Bears in the coop

[Brechin]

How does one keep large grizzly bears out of the coop? What manner of fortress have some of you had to build to keep our larger than life predators? This was a common problem for me back in Alaska, but in California I am just paranoid about hawks.

 

[chickortreat]

How does one keep large grizzly bears out of the coop?

By shooting them and putting them in the freezer, perhaps?

 

[Done]

I found grizzly tracks in the mud around my coop just a couple of weeks ago. Bears are wide-ranging right now trying to build up more fat prior to going into their dens for the winter. The bear got into the wild bird feeder and garbage cans but left the coop alone. After spotting the tracks, I've been removing the chicken feeder from inside the run over night so as not to tempt them. So far, so good.

The coop and run are built pretty stout but I'm sure a bear could tear it apart if it desired. They've been known to break into closed and locked cars and trucks.

The county just built a new dumpster site nearby. They installed six-foot high, electrified cyclone fence topped with two feet of barbed wire to keep the bears out. I'm not willing to go that far, and will certainly not be shooting any bears. I've been told I live in the "Pleistocene" where everything eats everything. Along with the grizzly bears, we have Black bear, mountain lion, wolves, coyotes, eagles, hawks, and other assorted carnivorous beasties.

 

[Island Roo]

Electric fence.
http://www.dgif.virginia.gov/wildlife/bear/fencing.pdf

Anything else you build cannot stop a determined grizzly. Even if you wanted to shoot them, you can't be out there 24 / 7 with your gun.

Design it for a bear and it will keep out most other 4 legged predators.

 

[chickortreat]

I found grizzly tracks in the mud around my coop just a couple of weeks ago. Bears are wide-ranging right now trying to build up more fat prior to going into their dens for the winter. The bear got into the wild bird feeder and garbage cans but left the coop alone. After spotting the tracks, I've been removing the chicken feeder from inside the run over night so as not to tempt them. So far, so good.

The coop and run are built pretty stout but I'm sure a bear could tear it apart if it desired. They've been known to break into closed and locked cars and trucks.

The county just built a new dumpster site nearby. They installed six-foot high, electrified cyclone fence topped with two feet of barbed wire to keep the bears out. I'm not willing to go that far, and will certainly not be shooting any bears. I've been told I live in the "Pleistocene" where everything eats everything. Along with the grizzly bears, we have Black bear, mountain lion, wolves, coyotes, eagles, hawks, and other assorted carnivorous beasties.

Oh my! I'd have to work extra hours to pay my taxidermy bill!

 

[kbgh]

We don't have grizzly but do have some HUGE Black Bears. One attacked a friend of my wife and dam near killed her.

Deterrent

Definitely ELECTRIC FENCE. Relatively inexpensive and VERY EFFECTIVE. We have one running around our pens at bear nose level.