I used to go through two or three 5 gallon pails of bear fat every winter. Everything will eat it, but the birds go nuts over it.

I hope so have about 5 pounds of it.

Works of art, those suet feeders are, Scott !

N50, every once in a great while, I will have a small black bear try to climb up to access the cage, but rarely. Never a grizzly , though they both travel through here, it's only the blacks , small young ones. The big bears just walk through on the deer trails.

Interestingly, none of them have shown any interest in the seed feeders. Must be something they need most in the diet here, which is more protein based, maybe.

Once in a blue moon a coon or two climbs the trees, they have much difficulty trying to grasp the cage and hang onto the tree all at once. Fun targets with my Marlin 22 rifle

Michael might have possum visitors from time to time , too

Thanks Sharon

You're always so kind!

My wife and I have had bird feeders here since 1976. We have 4 seed feeders, 1 suet feeder and 1 oriole feeder. I also have woods and prairie gardens that produce a lot of seed those tweeters like.
Most years, we get to see a new specie. Sometimes after stopping here in migration a couple of years, they have started nesting.
We feed birds year around. It's cool to see the parents bring the young to the feeders.
No bears here but deer can be troublesome. I have figured out how to keep squirrels off the feeders. They are welcome to the spillage on the ground.
Feeding birds is addictive!

" Tweeters" ...I like that, squacks

Thank you for your kindness, Scott, but I think one young bear wouldn't agree ...on one of several bear hunts , I was headed out on walkabout ,after a remarkable deep red auburn toned 350-400 lb boar . Halting out my back door, I stopped to see a small black bear laddie on his hind legs , maybe close to one hundred lbs, looking up the tree trunk . He faced me and took a small jump toward me , stiff legged and huffing . I stood there smiling , had to laugh out loud , he was so amusing.

So tough acting for such a small gnat

He just had no clue...I could have cut him in half with my 300 mag. Weatherby , which I held in ready to warn him off at his feet if needed. Just felt in my instinct that he was posturing , and he was . Faced me wide legged , huffed again, turned and ran , as I laughed.. I think bruised his ego .

I told him to come back and we will ride this train in four or five years

I was within leaping distance to my back door if any adult showed up, but nothing ever did.

It has been over five years now, he hasn't taken me up on the invited visit so far ...

It's fun to imagine what Michael will tell one if he experiences the same !

Sharon if that happens I'll probably end up with another pet, given our record so far
Tell ya what though, my morning coffee seems to take a little longer these days and the last couple of sips seem to be colder than they used to be. I could just sit there for hours watching those little feather balls. I strung up a bunch of peanuts in their shell on a length of wire and hung them on a twig. The tufted titmouse population is having a ball hacking away at them. Saw a squirrel this morning making its way to the feeder zone, pick up an acorn and made off with it. With so many oaks around here and hickory, they don't have to raid bird feeders to get their meals together I think. They rather pick up a fat acorn that a skinny sunflower seed I guess.

I have Oak, Hickory, Black walnut and hazlenut here and black oil sunflower seed will still bring them.

This one broke INTO JAIL to get at them. I can keep them out now. I

I took care of my Squirrel problem last year. Now only have 2 that come to visit.

A picture taken though the kitchen window from the breakfast bar looking at part of the bird feeding spot.

Beautiful Scene Scuba!!!

I have to look at that every day ...... I know, but someone has to I guess lol