Bear! Any advice?

[naturespace]

Twice in the past week we had a bear pay us a visit. He hasn't caused too much damage, just a plastic bowl we had guinea food in.
Last night, he ate all the food in the wild bird feeders and a block of suet. We are no longer going to be feeding any wild birds. I think he might have gone after the a guinea, but they flew off. It was midnight and when I turned on the porch light and opened the door I heard him run off into the woods. Nothing else around these parts could make that much noise.

We are about to move all the chickens outside in the coop my husband is finishing, but now I'm worried the bear will think they are for him. We have an electric poly net that we were going to use to free range them. Do you think that will be good enough to deter a bear? I was worried about little varmints getting the chickens like a fox or weasels. I'm not sure 1/2 inch hardware cloth is going to keep a bear out of the coop.

 

[mstricer]

Call animal control they will catch and relocate a nuisance bear

 

[Nambroth]

This is a good time of year to bring wild bird feeders in. Bears are out and about, and looking for food! You can put your feeders back out again at the start of winter.

As far as your birds-- goodness no, hardware wire will not even make a bear blink. My neighbor had a black bear rip a heavy wooden door off of her guinea coop to get to her birds (and also, ESPECIALLY, their feed. Bears love easy food and bird feed/fowl feed is delicious to them)... like the door and hinges were made of butter. Not trying to scare you, but even a well built coop with heavy wire fencing is no match for a determined bear.

The only thing I know of that will deter them (save for dispatching them with a firearm, if that is legal where you are-- probably is if the bear is destroying property or livestock) is a good snap from an electric fence. My solar powered unit, wire, and clips cost me about $150 total to set up, but I tell you what... $150 is a lot less than the money I'd have to spend replacing my birds and re-building coop and fencing, not to mention the emotional attachment I have to my birds!
I have the electric fencing run on their run, and around their coop in three lines-- one 3" above the ground, one at 2' above the ground, and one along the top. I also have it going around the really vulnerable areas, such as the hardware-cloth only vented areas.


Re-locating a nuisance bear is an option if your fish and game department will do it, but bear populations are on the increase and so there's a chance you'll get another anyhow. It might be worth the time an investment to have years of no worries.

 

[Capvin]

There is basically nothing that will stop a bear except for an electrci fence.

 

[naturespace]

Thanks everyone.
Any idea if the poly net fence will work or do we need to wire steel wire stuff?
this is what we have. with a 3 mile charger.
http://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplie...ent-ft1_electric_fencing;pg108071_108077.html