As I rode over the hill through the now bare branched forest I saw a black lump on the side of the road that didn't look right.
I slowed down and did a U-turn to get back to it; parked and got off to have a look.
Sadly, it was a dead Black bear. I could see no obvious injuries, but I strongly suspect it was hit by a car some time in the night.
(Alternately, it may have eaten something that was bad for it - Like a Mtn Bike rider perhaps!)
It was I think a mature adult, and it had a blue tag in its ear.
Its sad but not surprising. Black bears are quite common in the area, and about once a year I see one in my back yard (just on the other side of the hill from where I found this one).
There wasn't much else to do though, so I continued on to work.
As I rode on, I had a related thought from my lateral thinking brain - Perhaps I could look at it as a symbol of the death of the "Bear market" that is really starting to effect everyone here in North America now...
Sadly again, I dont think that is the case and that the "Bear Market" will continue and get worse for a while yet...
When I got to work, I phoned it in to the local police who passed me over to the conservation office, etc.
No picnic indeed!
