skunk?

A week ago Monte and me both turned over in bed at 2am and said, "skunk". It was so intense it woke us both up! Then I smelled whiffs of it yesterday when walking, and again last night just before bed (just like we're starting to get whiffs of elk coming into rut and in heat).

Monte says he doesn't think it's a skunk. Says bear and fox can smell like that too.

A bear did 'bear' the pain of the electric fence to get at the bird feeders again. It actually probably went under the bottom fence wire, and it's thick hide and fur on its back probably 'barely' felt a thing! So Monte added a lower third wire out back AND wrapped some bacon on it.

So the 'fragrance' was a close critter smelling the bacon. Last night? Just checking it out again.

I got all the feeders back up, but couldn't find the chain for the suet cage. I walked all around the meadow looking for it, and tracks, and any other evidence. Other than a huge 'poop' dump, no chain. It's probably hanging from it's hide (just like we see so many things caught in elk antlers, which is another fun story).