Bear tried to break down the barn door - now what

It has been a terrible year around here for predators. Racoons, fox, and now a bear. Monday morning I went out to find the bear had taken down the tractor, killed four of the bantams but two lucky boys flew away. I moved the survivors into the barn until I can figure out a better tractor. Meanwhile, my bantam coop - an 8 x 10 shed, the other tractor as well as all the laying hens in the barn have been safe - until now. I went out this morning and the bear tried to break down one of the barn doors to get to the laying hens. I checked the video in the barn and he worked that door for over a half hour trying to push it in. The only thing that kept the door from coming down was a metal latch that caught on the inside wood frame. Notice the paw prints at the top of the door. He was intent that he was going to get these chickens.

So, now what? It's hard enough to keep them safe in tractors and coops, but if he is trying to break into the barn I don't know what to do. Local animal control and Mass. Fish and Wildlife are absolutely no help.

Any suggestions?

First i'd inspect the inside of your barn to see if you have any food a bear would like. Any fruit or fish? Because i'm almost positive bears don't eat meat besides fish, unless they're extremely desperate. If that doesn't work you could try scaring it or leading it somewhere else.

Have you ever tried electric fencing? I bought electric net fencing surround my trailer coop a year ago. We do not have bears (thank God) in SE Michigan, but it definitely works on coyotes, dogs, racoons, possum, cats, skunks, and the like. I have read that electricity will deter bears, maybe even a few strands of hot wire with a big charger will work? The fence wasn't cheap but I couldn't have chickens without it.

Bears eat meat they are omnivores and will feed on anything they can get ahold of, my mother had one kill a sleeping lamb through the hog panel and eat what it wanted in New Mexico. Your best option is to call your Local Game Warden and get them out there to remove the nuisance bear. He or she will keep coming back.

@Chickenboy - Actually bears do eat chickens (and turkeys). The bear attack on Monday he tore apart and ate four bantams. A barn up the road lost six hens one night, and seven the next to the bear. And, about a half mile away the farmer lost a bunch of chickens and turkeys. What the bear wants in the barn is the chickens


Because this is such a large area it would be next to impossible to put an electric fence in and because he's going to the barn there is no way. I checked into electric fence the other day and to deter a bear it has to be a high voltage (or watt - I'm never sure). The hot wires they have for coyotes, coons, fox,etc. just isn't strong enough.

chikkenboy said:

First i'd inspect the inside of your barn to see if you have any food a bear would like. Any fruit or fish? Because i'm almost positive bears don't eat meat besides fish, unless they're extremely desperate. If that doesn't work you could try scaring it or leading it somewhere else.

Click to expand...

Black and Grizzly Bears will eat about anything,



Quote from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

insects, such as ants and grubs. Common summer food sources are thistle, fireweed, mushrooms, and moths

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clustering in rocky, high-elevations areas. In some areas, bears may prey for a few weeks on newly born elk, deer,
and bison calves, until the young animals become too fast to be captured. In late summer, berry-producing shrubs
provide a preferred food. For a few weeks during the summer, bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem catch cutthroat
trout in spawning streams around Yellowstone Lake and Henry’s Lake.

If you do a search on BYC you will find where Bears has also killed and eaten poultry.


Chris

I've called not only local animal control but also Mass. Wildlife. Their response - you have to do a better job of protecting your birds (d'oh - really?) They dissuade you from shooting them, unless it's a last resort. Local animal control told me to put up spike strips and bright lights. I can't very well put spike strips on the door and considering how persistent he was, I don't think a bright light is going to deter him either.

What's so frustrating is that I'm not tucked into the woods somewhere. I'm on a fairly busy secondary road and my property is bound on two sides by roads, on the third side by a cemetery and the fourth is a house. All open area. The coops are about 20' from my house and the barn is about 35' from the house. Not really what you would expect for bear habitat.

Well it may be time for some Bear Sausage !

Stonerowfarm said:

Because this is such a large area it would be next to impossible to put an electric fence in and because he's going to the barn there is no way. I checked into electric fence the other day and to deter a bear it has to be a high voltage (or watt - I'm never sure). The hot wires they have for coyotes, coons, fox,etc. just isn't strong enough.

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I have seen miles of electric fence run so I wouldn't say "next to impossible".



Quote: It isn't the strength of the wire that helps keep them out it is the output of the fencer.

Chris

I feel for you. we HAD a black bear do the same, except he ripped out a hunk of side wall in my barn. As in, 4 feet of my 34x36 barn (not some little coop). he was after chicken.....no doubt about it. We tried electric, we tried lights, we tried noise (I think the bear liked loud rock n roll!) and we tried calling a guy with bear dogs to come chase him. after the bear coming back several times over a couple weeks, the bear had to be "removed" from the situation. yes.....Fish and game had said use it as a last resort......we did.
Try to find out if neighbors are feeding him.....bird feeders, trash, dog/cat food left out etc. See if fish and wildlife will trap him for you (sometimes they do). If not, got a gun? sorry you are going through this........



*edited to add, during this time he ate about 30 chickens. So yes, bears LOVE chickens!