Bear Attack...and After

[azygous]

Oh, my gosh. This is so tragic. All they time and energy and emotional investment, just gone. I know the feeling well, and it can also include rage over how unfair mother nature can be.

Putting up hot wire is a good start, but to be effective, it has to be mounted against a barrier so the bear can' just jump over or hope between wires. They must be invited to engage with the hot wire and you do that by baiting it with peanut butter. The bear has to contact the wire with nose or mouth since all other parts are well insulated.

Ask me anything about bears. I've had them in my house twice for destruction derbies and just last summer in my coop. I've never had a bear attack when the hot wire was activated. They've all been when the wire was off.

 

[OzarkCountryGirl]

Oh, my gosh. This is so tragic. All they time and energy and emotional investment, just gone. I know the feeling well, and it can also include rage over how unfair mother nature can be.

Putting up hot wire is a good start, but to be effective, it has to be mounted against a barrier so the bear can' just jump over or hope between wires. They must be invited to engage with the hot wire and you do that by baiting it with peanut butter. The bear has to contact the wire with nose or mouth since all other parts are well insulated.

Ask me anything about bears. I've had them in my house twice for destruction derbies and just last summer in my coop. I've never had a bear attack when the hot wire was activated. They've all been when the wire was off.

In the house??? I can't imagine how scary that must have been! Thanks for the peanut butter tip. I'm definitely going to do that. How often re-applied? I would assume after every rain for sure, as it would dilute the flavour/scent.

My neighbours acrossed the road are also on Bear Alert since the attack as they have young children who play in their fenced in (chain link) yard, and a bear can easily bound over that 4-ft fence.

 

[azygous]

Peanut butter retains its aromatic qualities even after rain. I refresh it each month or when critters eat it off the wire. Hot wire shocks won't harm chickens, though they do experience a shock. I have a rooster who gets shocked by the wire and then will stand there repeatedly "attacking" the wire and getting a shock until he wears himself out.

Yes, wildlife getting into my house from time to time is something I've gotten used to living in the wilderness for 30 years.