Food Plot Brings in Predators

 The interesting thing about creating this food plot is that you often get unintended visitors.  The bears are done hibernating and are looking for easy food sources.  Throughout the month of May I have taken over three hundred pictures of bears.  Several coyotes have also started investigating the food plot looking for an easy meal.  I have rarely seen a coyote like this during the day, they don't hang around for long but at night they are extremely vocal and drive our dogs crazy. 

Beautiful coyote, great colors typical of Washington.

This brute has eaten more apples than I care to mention.

Bear is looking at me as I approach the food plot.

It wasn’t my intention to attract bears and coyotes to the plot but they visit the site every other day.  I often get raccoons, possums and squirrels visiting as well.  By far the squirrels and the bears are the most destructive guests because they will consume all the apples and destroy the food blocks.  I have resorted to trapping the squirrels and relocating them to nearby neighborhoods.  These grey squirrels are not native to Washington and I view them as pests.  They will literally pee and eat on the same block for hours.

 The bears on the other hand I have just left alone, but as you can see encounters do happen.  The picture of the bear standing up, happened  

when I came to drop off apples.   The bear was listening and watching me as I approached the plot.  We had a good stare down, but as usual he turned tail and ran away.  I have had many encounters with bears and only a few times have they been aggressive making bluff charges without provocation.  On the other hand I have provoked them and engaged them in bluff charges it really depends on the bears sex and experience with humans.