A Strange Winter

The winter here in SE British Columbia has been unseasonably warm and we wonder what this will mean especially to wildlife.
In mid-winter we were told that two bears were wandering close by and that does not bode well as there is nothing for them to eat. Yesterday I saw evidence that more bears are coming close to human habitation.
We will be emptying what's left of our apples and some rotting squash into our compost that is some distance from our house but lies half-way between our house and our closest neighbor. Hopefully that wont become a problem for us or the bears.
Hardly a night goes by that we don't hear coyotes trying to yowl up a meal or two and our little dogs, and even our big guy, could easily become tidbit, morsel or full meal deal if we didn't keep a close eye on them.
Thankfully there seem to be a record number of deer and although they are so lovely to watch, they provide the main diet for the cougars that have frequented our property all winter long. I'd like to believe that they actually prefer venison to a canine or feline repast. However, I'm not foolish enough to think that they would pass up whatever meal presents itself.
A few nights ago as we laid ourselves down to sleep, we could hear the bugling or whistling of two bull elk calling across the lake to their cows joined by the serenading coyotes. Ah, give us the sounds of the wild over the sounds of cars honking any day. What a wonderful lullaby to fall asleep to.
So for now, this is early spring in the Kootenay mountains. We are so fortunate.