Major attack - is this a bear?

[Folly's place]

No, it's not. Big furry bear, hot wire, won't notice it while walking through it, but touching it with nose or mouth? Wow! Big impression!
Mary

 

[mowin]

No, it's not. Big furry bear, hot wire, won't notice it while walking through it, but touching it with nose or mouth? Wow! Big impression!
Mary

Sorry, been around enough bears to know better. Baiting a fence is pointless and only brings others predators around.

 

[aart]

Please don't bait your fence..

I just don't understand this. Why in hell would I bait my fence? Last thing I want is to entice any predator to my coop. That bear is going to be smelling everything if it comes back. It will touch the hotwire. Putting bait on your fence is a foolish idea.

Sorry, been around enough bears to know better. Baiting a fence is pointless and only brings others predators around.

We know you don't agree but it does help to get any preds nose in the right place.

 

[mowin]

We know you don't agree but it does help to get any preds nose in the right place.

So why bait them to your coop?
A bear is not some bull in a china cabinet when walking around. They are very deliberate where they step as not to make any noise. When approaching someplace they know there's human activity, they smell everything when approaching. They are extremely cautious, and don't take things for granted. They will find that hotwire with there nose. I've got several family members with bee hives. In 20+ yrs, they never baited there fence. Ever... Countless bear encounters and only once did a bear get through.

 

[aart]

So why bait them

Said why, not going to debate it any further

 

[Rldad1]

Definitely looks like a bear. Best thing you can do is invest in electricity and strong electricity at that!

 

[Weeg]

@Lsox how is it going? Is the brute still coming back, or did your fence stopping her. I hope it is a good report! Avery

 

[Lsox]

I put the survivors in our shed, which is much sturdier and haven't seen it try to get in there, though the two carcasses that were left were taken. I noticed that our neighbors run was hit as well. It was much less sturdy than ours but looks like most of their flock survived. Feathers around but most of the chickens still in there. We tried to warn them but couldn't get hold of them beforehand. Not sure there's much they could do anyway!

I noticed a couple of days after than our rooster was missing a patch of feathers on the back of his neck and looks like a graze there but he's otherwise in good condition. I found someone close by selling some 8 week old hens and so have restocked, with the electric fence due to arrive on Saturday, when I'll put them all back in their run.

Haven't seen the bears again since, but have an eye out for them. Being very cautious about letting our kids play outside on their own (2 and 5 years old) as they like to play in the trees near where I saw them and they think it's quite exciting to have bears around. Talking to some more people around here, sounds like there's quite a lot of them nearby so I'd think that dealing with them permanently would just open a space for another one to move into the territory. Hopefully the hot fence will deter them enough to keep our flock safe and the bears will move on somewhere else. Will keep you posted, though!

 

[WthrLady]

Here are some pictures with a ruler for scale. Also noticed some what look like tooth marks at the top near where it got in.
View attachment 2343994View attachment 2343995View attachment 2343996View attachment 2343998

Fisher Cat

 

[Weeg]

Fisher Cat

Like a mink or a weasel? I don't think any of those could make such a ruckus. I do believe that they could kill the sam eamout of chickens that were killed, but rip that HUGE hole in the HWC, and those huge claw/teeth marks? I feel like it would have to be a bigger animal. Thanks for the info though!