Freaking bears!

[Valk]

scott4030, dogs like that don't come along often, we're lucky! We have a terrier mix as well, she just turned 13 and is still chasing away bears, raccoons and other critters. We'll probably need to find her some new help soon, but she's still a great bear dog. We have large cats too but she seems to leave them alone. They don't come around much.

Along with Annabelle the bear dog, we have an electric fence, tack strip on all seams and corners, underground hardware cloth that "tacos" out one foot down, and being the daughter of a home builder: very sturdy and reinforced construction. It's predator central where I live, but so far, so good. I'm certainly not complacent with my barricade and the more fortified, the better!

We do have a skunk digging around the chicken run, but to no prevail. We will be dealing with this bugger in the very near future.

 

[Triple Willow]

Luckily I'm not struggling with Bears... I would think the neighbors dogs would have kept the bears pushed back.  Where I'm located we have lions.  Recently we had a lion come through the place late at night and hassle my dog.  Dogs are tasty little snacks for lions and thank goodness I have heavy, chain link kennels with chain link tops to protect my dogs.  I had a lion on top of my kennels one night... my lab was freaked for a week.

The lion left the coop alone but I wouldn't be surprised to wake up one night to a big mess!  Hopefully the most of the hens can make their escape and get in the trees if they come under attack and a lion has opened the coop up. 

Not much that can be done to keep bears and lions away if loose dogs don't work.  In the past I had a small, really mean little terrier mix that kept EVERYTHING away from the place but alas he retired and ultimately moved on to his happy hunting grounds.  Haven't been able to find a suitable replacement that is brave enough, fast enough and mean enough to leave out at night.

Holy guacamole @ lions on your dogpen!!! lol Where I live i we have about everything except bears and cougars (lions). BUT there are stories of "unconfirmed" sightings of both, cougars more so. I know they will be common here one day, possibly soon. Beautiful animals but I don't look forward to dealing with them in my backyard.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Chickengeorgeto, What I said was a light joke, I wasn't being serious.

Still ROTFLMAO

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have come in contact with an electric fence several times myself, they won't ignore it! It hurts BAD but no lasting damage. You will do whatever you have to do to get off of it then have some deep respect for it...

Back when the men were men and the bears were all nervous, I use to grab hold of electric fences for the effect it had on my Author. Of course I was careful to only use the back of my hand so that if I got to strong a shock it would knock my hand away instead of my hand reacting by grabbing and holding onto the hot wire. In the dry conditions of late summer is the best time to try this because then you are not well grounded by damp soil and the bite is but a nibble. I could then stand in the gathering darkness and watch the little blue flames dancing from the soles of my shoes until my weary muscles were ready for supper. 30 seconds were about as much fun that I could stand.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

I have come in contact with an electric fence several times myself, they won't ignore it! It hurts BAD but no lasting damage. You will do whatever you have to do to get off of it then have some deep respect for it...

Back when the men were men and the bears were all nervous, I use to grab hold of electric fences for the effect it had on my Author. Of course I was careful to only use the back of my hand so that if I got to strong a shock it would knock my hand away instead of my hand reacting by grabbing and holding onto the hot wire. In the dry conditions of late summer is the best time to try this because then you are not well grounded by damp soil and the bite is but a nibble. I could then stand in the gathering darkness and watch the little blue flames dancing from the soles of my shoes until my weary muscles were ready for supper. 30 seconds were about as much of this fun as I could stand. You would be amazed though at the good effect this little demonstration had on the hard ankle hired help.

 

[Triple Willow]

Back when the men were men and the bears were all nervous, I use to grab hold of electric fences for the effect it had on my Author.  Of course I was careful to only use the back of my hand so that if I got to strong a shock it would knock my hand away instead of my hand reacting by grabbing and holding onto the hot wire.  In the dry conditions of late summer is the best time to try this because then you are not well grounded by damp soil and the bite is but a nibble.  I could then stand in the gathering darkness and watch the little blue flames dancing from the soles of my shoes until my weary muscles were ready for supper.  30 seconds were about as much of this fun as I could stand.  You would be amazed though at the good effect this little demonstration had on the hard ankle hired help.

I could sure use some therapy for achy joints but "shock therapy", I don't think so! I am too chicken! LOL I have been shocked so many times I am gunshy about electricity. One time a bad distributor cap about knocked my arm clean off. Another time I had an electric fence wire (insulated) ran through a window - touched the metal window frame and ohhhhh me! Felt like somebody hit me in the chest with their fist. Another time it was raining and water standing everywhere and I was going under a single electric wire to feed my horse. The wire touched the back of my heavy coat and I thought the horse had reared up and struck me with a front hoof! I came up ready to kill him! LOL Maybe a need to be a little more careful huh? LOL No doubt electricity will change a bear's mind. It hurts!

 

[Jessica Lynn]

When I was little my big brothers conned me into grabbing onto the electric wire that surrounded the cow pasture. I haven't touched an electric fence since! They still get a giggle out of the story and love relating it to everyone!

 

[chickortreat]

Back when I was a teenager, my dad and I were working on the curtain on the north side of our broiler house. It was getting late, and the dew was falling. My little brother was bugging me, so I grabbed a length of the curtain rod and laid it across the electric fence that ran long the bank right above us, while grabbing my little brother by the back of the neck. I had on vinyl work boots, and so felt nothing, but every time it would surge, his knees would buckle. I held him for about five good bursts before letting him go. I still get tickled thinking back on that evening.

 

[bluejeans]

if bears are visiting often a feller can rub peanut butter or put a sardine on their electric fence
wire so the bears will try to lick or eat it off. Bear are not often bothered by electric fences unless they get a good shock.
then they stay away

 

[chickengeorgeto]

One time a bad distributor cap about knocked my arm clean off. Another time I had an electric fence wire (insulated) ran through a window - touched the metal window frame and hhhhh... Another time... I was going under a single electric wire... The wire touched the back of my heavy coat and I thought the horse had [stomped me]

Yea, I tried to step across an electric fence one day that was about one inch to tall for my legs and adjoining regions to clear. I won't mention where I got shocked.