Friday Night into Saturday Morning

On Friday morning, Sue spoke to a woman who reported seeing Toby in the field behind the townhouses and on Thursday night. Ironically, Sue and I had been in the same location within 15 minutes of each other and didn't see each other. No wonder we keep missing poor Toby.

Based on this report, we had Sam out all night Friday night, with some volunteer support, monitoring a special trap that Sam designed and which she always assembles on site. Unfortunately, there were no sightings overnight, so we need to give Toby a little more guidance. To help condition him to rely on the food we provide, we will be discontinuing the use of the second feeding station, the lower feeding station, and relocating the upper station to the ridge above the street shown in the picture below.

The trap that Sam monitored all night was located at the other end of Baish Dr from the location of the upper station. Here's a picture of it, and since it's so dark, another picture of the same trap, set up in another location at another time for another animal, is also shown. It's less threatening to a lot of animals than a cage-style trap. Hopefully to Toby, anyway.

We will be placing a plastic container next to the stake with the signs to hold the food and keep it dry. We will continue to monitor the feeding station as we've been doing and once we can establish, through sighting and photos, that Toby is eating at the new location, we will try to trap again. We are also working at trying to get another tracking dog as Salsa has started her chemo.

Wednesday Monitoring of the Feeding Stations

I had signed up for the morning feeding station monitoring, but was running late. Kim, who is a dog walker in the neighborhood, readily stepped in and checked upper station, and put out Beggn' Strips but didn't see any tracks n snow.

I got there between 0830 and 0900 drove through the SFH, thinking that Toby would be easier to see against the snow. I investigated some unaccompanied paw prints, but they were spaced too far apart to be Toby. Food was gone from both feeding stations; the upper one had some small paw prints but mostly crows feet - the lower station was all crow. I put down hot dogs and looked for paw prints heading to running water I found some leading down to the center of the area but think they were fox. I walked behind all the townhouse backyards looking for prints going in and out of hiding places like under deck and steps and along the ridgeline.

I did not go down to the Rt7/Sycolin underpass, but I know Toby went through there on his initial route. I did see some hopeful paw prints in back of the townhouse along the area on the sightings but across the street from those that back to the field.

While it was very windy, which partially covered some fox/rabbit/dog?? tracks, it was warm enough that snow was melting and running out drainpipes, which he could have drunk without going down to the culverts.

Peggy stopped by on the spur of the moment around 2:30 this afternoon. All of the food/treats were gone from both stations. There were some small pawprints around the upper feeding station, but the lower feeding station seemed to have only bird's feet marks all around the station.

One of the neighbors who lives near the Baish Street station told me he saw small pawprints down near the rocks at the intersection of Route 7 and Sycolin Road. (Note: Toby was tracked having made his way through there by Sam and Salsa on 31 Jan.) I walked down there and saw a couple of sets of pawprints which appeared to be made by a dog or cat walking alone. I did see one set of bootprints too, and now mine are covering the area.

Since I was ill-prepared today, I ran over to Red, Hot & Blue and got some pork barbeque. I placed the pile of barbeque on the flat cement next to the red fire hydrant near the rocks at Sycolin and Route 7. I will check again for little Toby tomorrow afternoon after lunch.

Victor also I went by this afternoon and replaced the food at the upper station and drove up and the neighborhoods, but saw nothing.

Monday Update - Another Sighting!

After a another morning of checking the feeding stations and walking/driving/walking the area with no sightings I was pretty sad driving home when I got a call from Karen saying someone had called her Sunday night to report SEEING TOBY AGAIN. Karen was late getting the call because her phone was charging. She called them back and confirmed that yes indeed it was our little Toby - they tried to catch him but he got away.

I went back out this evening and met Karen, Lisa and Debra all there all looking for Toby, along with three little boys from the neighborhood. Since yesterday evening's sighting had been about 8pm, I went over to Red, Hot & Blue around 7ish to get some steaming hot BBQ to draw him out. We strategically placed it all around the townhouses where he was seen both times. I walked around until 10pm carrying the rest of the BBQ (getting hungrier and hungrier myself!) Once I got home with the rest of the BBQ, a bag of Beggin Strips and some liver treats leftover, I quickly leashed up the Beagles to get them out straight away. Before even thinking about doing their business they were both in the driveway jumping up against the doors of the truck with such energy the the truck was rocking back-and-forth as they tried to get at the food. And that is way one shouldn't feed the bears.