A large black bear has been going to the Blue Mountain Drive-In, Lehigh Township.

However, instead of going inside the restaurant for his dinner, he stays outside and eats from the Dumpster, scattering his food as he makes his way to a red barn. From there, he continues his hike to a tree where he enjoys napping.

Samantha Heimer, Lisa Csencsits and Robert Csencsits, Blue Mountain owners, say the bear, nicknamed Bill, has been coming off and on for six years. They finally decided it was time to discourage him from returning.

Lisa Csencsits said Bill often opens a side door on the Dumpster and has occasionally climbed in, though he usually just pulls a bag out.

A customer, Byron Miller, said he has seen the garbage scattered.

Two on-duty and two off-duty Lehigh Township police officers and two members of the Pennsylvania Game Commission came to encourage Bill to move. They waited at the back door of the drive-in and watched Bill napping under the tree.

Finally, after 1-1/2 hours they got tired of waiting and drove around the back with a truck. The bear finally got up and headed toward a pavilion. He was hit with a tranquilizer dart, but it took three more to put him down. He was placed on a tarp, measuring 10 feet by 7 feet. The game commission representatives estimated his weight at 544 pounds.

"It was exciting, not scary. It was intimidating when I walked past him," said Heimer.

A tooth was removed to determine his age. The men told Heimer to take the tooth but she could not get it loose.

Had Bill been tagged before, a tooth would have already been removed.

One claw was found to be missing from a rear foot.

Heimer was surprised to find that the hair was coarse. She had expected it to be soft as that of a bearskin rug.

With two 8-foot by 10-foot pieces of wood and a piece of plywood, the game commissioners and police made a sled of sorts to move the bear. He had to be placed in a trap, a pipe-like piece of equipment. His back legs were tied.

To get him in the trap he was pulled with a truck and pushed by four men.

Bill began his removal journey to Wyoming County and the excitement at Blue Mountain Drive-In died down.

A smaller bear comes to the drive-in and wanders through the playground. For the time being, he will be allowed to come and go.