Black bear’s evening visit scary

DOUBLE SPRINGS - When P.J. Gossett, of Double Springs, received a frantic call from his aunt late in the evening September 2,  he never dreamed that object frightening her would turn out to be a bear.
Gossett’s aunt, who lives across from him on County Road 25, between Double Springs and Lynn, told him that a bear was on her porch and that she had already called 9-1-1.
“I got there within two minutes, and the bear had already left.

Shortly, a Winston County sheriff’s deputy showed up. He shined a spotlight around, then turned his siren on for a minute before getting out of the vehicle,”  Gossett said.
Gossett’s aunt told him in detail what the most unwelcome visitor had done on her porch.
“She heard the doorknob rattle and thought it was me coming in the door. When she realized it wasn’t me, she looked out the front door window with a flashlight and came practically face to face with the bear,”  Gossett said.
Gossett’s aunt received a call also from Winston County Conservation Enforcement Officer Ernie Stephens, who took her report.
After returning home, Gossett decided to look at his security camera footage just to see if the bear had also paid him a visit.  It had!
“At 9:25 p.m., it picked up the bear, which walked right beside the house, between my car and house, then continued across County Road 25 toward my aunt’s house. I was amazed the bear had walked right beside my house and that we had video evidence to support it,”  Gossett said.
Gossett and his neighbors are not strangers to wild animals coming onto their properties.  He was aware that a bear had been seen in their area recently, thanks to photos of the bear from neighbors’ security and deer cameras.
“Deer are plentiful in the area.  They don’t mind walking up next to my house either, to get to the green grass. My aunt told me stories while growing up of listening to cougars around the bluffs near our area. I’ve seen lots of animals on my property, but this is the first time I’ve ever known a bear to be in this area,”  Gossett said.
According to Marianne Gauldin, conservation outreach coordinator with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, said that while a lot of people in Winston and surrounding counties have never seen a bear on their property before, that doesn’t mean that it couldn’t happen.
“Black bears are native to Alabama and could be seen anywhere at any time. They are most likely to be seen from May – September. They can be seen in any county, any town, any neighborhood,”  Gaulding said.
Based on the video footage and photographs of the bear that came on Gossett’s aunt’s porch, she believves it to be an approximately 3-year-old black bear.  
“Black bears are the only species of bear native to Alabama,”  Gauldin said.
She also believes it did not mean any harm to anyone.
“This bear is not old enough to be a dominant, breeding bear with an established territory. Instead, younger male bears tend to wander quite a bit during the late spring, throughout the summer and into early fall. This is normal.
“Younger, wandering male bears are those most often seen in places where they haven’t been seen before. Picture an aimless teenager. No job. No girlfriend. Just out cruising and picking up snacks where he can,”  Gauldin added.
Gauldin offered the following tips for anyone who has a bear show up on their property.
Clap your hands, holler, raise your arms above your head and spook it away just as you would a stray dog or a raccoon. Make sure the bear has a clear escape route. A bear that is behaving normally will spook away from people,”  Gauldin said.
She added that there are several things people should not do if they encounter a bear.
“Do not chase a bear. Do not run from a bear. Do not let your dogs out to interact with the bear. Do not feed the bear, not on purpose or inadvertently. Do not leave trash or other attractants (bird feeders, pet food, etc.,) outside. If it’ll attract a raccoon, it will attract a bear,”  Gauldin said.
Gossett shared the video footage of the Bear on his Facebook account, receiving a number of comments.
Some of the reactions on the Facebook video have been wary and many people in the area shared it. Most of us know our neighbors in the Rocky Plains area and have all our lives. I would think that most of the shares the video had were to other people in the area to inform them a bear was about,”  Gossett said.
Gauldin said that there is no reason to call any type of authority if any type of wildlife - including a bear - shows up in one’s yard and is behaving normally.  However, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources does keep a list of observed bear sightings in the state.  Reports can be made online at https://game.dcnr.alabama.gov/BlackBear.