My wife and I live on several acres outside of town. Our property adjoins a 100-acre estate of mixed woods and overgrown fields for which I oversee for the estate hiers. It is great deer country, and we have photo albums full of pictures of all kinds of wildlife. Not only do we have deer on a daily basis usually, but during the spring, summer and fall, we quite often have bear in our yard. My wife and I were in bed one night in the fall. Warm night, bedroom windows open. I got awake and was hearing a strange noise from the back deck area. I got up, looked out the window, and there was a big black bear-- probably in the 300 lb. class-- laying on the deck and helping himself to a half bushel of apples my wife had bought, as we were in the process of making applesauce and apple butter,
I got my wife awake, and we could hear him chewing up the apples, and could smell the juice from them. We were only about 8 ft. from him. We watched for awhile, and he finally got up, shook himself off, and ambled off the deck.
Wildlife is tremendous. If I ever quit carrying a gun, I'll do my hunting with a camera.