting mice and squirrels most of the day.
For this very reason, I usually look out the windows before letting the little dogs out, especially when it is dark, This morning at 0530, I got up and was about to let one of the little dogs out into the fenced front yard. There was trash on the sidewalk just outside the front door. Some large? animal had knocked over the two lidded trash barrels (one with kitchen trash, one with yard debris) and dragged the intact kitchen bag out of the barrel, down the sidewalk, then tore it open and rummaged through it.
The little spaniel mix was standing at the front door, anxious to go out. I told her firmly, "STAY! STAY!" because she likes to dart out there. She did, sitting there with a puzzled look on her face. Good Doggie! I grabbed my Glock .40, racked a (hollow point) shell into the chamber, turned on all the flood lights, and went out there. No animal. Came back in, got the big flashlight, went back out and looked up into the very large, thick spruce tree to make sure nothing was up there waiting to pounce. Should have done that first! Once the area was cleared, I let the dogs out, picked up the trash and replaced the barrels where they belong.
It could have been a raccoon? But I think a raccoon would have just torn it open where the barrels laid, not drag it down the sidewalk that far. IDK. I lean towards it being a bear. There is no place else to keep those barrels. Whatever animal it was will return now that it found food there. Luckily, today is trash pickup day so the barrels will be empty for a few days. The only thing I can think of to do is to secure those barrels to the wall where they are kept and somehow lock the lids closed. Or find a bear proof barrel. I also want to speak to the neighbors on the other side, who have a dumpster (large family) and find out if anything got into it.
AND...why didn't the dog alert during the night? She must have been sleeping soundly, worn out from hunting mice and squirrels most of the day.
