Beary Bad: The Bear who Visits Us

This late summer has been eventful, if anything. We’ve been visited nightly by a bear–a BIG bear. This bear is about 6 to 7 feet long from rump to shoulders, which might make it a grizzly. My spouse only saw him once from above and at 3 am, which made it difficult to determine the actual species beyond “big fucking bear.” Could be a black bear or a grizzly. Either way, he was BIG. He was on my front porch, if you want to know how up close and personal it was.

Alarm Llamas and Electric Fences

The reason why we know he’s been around is that Llorelei the llama has been alerting Hel herself that the bear has come around. Llamas have this alarm call that is unmistakable. Sounds like a cross between a neigh and someone yodeling. And loud!

She lets us know he’s around, which is usually around 3 am, although he’s shown up at 9 pm and 5 am. Llorelei does her job well and herds the goats behind her into the barn. We have an electric fence that serves as a deterrent, but I suppose a bear could get into the goat pen. The amperage is pretty strong on the fence, so if a bear were to touch it, it would be pretty unpleasant.

The Beary Lowdown

The bear appears to be habituated, making him dangerous to humans. He’s definitely a “trash bear,” which puts him looking towards humans for food. Not good. Some people don’t secure their trash around here, thus aggravating the problem. And according to Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, there’s been four known grizzlies in the area.

Grizzlies are protected in Montana, so unless one attacks you, you can’t shoot them. You can hunt black bears, but since the bear comes around at night, shooting isn’t an option anyway. Self defense and attacking livestock, yeah. Just being a nuisance? No.

But this is why we carry bear spray when outside, except during the coldest times when it would just freeze. Bears hibernate, but have been known to take a walk around on warmer winter days. So, we’re always prepared.

Possible Ordinances

I read on a local news site that our county is going to require bear-proof trash cans and dumpsters for all residents. We already have a bear-proof dumpster. We switched over after years of deterring bears with bungee cords on the lids. It took just one time when a bear decided it should get in our trash for us to make the switch. If this ordinance becomes law, they give everyone three years to comply. Sigh. Three years of trash bears is so not worth it.

Getting people to comply is going to be difficult. Sure, those with dumpsters will get changed over by their trash company, but those who want to just leave their stuff on the side of the road will do so. Still, stopping bears from eating trash and associating humans with food is the best way to reduce conflicts. And maybe, maybe the bear who is visiting us will figure out somewhere else to go.

Updated Website and More

Well, I’ve been behind on just about everything, so I’ve decided to at least get a quick update in and say I’ll be posting here at least once a week, which is highly ambitious for me. Even so, I need to do this to stay in touch with my fans–that’s you!–and let you know what’s been happening here. The truth is a lot of things have happened and I need to do a better job telling you what’s going on.

What to Expect in the Next Posts

What you should expect in my next posts are more newsworthy items. What I’ve been doing. Where I’m at on the next book. What promos I’m running. What cons I’ve been to. Which critters are driving me crazy…

You know, the usual stuff.

So, if you’re interested in basically everything about the Ironspell Chronicles as well as the crazy life I lead in Montana, you can find out about all that shit right here.

In the Upcoming Posts…

In the next posts I’ll be covering the following topics:

  • Miscon
  • Updates on Book 16
  • Skadi’s cancer
  • A new addition to the homestead
  • Goats
  • Free eBooks
  • Sneak peeks on the latest books

So, if you read this and leave an interesting comment here before August 1, 2023, I will put you in a drawing for something cool. What? I don’t know yet, but it will probably be something fun!

Finished Yes, Ironspell, There is a Santa Claus

Tonight I entered “The End” on Yes, Ironspell, There is a Santa Claus. Normally, I give myself some time between editing and the first draft, but given the publication date (Christmas) and when it’s actually due on Amazon (Solstice), I’m pretty convinced I have to get it in top shape now. By the way, you can read the first chapter HERE.

This Book Surprised Me

Unsurprisingly, (see what I did there?), the ending changed from what I planned. I realized as I was writing it that the running gag was actually a major piece in the story. Since I don’t want to spoil the surprise, I’ll keep quiet about it. Order a copy, if you haven’t yet.

Frost and Fire should be out in March; You can thank Yes, Ironspell, there is a Santa Claus for that

I know, I know. I promised Frost and Fire after Hellfire, but after writing the first two chapters, I suddenly looked at the calendar and discovered it was October. So, I made up my mind to write the Christmas story first. And yeah, there is a Santa Claus in it, but this isn’t the type of bedtime story to read to your kids. Unless they’re at least teenagers. Look for Frost and Fire on Amazon. I just got the preorder up, so it might be a bit before it shows up on my series list.

If you don’t hear from me sooner, have a Merry Christmas, Happy Yule, Happy Hanukah, Merry Kwanzaa, Happy Solstice, or whatever you celebrate.