This is a call for help from those living south of Lake Trafford, Florida.
I have a 4'x8' "stilt" chicken coop, elevated 30" off of the ground, with a fully enclosed pen underneath (in case I can't let the girls free range in the yard).
I have 2 black bears frequenting the coop. One, a 250 pounder, will sniff all corners and head to the back of my property and eat the deer corn...not too much problem. The other, a young 150 pounder, that I caught on my game camera, sniff 3 sides, then, climb to the top, pull the door slightly open and look inside, all the while hanging off of the side! (I will post a picture at a later date, check back, it's worth seeing! Also...when I learn how to
)
Does anyone have any suggestions as to make the coop more bear-resistant? I have 'tapped' a couple of bears, a couple of times with a rubber-tipped arrow, from 30 yards, to scare them off. As you Floridians know, they're protected and cannot be shot. But, they are becoming more adaptable to the neighborhood and more persistent.
I recently reinforced the coop (after losing all 4 on the Fourth of July) and put our second set of girls (5 of them) in the 'big girl' coop. After seeing the bears' persistence on my game camera, I ordered a 'Red Snap'r' brand, 5 mile, 2000 volt, 0.5 amp fence charger, and hardware to install it.
Any feedback on the size and type of fence charger I bought?
Has anyone tried to use this method of protection?
Any additional thoughts or ideas as to help keep the bears at bay?
In advance, thanks for any and all input!
I have a 4'x8' "stilt" chicken coop, elevated 30" off of the ground, with a fully enclosed pen underneath (in case I can't let the girls free range in the yard).
I have 2 black bears frequenting the coop. One, a 250 pounder, will sniff all corners and head to the back of my property and eat the deer corn...not too much problem. The other, a young 150 pounder, that I caught on my game camera, sniff 3 sides, then, climb to the top, pull the door slightly open and look inside, all the while hanging off of the side! (I will post a picture at a later date, check back, it's worth seeing! Also...when I learn how to
)Does anyone have any suggestions as to make the coop more bear-resistant? I have 'tapped' a couple of bears, a couple of times with a rubber-tipped arrow, from 30 yards, to scare them off. As you Floridians know, they're protected and cannot be shot. But, they are becoming more adaptable to the neighborhood and more persistent.
I recently reinforced the coop (after losing all 4 on the Fourth of July) and put our second set of girls (5 of them) in the 'big girl' coop. After seeing the bears' persistence on my game camera, I ordered a 'Red Snap'r' brand, 5 mile, 2000 volt, 0.5 amp fence charger, and hardware to install it.
Any feedback on the size and type of fence charger I bought?
Has anyone tried to use this method of protection?
Any additional thoughts or ideas as to help keep the bears at bay?
In advance, thanks for any and all input!
