howdy and welcome.. getting chickens was one of the best things i've ever done.. i adore them.. i don't know when it happened, but i turned into a crazy chicken lady.. haha ..
You might like to chat with other members close by you to see how they handle the bear issue. Here's a link to the state threads, just click on yours: find-your-states-thread.270925
Sorry for your loss, I hope you don't have that trouble again.
I do hope you enjoy being a BYC member. There are lots of friendly and very helpful folks here so not only is it overflowing with useful information it is also a great place to make friends and have some fun.