Chico and Biscuit
in Char Pond
Chico and Biscuit
water fighting
Siblings Hug In
Char Pond
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Chico and Biscuit have now claimed Char Creek as their exclusive territory during this year of Pink Salmon. The creek's headwaters are about 2 miles northeast of the cabin. It runs through two beautiful canyons; the lower of which is a series of small waterfalls banked by brilliant green moss and lingering snow banks.
Two weeks ago, Biscuit and I were walking down the creek from the upper canyon, approaching the bend where it enters the lower one. Biscuit, on the opposite side of the creek from me, did not see Brandy as she emerged from the lower gorge, approaching her. Remembering their last tip up, I was anxious as to what would now transpire. Biscuit spotted Brandy's approach when she looked up from fishing, 50 feet from her. Biscuit glanced over at me anxiously and quickly turned up-creek, but did not run. I lost sight of her in the dense grass, but continued to watch Brandy's progress. To my surprise she made no attempt to chase Biscuit, sauntering along looking casually for fish. When she was about opposite me at the creek-side, I realized Biscuit was at my side, casting quick glances between me and Brandy, chuffing her sound of warning that bears use to communicate danger to one another. I spoke to Brandy while Biscuit walked out on the tundra, continuously looking at me with worry on her face. I really don't know if she was trying to get me to follow her away from Brandy, but I think she was. As soon as I turned northward, she walked parallel with me, seeming satisfied I was on the move before proceeding out on the tundra to have a rest.
I met up with Charlie soon after and we spent an hour with Brandy, as she skillfully fished. She has always been very accepting of us in her presence and I was pleased to see her altercations with Chico and Biscuit had not changed her attitude towards us. Brandy has been on her own since early July. Gin and Tonic have left the area, likely eastwards to another of Brandy's home ranges. We have monitored her territory carefully over the last two years and never have seen her west of our cabin or down-river.
Late one evening, Chico and Biscuit peered down into the lower canyon, catching sight of Brandy. Shoulder to shoulder, they stalked her with great purpose to their stride surprising her at very close range. She jumped and tore uphill, and out of sight. About 20 minutes later, she appeared over the ridge, frightening our cubs, but they didn't run far. Soon, all three were sharing the same stretch of creek. I did not know what kind of compromise had been worked out, but I suspected a full stomach and lots of fish had quite a bit to do with it. Additionally, our cubs are bigger and continuously gaining self-confidence. That aspect has significantly changed from last summer. We were surprised to see that Brandy left the area the next day and guess that she too has headed east, perhaps to check up on her weaned cubs. Now Chico and Biscuit have Char Creek to themselves.
Last night, we watched them catch approximately 15 fish each in two hours. Chico caught one and with it in her mouth, pounced on another, deftly carrying both out of the creek. Biscuit has learned to save energy and sore feet. Rather than race down stream through the shallows, she sits behind a big rock with her paw searching out some poor fish taking a rest there. There are so many fish that they play with their catch and often only eat the brains. Wrestling with one another in the water, chasing each other across the tundra, racing over to see us when we appear - all signs of well satisfied bears.
They are still losing last year's fur, which now hangs in dreadlocks over their emerging dark undercoat. Both cubs are now a rather dirty blonde color, with Chico the darker of the two. Their faces have a bald appearance. The lush blonde of Biscuit's earlier bleached out color is long gone. Charlie saw them side by side lying on the bank by the creek, scratching their bellies in harmony. Bears seem to shed hair on their stomachs first, providing good forage for mosquitoes. They look funny as they awkwardly raise a hind foot to try to scratch a troublesome insect bite or carefully locate the spot with a claw of their front feet.
-Maureen