A bear with a hankering for hummingbird feeders and corn feed has been spotted in the backyards of two Christian Valley homes this week.

At around 9:30 p.m. Monday, Bob Taylor spotted something on the deck of his Sugar View Road home.

“The dog was growling. We were having a problem with skunks so I checked it out,” he said. “All I saw was a huge, furry something. Then I realized it was a bear.”

Taylor said when he flipped on the light, the bear went to a rock in the backyard where he feeds squirrels corn scratch.

“I’ve never seen a bear here before,” he said. “I know there’s bears in the area, but I would have had no idea they’d be in Christian Valley.”

Hollis Field also had an encounter with a bear at his Possum Lane home in Christian Valley.

His wife, LaVeve, heard something rustling around at around 12:20 a.m. Wednesday.

“We have hummingbird feeders and I like birds, so I have five feeders on the deck,” Field said. “He just went one by one and took them down.”

“We said ‘shoo!’ and he looked up and we saw that he was a bear and we backed off,” Field said.

After cleaning out the bird feeders, the bear discovered plastic storage containers with more bird feed and peanuts.

“He stayed for two hours, just taking his time,” Field said.

It’s not unusual to find bears foraging for food this time of year, said Kyle Orr, public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Game.

“Our department stresses that people try to keep bear attractants away from the house as much as possible,” he said. “Bears tend to be very attracted to human food.”

Bears can become accustomed to human food sources, leading to bears encroaching on human areas.

“If people take sensible precautions, bears and humans can live together,” Orr said.

Orr recommended residents remove the bird feeders and other outdoor food sources so the bear will go back into the forest for a meal.

Bears that continue to frequent people territory could lead to the bear having to be killed.

“Bear encounters with humans are rare, but it’s always caused by bears having access to human food,” Orr said. “To minimize the potential for negative encounters, take precautions to not attract bears. When bears have access to food … sadly, the bear ends up paying the price.”

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Bear necessities

Tips for keeping your home safe and keeping bears wild

- Keep food indoors, in air-tight, odor-free containers. If enjoying a picnic in the backyard, take leftovers inside.

- Clean barbecue grills. Bears are attracted to remnants of food

- Keep pet food inside. Remove bird feeders from outside.

- Pick up fallen tree fruit or protect fruit trees with electric fencing.

- Install or request bear-proof garbage containers

For more information on how to live alongside wild animals, visit www.keepmewild.org.

Residents can report bear sightings to the Department of Fish and Game North Central Region at (916) 358-2900. If a bear is causing a public safety issue, call local law enforcement.