Although it may be difficult to see in the photo, the big bruin left an impression in the snow on the steps to the Kettunen’s deck. The footprint next to it, for comparison, is from Deidre Kettunen’s size 7 tennis shoe. The bear definitely left an impression on Publisher Hal Kettunen, who reminds readers to watch for wildlife!
It was night, April 14th around 11 p.m. and a storm with high winds was shaking the trees and rattling the house.
My wife Deidre and I were ready to turn in for the night when we heard the outdoor thermometer banging against a deck beam. Deidre asked me to go take it down so it would not bang all night and keep us awake.
I went downstairs and turned on the back deck floodlight so I could see and then went over to the other sliding glass door to go out. I stood there for a second and told myself I should turn on the other light so I would not trip over something.
After turning it on, I slid on my slippers because the deck was wet. Now ready for the cold, I opened the sliding glass door and stepped out onto the deck a few feet—and came face to face with a very large, and I mean very large bear eating out of the bird feeder. I have seen enough bears in my life to know that this bear was over 6-feet tall. His back was over the deck railing.
I was only one step away from petting him on the head, but I didn’t think that was a good idea. So I raised my arms up and screamed at it like a girly man.
Mr. Bear pulled his ears back and stared into my soul until I yelled a second time.
Lucky for me the light was on so I could see him, otherwise I would have walked by him and blocked his exit, leaving me in the behemoth’s path and my sure destruction.
We had our dog gate across the top step so our dog would not get loose when he was out. Fortunately the bear bolted toward the steps instead of toward me. He blasted through the gate and down the steps and back to his home turf.
Deidre heard all the commotion and looked out over the upstairs deck and hollered for me. All she could see was two empty slippers (with me not in them) and it was quiet.
She kept calling and when I didn’t answer, she went for her handgun and started to run downstairs to see what had happened.
Back inside the house, I shouted to her that I met a big bear face-to-face on the deck but I was all right.
My mother Phyllis lives with us and when she awoke to all of the hubbub and clatter I told her what had happened and that everything was fine but I was a little rattled.
Deidre went out and took down the feeders and locked all the doors.
All is good and well except there are some hungry birds missing their morning meal.
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