A BEAR DESTROYED MY COOP WHAT DO I DO

[Hucklekree]

 

[NatJ]

If you have any chickens left, is it possible to bring them into the house each night? (Put them in a dog crate or something.) So far, it looks like the bear is coming at night.

And you could keep the electric fence, and put bait on it, to start training the bear to avoid it. If if cannot get any chickens at night, it would not get any "reward" for breaking in again.

Yes, a bear could (in theory) rip its way into your own house as well. But it would make noise, wake you up, and you've already said there is a gun suitable for shooting a bear. I'm sure it would be considered self-defense and legal if the bear was shot while actually tearing at the house you were inside!

(But hopefully the bear would not actually try your house--it apparently hasn't yet.)

 

[mommiesrcool]

wow i just read everything and i am super sorry for you loss of chickens and i would try to bring in the chickens at night thats protected from the bear and until you know that the bear is dead , caught ,or at least gone away i wouldn't spend to much money on a nice fence because the bear might come back and destroy it good luck !

 

[NatJ]

Your profile says Pennsylvania, so I went looking online for the rules there.

https://www.pfb.com/information/for-farmers/753-wildlife-management
This page has a link to a .pdf called "Farmers' Rights and Obligations Pertaining to the Game and Wildlife Code." The .pdf is dated January of 2020.

It says that "farmers" are allowed to kill wildlife in defense of livestock, poultry, beehives, and some other things.

So I went and looked up the parts of law it cited.

https://law.justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/2019/title-34/chapter-21/section-2121/
This one is from 2019, so unless they've changed the rules this year, it should still be valid.

Says you're allowed to kill "wildlife" if it's actually "engaged in the material destruction of" a list of things--includes poultry and beehives.

Also says you're allowed to kill it right after the destruction, on the same property.

https://law.justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/2019/title-34/chapter-21/
List of related sections of the law. Bits that looked important in some of them:

If you kill the bear legally, you must notify the Game Warden within 24 hours. You're allowed to notify him orally or in writing. You're supposed to tell date, time, place, kind of animal, and sex of animal. (section 2122)

You must also keep the dead bear intact except for "entrails" until the Game Warden says what to do with it--he's allowed to inspect it, or take it away, or he can choose let you eat it. (section 2123, 2124, 2125)

 

[humblehillsfarm]

Your profile says Pennsylvania, so I went looking online for the rules there.

https://www.pfb.com/information/for-farmers/753-wildlife-management
This page has a link to a .pdf called "Farmers' Rights and Obligations Pertaining to the Game and Wildlife Code." The .pdf is dated January of 2020.

It says that "farmers" are allowed to kill wildlife in defense of livestock, poultry, beehives, and some other things.

So I went and looked up the parts of law it cited.

https://law.justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/2019/title-34/chapter-21/section-2121/
This one is from 2019, so unless they've changed the rules this year, it should still be valid.

Says you're allowed to kill "wildlife" if it's actually "engaged in the material destruction of" a list of things--includes poultry and beehives.

Also says you're allowed to kill it right after the destruction, on the same property.

https://law.justia.com/codes/pennsylvania/2019/title-34/chapter-21/
List of related sections of the law. Bits that looked important in some of them:

If you kill the bear legally, you must notify the Game Warden within 24 hours. You're allowed to notify him orally or in writing. You're supposed to tell date, time, place, kind of animal, and sex of animal. (section 2122)

You must also keep the dead bear intact except for "entrails" until the Game Warden says what to do with it--he's allowed to inspect it, or take it away, or he can choose let you eat it. (section 2123, 2124, 2125)

Wow this is incredible. For all I knew, it was illegal to kill the bear out of season. This is very good news! We are borrowing a more powerful gun from a friend today. I hope the bear comes back soon. There is no doubt that he will be back.

He was enormous. At his shoulders he was easily taller than your average kitchen counters.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

If you have any chickens left, is it possible to bring them into the house each night? (Put them in a dog crate or something.) So far, it looks like the bear is coming at night.

And you could keep the electric fence, and put bait on it, to start training the bear to avoid it. If if cannot get any chickens at night, it would not get any "reward" for breaking in again.

Yes, a bear could (in theory) rip its way into your own house as well. But it would make noise, wake you up, and you've already said there is a gun suitable for shooting a bear. I'm sure it would be considered self-defense and legal if the bear was shot while actually tearing at the house you were inside!

(But hopefully the bear would not actually try your house--it apparently hasn't yet.)

I’m going to try rubbing bacon grease on it to encourage him to sniff it and get zapped. But also we are going to try to kill the bear. It’s not just us that he’s been terrorizing.

 

[humblehillsfarm]

I am so sorry. How terrifying. You need to use tposts and solid wood corner posts and build a proper fence. Make sure the wire is TIGHT. Not sagging at all. Did you bait the fence? You can hang tin cans from the wire and put food in them. He will be shocked. If he is now tearing into other buildings your home may be next. Shoot him of you can. This is a learned behavior and he will not stop. Put a proper fence up for more bears that may be in the area. I know you did your best with the time that you had. Hard lesson learned. Best of luck

I didn’t bait the fence but I will now. The reason I didn’t use t-post is because I figured no post was a match for a bear, considering the damage he did to my coop the first time. I was relying purely on the strength of the electric fence, which I *do* think has deterred the bear before, because he’s been back a few times already. This time though, I don’t know what happened.

 

[MarkJr]

It’s going to sound gruesome, but rip apart the deceased and leave them in the coop. Relocate the living. Wait for him to be back. Typically it will be toward evening/night. Place a light so you have enough light to shoot. Then wait. He will be back.

 

[NatJ]

Wow this is incredible. For all I knew, it was illegal to kill the bear out of season. This is very good news!

I am not a lawyer, which is part of why I included links so you can check for yourself--there is a chance I missed some details somewhere. But at least it gives you a starting point.

When you talked to the unhelpful game warden, did he say anything about what YOU are allowed to do? (Since obviously HE wasn't going to do anything.)

 

[RRRescue]

By Ele

Sorry for your loss. Call the game warden and tell them to help take care of the problem or the next time the bear comes back you will solve the problem once and for all. Personally I would shot it if I caught it in the act.
Electric fence would be your best nonlethal bet

By Electtic fence, thst would be the type for cattle, not chicken predator fencing
....high amp for at least 20 miles of fencing.....research this topic for bears.....A lotta fur for insulation makes it difficult.....baiting the wire for nose or mouth touching is reccommended for full effect