I’ve got a damn bear and mountain lion stalking around my property. Last night when taking out the compost I also ran into the damn bear. He was out on the dirt road next to my property trying to find a way into the orchard—about 20 feet away when I noticed him. Never had something look at me in a predatory way like that before. I slowly backed away the 30 feet back to the house to get another light and bear spray.

Earlier this year I found the remains of a deer along with mountain lion scat in the orchard. Rural living has some risks, but at least I know they’ll kill me if they get a good chance.