she's back with 2 cubs

[panner123]

As my wife and grand daughter were coming home from town, they saw moma bear and 2 cubs. This was about a mile from the house, but it doesn't take them long to travel that distance. I hope they pass by and go down the cayon this year. They can sure tear up a coop in no time. For the last two years the electric fence has kept them out. Still I think it is time to keep the Smith & Wesson loaded. Last year one killed my neighbors turkeys and a goat, the year before one got 35 chickens in one night and made a mess of a coop. Then a few days later it killed a horse of another neighbors. That was a BIG male, who is longer with us, he came bck for more chickens, only to get lead posioning.

 

[justusnak]

WOW!! Black bear? They can sure be ornery! Hope your chickens are safe...and DA Bears keep on truckin!

 

[RioLindoAz]

WOW be careful and keep that electrike wire on:|

 

[BeckyLa]

Bears? I thought I had problems cuz I've got a possum. Just a suggestion, you might want to spread some soft dry dirt, sand, flour, anything around your coop & run that would show tracks to see if they're coming around. It's good that you have electric wire, I've heard if you put pieces of hot dog or something to get them to smell the wire it'll bite them and they'll respect it more. Especially if you wet the ground good. (well, there went the flour idea)

 

[BirdBrain]

Is that a black bear or a brown bear? Taking out a horse sounds like a brown bear. When we lived in AK it was more often the brownies that took out big things and the blackish who ended up going dumpster diving and eating at all the bird feeders conveniently left hanging on the porches, but the brownies never turned their noses up at an opportunistic meal. Crank up the voltage and clean your S&W really well.

 

[SandraChick]

The only brown bears left in California are the ones picutred on the California Flag.....

 

[lostinthewoods]

We had one in the yard last evening...makes me worry......especially after reading this.....

 

[mudhen]

And people wonder why I'm afraid to go outdoors in the dark! I've said it before and I'll say it again, the deer grow fangs, the rabbits sprout claws, and the bears are out there...blackies, brownies, both with fangs and claws!!

 

[MarkR]

My wife used to laugh at me when I wore my head lamp around the yard and down to the coop at night. Not now, she locked up the coop the other night and those vampire deer make strange noises at night and when you can't see them. Apparently, it's rather. . . unsettling.

Anyway, yeah, here's a beekeeper's trick, bait the fence (bacon and peanut butter work well). Bears can walk right through an electric fence because their thick fur can act as an insulator, but if they bite down on it they quickly learn to leave it alone.

Mark

 

[panner123]

Quote:
Here is the trick I use with my electric
fence, I don't use the little wire they give you for that very reason. I use bard wire. My meter olny goes to 7000 volts which I peg threw the barb wire. The barbs goes threw the hair and hits the skin. I will tell you this, you know when one has hit the fence. They make almost as much noise as when you get one in a snare.

Becky, I free range well over 5 acres, now that would be a lot of flour. I have a sprinkler system all around the fence to kept to ground wet.

If those city folk that have moved into the area would keep their garbage picked up and their bar-b ques clean, the bear wouldn't be here this time of year.