Bears! In Alabama! BEARS, I say!

[jollyscrapmom]

In South Central Virginia, we have bears, coyotes, foxes, hawks, owls, mountain lions, bobcats and the six-foot black snake we killed in the coop this evening. We have two big dogs, so we seldom have any critters come near the house. We let the chickens out to free range every morning, but we make sure they're closed up nice and tight every night. Good luck with your local predators!

 

[Trapper Dan]

SNAKES!!! AAGGGHHH The other predators I can get my head around...but the SNAKE! I'm not liking any bit of that!

 

[hcppam]

try eBay crag's list for E fence..make sure no food barrels in the coop area.

 

[MissMolly'sMom]

they caught the one in Birmingham. he now gets a 30 day vacation at the zoo till they make sure he is healthy and figure out what to do with him. I once saw a dead black bear on the side of I-59 about halfway between gadsden and Birmingham. On it's back, legs straight up in the air. We get a few reports down here in Baldwin county every year. I just hope they stay in the more wooded uninhabited areas of the county

 

[Ogress]

These guys were tracking bears around my property last night - 4 bear dogs and their controlers!

About 2 hours earlier, something took a hen in my orchard. I was suspecting the neighbor's dog, so my son (who is 12 and autistic) decided he would take care of it. He went out into the woods with a paintball gun!!!! The only animal he saw was an elk which was not afraid of him, so he tried to scare it by shooting a paintaball. It took 2 steps and continued to graze. Then he shot up a bush because he thought it wasa carnivore! I was unaware all this was going on until he came home.

Crazy kid!


I think it was a bobcat that took the hen. The compost pile was not disturbed and the bear usually only climbs the fence when apples, plumbs or berries are ripe. I think a hen would have to be sleeping for a bear to catch it.

 

[DAS]

We have a lot of bear around here. Never had one even try to break into the pens. They just want the feed. We now put our feed in large chest freezers outside the pens. Haven't had a problem witht them since

Just in case a loaded gun sits waiting by the back door

 

[LeafZoo]

Red wolves shouldn't bother you. From what I understand, they're less aggressive.

What concerns me is you having only one dog against the coyotes. Please be aware that coyotes are known for having one member antagonize a dog into frenzy. Then it runs away, stopping ever so often, making sure that the dog is following it. It then leads the unknowing dog right into a pack of hungry coyotes, which attack and kill the dog. It's happened with two dogs as well, but usually just the one.

Pyrs are known for wide-ranging, so please keep an eye on your boy until he gets smart enough to not be led astray that way.

I'm going to be watching this thread because NC is seeing an increase of black bears in urban areas. It's because the mothers are throwing out their 2 year old sons, and the sons are trying to find new places to live. I might be moving somewhere that's only woods for miles, so it's scary to me. lol

Good luck!

 

[harveyhorses]

Quote:
I can say you are absolutely right!
Fish & Game will do nothing but tell you to "bang pots together" & "teach your children not to run", oh & let's not forget the wonderful "Make yourself look bigger" advice

Thank you! I've been plagued with several mama bears w/ cubs & the male for 3 years now.
Last summer I was nose to nose with the male on my back deck & believe me there was no time for banging pots!
Anyway...
I noticed some bear droppings (is there a better way to say piles of bear poo?) around the girls coop about a week ago & have been racking my brain trying to figure some way to keep my girls safe. No, I can't afford electrical fencing, but I can afford bacon grease & Off!

I think the correct term is 'scat'.

 

[Life is Good!]

Thankfully no bears here (yet) in Chicagoland. Least the only one's I'm familiar with are at Brookfield Zoo!

As a deterrent to coyotes and noctural animals, we've added motion sensing incredibly bright lights on the corners of our barn, of our house and of course over the coop door. Thus far, the coons and skunks have kept 'in the dark' and are no longer coming right up to the door! That was a surpise to find on our doorstep when the dog was barking like someone was there....there was....a 'black and white' visitor! But with the lights, they're staying away.

Doubt it would work on a bear - but there's gotta be a way to rig up a motion sensing light and sound system.

Good luck!

 

[9gerianMile]

Last summer a big black bear jumped on into my back yard and bit my little buckling on the butt- she let him go when he screamed, guess it startled her. I chased her with a sword and threatened in not-so-nice words (gun safe was too far, this has been remedied). She got the message and left, proceeded to evade fish/game traps and bedded down in my front pasture for over a month out of spite. I finally went out with the gun looking for her one night with a friend- she got the message and left.

Bears are opportunistic and generally, lazy feeders (I'll hold the typical "like many Americans" joke... oh, whoops!). If you take in your bbq, trash bins, and don't have a bunch of sweet fruits growing all over your property, you're on the right track. Apparently a chemical in paint balls attracts bears, so don't use paint balls to redecorate if you can avoid it.

We haven't had any griz come on the property yet, thank God. When that happens, I may wake up 10 goats short... if the yaks don't get him first.