Are Black Bears a Big Threat To Chickens?

[Wolf-Kim]

If you do not have a firearm, you could use firecrackers. Not the ones that go airborn(fire'works'), but the ones the pop and fizzle and flash on the ground. You want the really loud, flashy ones. Just keep them by the door with a lighter and then when you hear them, light 2 or 3 up and chuck them out the door. Same affect as a firearm shooting the ground. Just make sure not to throw them on or in anything that is very flammable. Make sure any neighbors know what you're doing before hand("Hey, you might hear firecrackers in the middle of the night, I'm trying to run off bears, no worries.")

Just an idea, I know not everyone has firearms to their advantage. You would be able to throw the firecrackers out the door and then shut and lock the door to watch from a window. Safety is number one.

-Kim

 

[panner123]

Quote:
That be me Liz, how is your bobcat doing? YES a bear will help himself to your chickens. One time we lost 35 chikens in one night, one of which was my gradn daughter's fair entree. Now I keep an electric fence on 24/7. Never had a problem for about 20 years, then we had a bad forest fire. Then we had all the retired folk from the city move in, leaveing thier garbage out and bar b que dirty. I have had the federal trapper come in a few times. But I now take care of any problems with bears at the time it happens. Who loses, the bear who only wanted something to eat. No critter can stand up to a well placed arrow or my two friends, Smith & Wesson.

 

[chickenlady]

Thanks all for the replys. I had the bears again last night. I think that makes it 4 nights in a row I sat up worried. Tonight I will finally sleep though (I think). I brought all my 'good' chickens to the chicken show tonight, so they are, hopefully, safe from preditors for tonight at least. I was hoping that ultimately the bears would not be a problem but I am thinking otherwise now. Last year we had a mom bear with 3 or 4 yearlings and 2 cubs. The state put a radio collar on her. Anyway, I think the yearlings are still together this year and dont seem to be phased by humans. This whole 'family' has been protected by the state for over a year now. I think I will make a call about them.

 

[Meesh]

Well, my experience with those types of bears is they are not necessarily afraid of gunfire. They may have already heard warning fire and learned to ignore it. I have personally seen that happen with bears that are tagged (because they were already captured once). I really worry about you getting between a sow and her cubs. You are aware how dangerous that situation is, right?

On a sort of related note, I tried to run the feral pigs out of my pasture yesterday with a warning shot. I was about 75' away. They didn't even LOOK my direction, let alone move a hoof because I shot toward them. If they hadn't been right at the fence by the road, I would have plucked at least one of them off.

Darned destructive varmints.

- Michelle