Bear!

[sourland]

, he ran out on the porch in his tighty whities threw his arms up in the air and started stomping his feet and shrieking "get outta here, bear!" over and over...
The bear, still standing on its back feet, took one look at this display, turned, farted rather loudly and ran off into the woods.

@DobieLover, you do have a way with words - that created a hysterical visual/audio for me. also bringing to mind the 'unclothed' encounter mentioned below.

To the OP - many years ago there was a frequent bear sighting in the area. One night my dogs were alarm barking so I hurried outside, flashlight unlit but in hand. Right off the back porch I collided with something big and dark that snorted. I swear my heart stopped. Somehow I got back on the porch and turned on the light to see the neighbor's pony standing there.

 

[NHMountainMan]

Yes, beats do scare off rather easily but there's always that one time...especially if he's as close as this was and staring at you. Scared me silly.

@NHMountainMan I hope your dog was ok and healed well. I was mev3er scared to be put when my cat, Prince Smedley, was out with me. He chased bears out off the property more than once.
@Wee Farmer Sarah I get up in the morning, stumble from bathroom to kitchen, start coffee, fill chicken feeders, take out feeders n do whats needed for morning chickens, make my way back to 2 dogs blocking my way into the door so I leash them and go for a quick walk. By then coffee is ready,I pour for hubby n I as he heads out to work, and I've earned my cuppa.

Thanks for the concern. My dogs weigh 125 each (Greater Swiss Mtn dogs/ Great Pyrenees), the bear was a yearling male - maybe 150lbs. Once my heart rate returned to normal, I was fascinated on how the dogs instinctively knew what to do - one got on each side so that when he moved toward one, the other would charge him from behind. The bear spun, and the other dog did the same. I'm not sure where it happened but the younger of the two came back with his back leg injured. He needed knee ligament surgery. Doing now but he's got some arthritis. Thank you for asking.

 

[Cryss]

@DobieLover, you do have a way with words - that created a hysterical visual/audio for me. also bringing to mind the 'unclothed' encounter mentioned below.

To the OP - many years ago there was a frequent bear sighting in the area. One night my dogs were alarm barking so I hurried outside, flashlight unlit but in hand. Right off the back porch I collided with something big and dark that snorted. I swear my heart stopped. Somehow I got back on the porch and turned on the light to see the neighbor's pony standing there.

 

[Duck_life]

We only have black bears up here in the Northeast. They are pretty easy to scare off. Unless it's a momma with cubs. That certainly doesn't mean being confronted with one when you are half asleep and in need of oiling of the joints won't shake you up.

I'm sure most of us have seen this sign.

Ya, PA is by NY so we encounter tons of bears (even in the city!)

 

[DobieLover]

@DobieLover, you do have a way with words - that created a hysterical visual/audio for me. also bringing to mind the 'unclothed' encounter mentioned below.

To the OP - many years ago there was a frequent bear sighting in the area. One night my dogs were alarm barking so I hurried outside, flashlight unlit but in hand. Right off the back porch I collided with something big and dark that snorted. I swear my heart stopped. Somehow I got back on the porch and turned on the light to see the neighbor's pony standing there.

Sour, THAT is a great visual!! Thanks for the belly laugh. What must that poor pony have been thinking when the lights came on!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

Left a trash can on the screened porch shortly after I moved in here. Not yet schooled in the method of living in bear country. Bear broke through the screen, hauled a large garbage can out the window, knocking over the dog fencing. Made such a racket I thought someone was setting off fireworks next door (in the forest?).

I shouted out the window and it ran off.

 

[WNCcluck]

We've always had black bears. This year was the first time we had one do serious damage to our coop and run and kill all of our chickens. Yes, that's a heavy gauge aluminum roof that was bolted to the welded steel run.
We now have a 5/8" plywood roof with 2"x4" ribs and supports covered with Ondura corrugated asphalt blend roofing bolted to that same steel run. The pop door has been redesigned entirely, and the main coop door has been repaired.

The final addition was a nice electric fence - 164 feet long, 4 feet high. We still have bears; that's part of life in our mountains. Hopefully, the new 8 week old chickens we got recently won't end up as a snack for one of those bears. One thing's for sure, the next eggs we get from our own chickens some months from now will be some pretty expensive eggs!

 

[trumpeting_angel]

@WNCcluck - so sorry about your girls and your coop. Lots of work on that new one! Seems like the electric fence ought to protect it (and the new girls)!

 

[WNCcluck]

@WNCcluck - so sorry about your girls and your coop. Lots of work on that new one! Seems like the electric fence ought to protect it (and the new girls)!

Thanks! Our youngest hen was about 4 or 5 years old before the bear. All of them had been rehomed from folks in the area who wanted to retire some older birds. Those girls were definitely pets! Now we've got a bunch of little girls with what we hope will be years of tasty eggs ... starting in a few months.

 

[Folly's place]

Terrific thread, glad everyone got out alive1
The 'Warning' sign is priceless!
Get bear spray for those outside walks, never mind a club. Black bears do usually run away, except if they don't.
Mary