Roaming Bear - Upstate NY

[Pumperkinz]

Hey all,

While new to the area we have a new friend roaming around the neighborhood. We have 20 or so houses up in our local mountain and it's relatively rural and quiet.

Yesterday my wife was outside and opened the door and noticed the neighbors out with a spot light so she grabbed it while looking and low and behold a medium sized black bear just chilling on our forest path.

Fast-forward to tonight when we got home he's back out roaming between the houses at around dusk/right after dark. I'm cool with nature and have been around them before but most of the time they stay far away and I see signs (Scratchs/Scat etc) but this is a new one with it being a little more bold then the others I've dealt with.

I'm hoping they are just waking up and trying to find some basic food as things are currently blooming and there isn't much to forage for. The NY DFS said that there should have been plenty of food for them going into winter so it could be either an injured or juvenile bear is my assumption.

Questions:

1.) Does scaring them actually work or is it more of a deterrent?
2.) Would a shotgun shooting in the air/away from them just make them upset or actually make them think I shouldn't be here?
3.) Are my chickens relatively safe as long as I have them locked up in a pretty secure coop?
4.) Is it possible our neighbors having small dogs & constantly grilling might be attracting the bear possibly?

Thanks!

 

[sourland]

1) deterrent
2) should scare them at least temporarily
3) hot wire around the coop/pen would be a good educator/deterrent
4) The grilling might very well be an attractant.

Good luck, and hopefully the bear will move on.

 

[gila_dog]

A bear that has no fear of people can be very dangerous. An injured bear especially so. Watch out.
It's probably finding easy food somewhere in the neighborhood.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Absolutely do not fire a gun into the air.

shotgun shooting in the air

 

[mowin]

I'm in upstate NY also, and Yogi has been very active in my area. This guy is big, and took two bags of garbage off our front porch. Backyard is fenced in so the dogs do a good job of keeping him and other predators out.