Bear!

[Darlasmum]

Maybe she was just using the wire as a butt scratcher?

 

[jafo]

You got bears in Jersey? Usually in the fall, they run around here like they own the place. Bears in Jersey, I never woulda guessed,,,,,

 

[thewarriorchild]

Quote:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=83881

 

[Sillystunt]

yeah, the pine bearings have all kinds of stuff in there! I have seen bears in jersey.

 

[foweler]

I thought my skunks were bad. I just get up and turn off the house fan so the smell stops getting sucked in

 

[Zookeeper9000]

Quote:

Oh pulease, if he hasnt gotten your dog he won't. Do not take that to the bank you will be telling that to your dead dog wondering why the bear could do such a thing. It will eat the guy putting the collar on sooner or later just like the guy in Alaska and his girlfriend...

PROTECT your flock, I know all to well what the bear can do.

The guy in Alaska and his girl friend were ate by Grizzly bears, black bears are getting just as bad as a grizz so that said I am sure the guy knows bears but nobody knows bears.

 

[ravensview]

To Jafo:
As someone who was raised in rural AK around bears all the time, as a biologist, and wife of a fisheries biologist (he hikes streams for his job and encounters black bears and brownies all the time) I am skeptical of anyone that says not to worry about a bear. Just because they haven't bothered something (coop, pet, person, etc.) before doesn't mean they won't in the future. My flock was annihilated this year, and the neighbors hasn't been touched yet. Bears are opportunistic if it looks easy to pick off or if they are desperate enough they will try. As far as Timothy Treadwell (the guy that got eaten in AK), he was fine until it was a bad salmon/berry year. During times of hardship bears (bothblack and brown) become hyperphagic which means the bears are desperate to put on enough fat to get them through the winter. They will take anything they can.
I agree with thewarriorchild, it's just a matter of time for that "expert," and by all means protect your flock.

 

[tomdeggeater]

For Lalaland - "I do have an electric fence, but it is off because I have pullets and pullets sometimes fly over the fence"

Anything in the air and clipping the electric strand won't get shocked. The critter or person has to be standing on the ground, i.e. 'grounded' to get a shock.
However, if the chicken were to walk under the strand and touch it, 'twould get a surprise, indeed.
I'd think the same applies for electric fencing fabric as well, no?
Tom

 

[jafo]

Quote:
I don't know if this "quote deal" will work for me but here goes. I read 99% of the info on Treadwell and what happened to him and his girlfriend. Listened to parts of the the tape recording etc. The Ak Fish and Game said not only was it a bad year, (we agree) but that another important aspect of the tragedy was he picked a campsite at a 3 way junction on heavily traveled paths. I watched him with "Mr Chocolate" etc, and I knew it would'nt be long,,,,,,,,
I am sorry for anyone's loss of flock(s) due to predation, fox coyotes or bears. As a biologist, (or wife of) you are aware that griz have tendancies unlike blacks, as is the same for polar, yes they are bears, yes they should well be respected, and given a wide berth. I'm not saying I'd run over and hug 'em. I'm saying each specie, each individual needs it's own measure of respect, and thought given on how to approach or deter. When we built our coop, much thought went into the fact that we do have bears here, and it was built like fort knox. I've seen posts on "after the feed" or "into the garbage" then who knows what next". It's like the carrot before the horse. Opportunistic, you bet they are, inquisitive, hell yeah, so why give them reason to be? Small windows, no feed laying around, no garbage = no scent. We've had bear on our deck, looking for the bird feeder they smashed (before I could get it down) with 50 lbs of sunflower seed in a covered metal 30 gallon bucket right beside them, and not touch it. I've seen coops with windows a moose could walk through, with bug screen. Then to "lock 'em in" they close the pop door, and leave the window open. Go figger? It sucks losing a pet, or any livestock. All we CAN and SHOULD do is take precautions, and hope for the best. I'm even gonna put in an intercom. I sleep light, and yes I like bears, (and we love Alaska!) but I pity the poor bugger that's where he's NOT suppossed to be in the middle of the night.

 

[mmwb]

"As far as Timothy Treadwell (the guy that got eaten in AK), he was fine until it was a bad salmon/berry year. "

As stated above, it was only a matter of time. He had thrown the dice and the numbers had come up in is favor. Beat the odds in a big way for some time. He was a classic example of a guy who'd bought into the Disney mentality: With grizzlies at that! The truly sad thing was that he spent a lot of time misinforming the public about bears and he took his girlfriend up to share in his fate.