Stories | Adventures in Cheeseland

Background: Every two years Zeke, Anthony, Joe, and Benjamin got together for a week-long camping trip at the lake. One of the highlights of the trip was story-time around the bonfire. This year’s topic is “Chance Encounter With Another Species”. It is Anthony’s turn to speak. You can read Zeke’s story here.

🔥 Black Bear with a salmon in its mouth : NatureIsFuckingLit

You guys know how much I like to fish. I’m always the first one out there and pride myself on catching my own. I leave the ones that are already dead for the old guys or someone who has a bad day.

Last fall, something strange began to happen. I’d catch a fish and before I had a chance to get out of the water, this young eagle would grab the fish out of my mouth. The strange part was that as soon as he was away from me, he’d drop the fish.

Grizzly Bear and Bald Eagle (With images) | Bear fishing, Grizzly

The first time, I was annoyed. Stuff like that happens. I caught another fish and went home. The next day was fine, but after that it was a daily occurance.

Bald eagle and brown bear at Katmai National Park | Smithsonian ...

I couldn’t figure out what was happening. Was the poor bird hungry and just not able to hold onto his dinner? Was he incredibly clumsy? It looked like he was doing it on purpose, but that seemed pretty stupid.

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My son Davey had been pestering me to go fishing. One sunny day, I decided to take him with me. I was teaching him some of the secrets to really good fishing. He was practicing and came up with a really nice salmon. When he turned to show me, that stupid eagle swooped in to grab it.

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I went racing toward the eagle. He was so startled that he missed his target and skidded into the water. I started to laugh. He was fine, but his dignity was suffering.

Eagle and the Bear

I told the eagle that we needed to talk. My son was standing on the side of the river waiting. I told him that I would only be a couple of minutes.

I asked the eagle what he was doing. The eagle explained that it was a game. He was waiting to see how long it was before I got angry. He was pretty sure I’d be able to catch another fish and and not go hungry.

I told him that he had achieved his goal. I also told him that if he tried it with my son again, he’d better start looking for another river. I think I scared him because I never saw him again.

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I caught a fish after that and Davey and I enjoyed a picnic on the sunny river bank. We took a nap in the sun before we went home. The next time we went fishing, I told him show to protect his catch.

Ten Best in 2014 | Bear, Animals beautiful, Brown bear

Next week: Joe’s story.

All pictures courtesy of Google Images

Every two years Zeke, Anthony, Joe, and Benjamin got together for a week-long camping trip at the lake. One of the highlights of the trip was story-time around the bonfire. Each bear would tell a story about something that had happened to them during the previous two years, based on a given topic. This year’s topic is “Chance Encounter With Another Species”. It was Zeke’s turn to go first.

A Bears Quest for Food | Wise About Bears

My encounter was only a few weeks ago. I was wandering around, looking for berries. I heard a small rustling in one of the bushes. Whatever it was, it had to be small. I couldn’t figure out what kind of little animal wouldn’t be afraid of a bear, especially a full-size size male. Whatever it was, there were berries on the bush and I didn’t want to share them with whatever it was.

Kitten in the bush | Sand cat Sandkatt (Felis margarita) Pho… | Flickr

So I pushed the bush out of the way. I couldn’t believe what was down there. It was a tiny kitten! How would a kitten get there? It was terrified. I didn’t want to scare it anymore, so I sat down. After a while, she stopped shaking and came over to sniff me. I didn’t know what to do. She looked up at me and meowed.

She was so cute. I reached out a paw and patted her. That was all it took. She started to purr. She climbed into my paw. I put her on my lap. She fell asleep almost immediately. She must have felt safe.

What should I do? I didn’t know anything about kittens. Where was her family? I couldn’t leave her in the woods, but where would she go?

I guess I shouldn’t have worried. When she woke up, she climbed up onto my shoulder. I couldn’t reach her, so I went home. I figured she would go back to her home from there. She climbed down in the den and started to look around. She had no intention of leaving.

I had no idea what to do. I went to Cheri, a lady raccoon I know. She looked a little bit like a cat, so I thought she might know. Cheri said it wasn’t safe to make the kitten leave. She told me that she would find some milk to feed the kitten.

To make a long story short, Kitty decided to adopt me. She follows me everywhere. I think she might think she’s a bear. I taught her how I get insects. Somehow, she learned how to hunt, so she’s eating well. We go to the river together to drink.

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She sleeps with me. That took a little getting used to. I was afraid I’d roll over and crush her. She decided that sleeping on me is safest. I think she feels safe with me. I’ve gotten used to having her around and would miss her if she left.

Joe: Where is Kitty now?

Cute little ginger kitten sleeping in gray blanket | Premium Photo