Bear attack!

[kallan]

I have an idea that may work for you. It works for beekeepers and we use it successfully to keep deer out of our haystacks.
Put up an electric fence/wire around the coop. Take tinfoil and wrap it around the electric fence wire, then coat it in peanut butter. You may have to re-coat it weekly.
The animal will come up to the electric fence and bite/lick the peanut butter and get quite a painful and scary shock. We used to have deer tearing our haystacks apart, but after a couple nights of the peanut butter on the electric fence they usuall don't even come onto our property anymore. We don't keep the peanut butter going all the time, just when needed (i.e. when hay is stacked new). Now once or twice every couple of years seems to keep all deer off the property.
We also use this around our bee hives and although we have not had bear problems, i am sure if a bear came by they would not like the "treat". My in-laws had a bear tear apart their coop and kill some chickens a couple of years ago... since then, they have used the peanut butter trick with no more chicken casualites.
May be worth trying.....since once a bear knows there's food available they tend to come back.

Sounds like a great idea! Someone on BYC mentioned they use a sola powered electric fence . Did you order your electric fence online or locally? I don't know anything about this type of fence, but I willing to try and install one. Do you have to up the voltage or do anything different for bears/deer?

 

[NEChickenNoob]

Sounds like a great idea! Someone on BYC mentioned they use a sola powered electric fence . Did you order your electric fence online or locally? I don't know anything about this type of fence, but I willing to try and install one. Do you have to up the voltage or do anything different for bears/deer?

The bigger the animal, the more joules you should get. In terms of solar, it's more expensive than other power source. Also, more joules = more $$$. Things to consider.

 

[Bowslayer2]

I have used both the solar and the "plug" in electric fence and don't really see a big difference. The most my solar has been tasked to protect is about 7 acres. I purchased a pretty good solar electric fence charger and it definitely zapped me hard when I accidently touched it. The point is that a moist mouth touching the tinfoil/electric fence is likely not a pleasant experience. I haven't tried it yet, but suspect it hurts

 

[earlyredrooster]

Sounds likr you already fattened it up. Invite all the neighbors over for a bear-b-q.

 

[kallan]

Sounds likr you already fattened it up. Invite all the neighbors over for a bear-b-q.

LOL, I need to fatten him up a bit more! Yesterday, he was lounging beside my coop in the shade eating the remaining pellets out of the grass. I threw an apple at him and he ran. I didn't see him the rest of the day, but last night he got in my carport....no food there, but turned everything upside down and dumped the contents of the recycling, etc. I am afraid there may be more than one. Usually, they have two cubs don't they? Where's the mama?

I am calling the Dept of Wildlife tomorrow and see if there is anything that they will do. The bear seems to be afraid of me because I can run him off with an african rattle, pot lids, and apples. The message on the Dept of Wildlife said it is illegal to feed the bears, but if I make Yogi a picnic basket, maybe he will leave my chickens and fish alone until I can get the electric fence bought and put in place.

 

[ChicknCommander]

Maybe you can put a sign up an say no bears allowed that should work. The bear should be shot and disposed of properly. If it's caught and relocated it will find its way to a other house. What ya gonna do when it gets inside your house, they are very capable of getting in and killing you

 

[NEChickenNoob]

Maybe you can put a sign up an say no bears allowed that should work. The bear should be shot and disposed of properly. If it's caught and relocated it will find its way to a other house. What ya gonna do when it gets inside your house, they are very capable of getting in and killing you

I agree, but likelihood is low they will enter a home to kill the occupants. Majority of bear kills are predatory from Black Bears and defensive for Brown Bears, but both have killed for both reasons. Most predatory attacks occur in parks and generally uninhabited areas or camp grounds. Most bear encounters can be avoided by simply making the area not related to food for the bear. If chickens are electrically guarded, this will help in that endeavor. Unfortunately, the OP's property is a source of food in the bear's mind. It must be dispatched.
While formulating my response, I was interested in verifying my statements. I did some googling and found a great wiki article that lists all known fatal bear attacks back to the 1830's in North America. It even details the circumstance. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fatal_bear_attacks_in_North_America
Those in bear country should read this and keep it in mind. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.

 

[ChicknCommander]

It may be low but why even take chance? Seem like they have made the place a very good food source. An electric fence may slow it down but that seems like putting buckets under the leak instead of just fixing the problem.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

One good tip to keep bears away from your chickens is to sprinkle ammonia on the ground around the chicken coop. I've smelled it before, and if bears have a better sense of smell then we do, their nose will be burning.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

It may be low but why even take chance? Seem like they have made the place a very good food source. An electric fence may slow it down but that seems like putting buckets under the leak instead of just fixing the problem.

That's very true. We have an electric fence around the chicken coop just so the odds of us seeing the bear before he kills our chickens again is higher. It would not only be an obstacle, but I'm sure he'd give off a nice grunt if he touched it.