Bears sniffing around the coop

[Oblio13]

Quote:
I didn't actually see the cubs until they ran up the tree. In fact, when I first went outside I thought there was an upholstered chair in the yard. I was puzzling over that when the chair started walking.

The dog's a Great Dane. He's pretty mellow, but I think he'd pile right in if anything threatened his family.

 

[PunkerTechnoRoo?ter]

buckshot or slug in case of defense.

 

[pederson3]

Hi, I pasted some "Bear Aware" information for you below. Just google bear aware if you need more info. We live with grizzly and black bears and I can tell you that it is not something to say 'oh its just a cute mama and baby' about. The people who say that tend to be the ones that end up mauled when they vacation here. I don't know if bears are a common problem where you live, but they are here. Black bears rarely attack humans, but when they do they tend to fight to the death. A sow with cubs is most likely to attack. You need to be armed with bear spray, but live fire can be handy too. If the bears return, it is because they have found a food source, which needs to be removed, so the bears can move on.


Bears should never obtain human food, pet/livestock feeds, or garbage. Bears that receive these "food rewards" may become aggressive towards humans or cause property damage. To protect people and their property, these bears may have to be destroyed.
Wild bears have a natural fear of humans and will attempt to avoid people and developed areas fed bears do not!
Wild bears rely on natural foods such as berries and fish. Fed bears will abandon vital food sources for human foods and garbage!

Residential Areas
Minimize odors and the availability of food rewards throughout your yard and community.

Put out garbage on the day of pick-up, not the night before. Store in sturdy building or place in a bear- resistant trash receptacle.
Do not leave pet food out. Hang bird feeders out of reach of bears.
Keep bar-b-ques clean and grease free. Store with livestock/pet feed inside a sturdy building.
Pick all ripe fruit from the tree and surrounding ground as soon as possible.
Vegetable gardens and compost piles may attract bears. Do not put meat, fish or other pungent scraps in compost pile. Add lime to reduce odors and accelerate decomposition.
An electric fence is an effective way to keep bears out of orchards, gardens, compost piles, and beehives. Follow appropriate safety precautions.
Bear activity may intensify in spring when bears are hungry and emerging from their dens, in the fall when bears are bulking up for hibernation, and during drought periods. This is due to the scarcity of natural foods.

Bear pepper spray is not the same as personal defense spray, it must be E.P.A. registered.
Bear pepper spray must contain 1.3%-2% capsaicin and related capsaicinoids. Suggested spray distance is at least 25 feet in a cloud pattern lasting 6 seconds or more.

 

[EricShane]

Ive never seen a bear or been around them.. but, im surprised that the sound of the gun didnt make them run off real fast.. hmm

kinda scary.

 

[panner123]

If you are going to shoot the bear kill it. If not it is going to kill your chickens, your family and maybe you.

NEVER NEVER NEVER shoot any large animal to scare it. When an animal is scared in many cases will attack not run.

When you wound a bear or any animal with a light load, it may die a slow death. Infection or lead poison. Much better to just do it fast.

 

[Cetawin]

I will not chastise but I will say this..if you are shooting, shoot to kill and have a reason please. Infections from bird shot and BBs and such can kill a wild animal.

Next, let me tell you something I know and witnessed several years ago. I was camping on a ridge above the ceremonial grounds at the reservation...a completel inbecile from the city was camping three spots over.

She was packing up for the night and had her coolers left out in the open. I walked over and told her to put them away or hang them up in the trees because of the bears. She said "There are no bears go away".

I went away, about 11 pm I hear this very very distinct cute cub sound and peek out of my tent. There are two cubs pilfering through the coolers. They were not satisfied with that so they went over to the surburban and smelled the real goodies. Up on the picnic table they went, onto the hood of the suburban and they are trying to reach in the windows (which the moron left down). Well one cub fell and cried. All HE** broke lose less than a minute later.

Mama comes rushing out of the trees yelling and running towards her cubs. Out comes idiot from her tent who proceeds to try to scare them away. She got too close to a cub and it cried...mama charged. The woman got into the surburban and was rolling up the window when mama came in the other window. All I could do was sit there watching the woman scrambling around the bear towards the back while bear is ripping the vehicle to shreds,

Well idiot got out the back window and managed to do something even more stupid...she climbed up a tree! Luckily for the idiot woman the bear shook the tree several times and she managed to hang on. That mama circled that tree for a good 20 minutes shaking it and stalking her. Bear went back to vehicle and grabbed all the food bags out of it and threw them down to cubs. When they had their fill they all wandered off back up the mountain side. The vehicle was totalled inside and out. This woman never touched or harmed in any way the cub...she just scared it and it cried. Mama did not give a crude, she was gonna eat that woman period.

Please please never try to scare a mama with cubs...I would sooner wrestle a grizzly bear blindfolded than to mess with a mama with cubs at her side.

Call the Dept of Wildlife and let them know of the incident...they may remove the bears for you.

 

[AHappychick]

slugs slugs slugs cause I dont think the buckshot would have stopped her if she was enraged, maybe an electric fence?

 

[HappyHatch'en]

I don't understand you shooting at the bear with bird shot. More than likely the bears never felt more than if she had brush against a tree. You are either in Their territory or the mother bear was forced out of her territory by an aggressive bear. Either way call the DNR for removal, shoot in the air, bang pot's and pans and make noise to scare off. If all this doesn't work, go in the house and hope for the best....don't make mother nature mad please.

 

[Jennie5193]

Quote:
Don't you just hate it when you go out of your way to help someone and they say something stupid like "go away" and then later they have to suffer? IDK about you, but there is a smug satisfaction about seeing someone get a kick in the tail because they didn't listen to me!

I'm glad the lady was okay, but that could've turned out nasty. It was nice of you to tell her - even if she didn't listen.

Oblio, I'm glad you're alright! Good luck with that bear problem!

 

[gypsy2621]

Im sorry I had to laugh at the moving chair and the dumb city dweller incident.

while bears are not something to mess with, most only see Yogi and BooBoo when thinking of a bear.
They have not clue one what those animals can do to human flesh.
Call DNR and see if they will remove the bear and cubs. there is a good chance she won come back for a while but some have been known to come back in a night.
Better to either handle it with heavier fire power or to call in someone.
I am sure a dane will come to the rescue but honestly if the dog isn't trained to fight off such a critter he is in as much danger as you are.
Please do not take chances with this sow with cubs.