Well we get Moose, deer, coyotes, bears, foxes, squirels and a few other critters in the yard every year. We also are on the path of the migrating birds...going south and back north.....they stop in my back yard and clean out the feeders and berries and they are off again. A few stick around like the nuthatches, chickidees, purple finches and some years the white crown sparrows. Oh and the Juncos do a wonderful job keeping the bug populations down in my gardens. Swallows nest on the house across the street every year.....they help with mosquito control. LOL. There are two kinds of hummingbirds that fight over the gardens all summer...those little buggers have a big attitude! We are also visited by 3 kinds of woodpeckers. There are many kinds of butterflys and bees, and the hummingbird moths. And ewwwwwww spiders...lots of spiders...did I say EEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWWWW! its more like EEEEEKKKKKKKSSSSSSS!!!! I'm sure there is more just can't think of them all. As far as bear safety.....get educated on the subject...don't take chances. Wear bear bells if you are berry picking or out in the woods. Pick fruit as soon as its ready...don't leave any laying around to draw them in. Make sure garbage is in a bear proof container or in a closed garage. We have a bear aware program here....I check my yard everytime I go out this time of year.....before I start to garden. Sierra

Yep, Don, I've noticed that cats get along with wild urban critters such as coons, possums, foxes. Before we paneled our back porch with Lexan over the screening, we had Carolina wrens nesting on the broom rack, and the coons were caught dragging off a 25 lb bag of dog food. Party time! Your uninvited guest sure looks comfortable. Since we now have two girl dachshunds (well, one is in training) who hunt things like squirrels and rabbits, the coons avoid our garden. So do the cats.

Not a bear ... a cougar. By the way ... for those who don't know ... cougar, puma and mountain lion are the same. The only 3 cats native to North America are the Florida Panther (Looks just like a cougar with a little difference in the face), Mountain Lion and Jaguar (found only in Texas, Arizona and New Mexico). Black Panthers are a South American species. The "black cat" reports in the United States are Mountain Lion in their seasonal color phase and seen in late evening ... giving the appearance of "Black". Here is a link that might be useful: OK Wildlife Control, LLC

Glenda, I posted in July about a Mountain Lion warning we got at work. I copied the suggestions on what to do in the event you come across a large cat. I see Bobcats all the time when I hike and they are never a problem, but would not want to run into a Mountain Lion/Cougar when alone. We've had a few attacks in our area over the years and it scares me to death. I've actually seen two in the wild on two separate occasions when I was living in Northern CA. Once while on horseback, the other time while driving a car. Be aware at all times Glenda. Jodi- Here is a link that might be useful: Yikes ... Mountain Lion Warning at Work!