Do I worry about the black bear?

[Niss]

I live in rural western PA.

This weekend my dog whent crazy tring to do her fierce bark and sniffing around the corner of our yard. She then took off down the bank to the road and over into the abandoned yard across the street. She bounded throught the high grass (hasn't been mowed in about 3 yrs) sniffed around alot then gave up. The area she ran to was all flattened down it's about 30yds from our coop. About 3 mins later the husband sees a black bear cross to our side of the road about 120 yrds on up the lane. A friend and avid outdoors man said yes, looks like a bear layed there, but doubted it's been "staking out" the chicken coop as hubby origanally worried. I've been locking the ducks up with the chickens since they won't go to bed until late and thier coop is in the edge of the woods where my visablity is poor, and the door of the duck shack is in need of repair.

Knowing black bears are very common and the home range is typically huge should I concern myself that it's hanging around? Will dumping ammonia around deter them? Is mowing that area the best solution?

 

[mangled]

We also live in rural western PA. A black bear DECIMATED our coop. We used screws instead of nails and 3/4 inch ply. The bear simply tore the coop apart.

The only thing that will deter a black bear is a large caliber rifle or electric fence. We now employ both.


Good luck..
Where-abouts are you in Western PA? We're near East Brady.


Blessings-
Em

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I wouldn't worry too much about the bear.

They tend to avoid humans as much as possible.

Ammonia won't do anything, but mowing would help keep lots of predators away

 

[geoff40]

One of the best deterrents for your bear already took place, the apparent running off done by your dog. The barking dog, along with the mowing, would do much to keep the bear gone. As already said, you are going to have to employ the heavy artillery to keep a determined bear away, but in general I wouldn't worry too much about a bear in my coop. There are bears everywhere around me, a good number per square mile, and never have they come close that I know of. I often keep a trail camera set up on one of the fence posts surrounding my coop and run, just because I like to see what is approaching the coop in the middle of the night. Knock on wood, no bear has shown up yet. Just the usual-coyotes, fox, possums, 'coons, etc.

 

[Niss]

The game warden told us years ago when a black bear came on my porch and ripped up my grill to spary them with amonia. I just wondered if we could do a perimeter.

The area in question isn't ours but I bet the owner would be thrilled if we offered to mow it.

After the sighting we fired a warning shot and ripped around on the ATV--figured the noise would encurage it to keep going. The dog is little--think cocker spaniel--I couldn't believe she did such a good job!

Mangled--We're close, just on the other side of Sligo

What do you raise?

 

[chics n more]

We've been seeing a bear in our area and I was wondering about this, too. We have 2 barking blue heelers but they are pretty old and don't hear as well as they used too. I am not so worried about our brand new coop but we do a little free ranging in the evenings. Could a bear catch a chicken? The dogs would definately hear that!

 

[Rustywreck]

I have bears around my place, probably on a daily basis and they have never bothered my chickens or turkeys. At one time I kept the chicken feed in a steel garbage can outside the coop and a bear took the garbage can. They have never tried to get into the coop or run, but have tried to get into my house.
My chickens have been out in the yard when a bear has been around. The chickens ran to me for protection (silly girls). The bear wasn't interested in them.
That being said, bears are unpredictable. If you are concerned take the steps you mentioned, like the electric fence. Having one set up won't hurt the problem and may give you some peace of mind.
Personally, I don't give bears a thought when it comes to chickens - there are other predators that concern me.

 

[littlefork]

We have had black bear "visits" on and off for the last few years. First it got my hummingbird feeders, so we stopped feeding the hummingbirds and I just planted more flowers for the hummers, then it started raiding the garbage cans, so we moved the cans inside the garage and we spray them with Odoban to cut down the smell. We just got our first chickens this year, our coop and our is built like a fort, super reinforced and we just put up an electro net fence, but I also am going to clean the inside with Odoban and spray ammonia around the coop on a regular schedule to keep the smell down, hopefully the bear will go to our neighbors who feed range their chickens. We also will be storing the feed in our garage and not the coop, and only take what the chickens will eat in a day out to the coop. Better safe than sorry.

 

[ebony123]

No worries bout bears if only your facilities is strong enough to not let the bear destroy it.

stretch mark remover

 

[colebarnhart]

Quote:
WTH??? No worries??? If only??? I guess we should all just build our coops with large cement blocks and no run area and just a few small holes for ventalation.