Vermont Governor Barely Escapes Bears
OutdoorHub Reporters 04.15.12
Friday the 13th was less than lucky for Vermont governor Peter Shumlin – he had a close encounter with four bears he spotted in the backyard of his newly-rented Montpelier home.
This is the time of year when black bears are emerging from hibernation in Vermont and will pursue just about any source of food, which can include birdfeeders.
Shumlin’s encounter began with the bears as he sought to defend his backyard birdfeeders, telling the AP “I open the window and yell at them to get away from the birdfeeders. They kind of trot off. I go around to the kitchen to turn the lights on and look from the other side and they’re back in the bird feeders. So I figure I’ve got to get the birdfeeders out of there or they’re going to make this a habit.”
He then rushed out and grabbed two of his feeders, and as he was trying to escape with another two feeders, “one of the bigger bears was interested in me.”
Shumlin said the bear was probably six feet from him before he slammed the door, at which point the bear retreated.
While Shumlin captured much of the event on his iPhone, according to him much of it wasn’t suitable for media outlets. “I sleep like many Vermont boys, without too much clothing at night. I’m not a big pajama person. The bottom line is: There bears were dressed better than I.”
Of course this begs the question: Why bring an iPhone and not, say, pants or a gun…to an encounter with four bears?
