A Hollywood screenwriter from the midstate; bears and other outdoor issues

Thursday, 03 November 2011 16:48

A Hollywood screenwriter from the midstate; bears and other outdoor issues

Written by Scott LaMar, Director of Radio Smart Talk

Radio Smart Talk for Friday, November 4:

Friday's Radio Smart Talk could be right out of a Hollywood script. Come to think of it may. Large ferocious animals roaming amongst the people -- it has all the trappings of a TV show or movie. But it's real and it's here in the midstate. Maybe not large beasts looking for humans but certainly animals that can be dangerous.

We're talking about black bears and the region is seeing them in places where they don't normally go. Last month, a Perry County couple suffered serious wounds when a bear attacked them inside their home. Apparently, the bear followed a dog into their house.

In the last two weeks, five bears have been captured after venturing too close to people.

A Wildlife Conservation Officer with the Pennsylvania Game Commission joins us to discuss bears and other outdoor issues as the height of the hunting season approaches.

Also, Todd Klick, a former Mt. Gretna and Mt. Zion resident who writes scripts and produces in Hollywood will discuss his new book about screenwriting.

LISTEN TO PROGRAM:

Published in Smart Talk

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comments

# Doug 2011-11-04 09:38

My parents live in Halifax, PA and they have had a Black bear come onto their back porch a couple times and walk off with a 5-gallon bucket of sunflower seeds, which had a lid on it. He carried it out into the yard and sat down like winnie the pooh with a jar of honey and ate most of it. I was visiting with them a few nights later and checked for the bear in the evening with a flashlight and I saw it coming down towards the house again, it was only about 40 yards away. I wanted to scare it away so I shot a "bird bomb" fire cracker into the air and it ran off. Is this an okay thing to do? Are there better ways to scare them away? We do not keep birdseed out any more, covered or not.

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# Dwayne Sudduth 2011-11-04 09:41

I think as we build home and communities farther and farther into the wilderness, we will see more wildlife. We live in a semi-rural area; and while we have not seen a bear, we have seen turkey, dear, skunk, etc. The best thing to remember is this was their land first; we're the invaders. I don't mind that they are trapped and moved however. People just need to stop panicking so much. I applaud the efforts to keep wildlife 'wild'. I agree; everyone needs to just stay calm.

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# Dwayne Sudduth 2011-11-04 09:52

Since you're answering other questions...any suggestions to discourage skunks from visiting? We have a semi-regular visitor about every two weeks or so. It doesn't bother me, but my wife would prefer he/she leave.

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# Alan 2011-11-04 09:56

Why don't you euthanize trapped bears if it is necessary to reduce the population? How can amateur hunters humanely kill a large bear with a bow and arrow?

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# Alan 2011-11-04 10:22

I can appreciate the reality and necessity of reducing the bear population. Why not euthanize when you have the opportunity? Isn't the Pennsylvania Game Commission about killing healthy animals anyway? If it is necessary to reduce the bear population why not safely and humanely euthanize a bear which has been trapped, instead of the possibility of it bleeding to death from an arrow, or worse surviving wounded. What's the difference, except that you've deprived a hunter of the thrill of the kill. I think, tongue in cheek, that bow hunters should earn their license by first engaging a bear with only a Bowie knife for a fair fight. Call it Bowie season.

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# Alan 2011-11-04 10:40

P.S. I think all bow hunters should instead take up screenwriting. Not tongue in cheek, either. They can do it on Sunday and the schools don't have to close for opening day.

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