What kind of damage can a BEAR do??

[the Old Rebel]

Well now we think we may have a BEAR, of all things. We're one of the ones having a problem with a weasel or mink. So we've got traps set, baited with liver and sardines. Night before last something hauled one of the traps a long way off into the woods, down by the creek. Several people have said they think it might be a bear. We spotted a bear on our road about a month ago. They're cutting down a BUNCH of trees just down the road from us. I think they are displacing a LOT of creatures. One of our neighbors spotted a bobcat crossing the road just below our cabin last Friday night. So we're having all kinds of fun now.

So how much damage can a bear or bobcat do to cages and pens?? Do bears eat chickens or ducks or turkeys, etc?? Are bears or bobcats horribly aggressive when it comes to getting into cages and pens?? What can we do to stop them??

By the time my DH finishes redoing all the cages, coops, and pens around here, EVERYTHING will be covered with 1/2" hardware cloth, including the floors of the pens. But it will be awhile before we can get all of that done. What should we do in the meantime??

I'm hoping the bobcat will find the weasel/mink.

Hope all you praying people will keep us in your prayers. We REALLY need it right now. THANKS!!

Hope y'all have a GREAT EVENING!!

 

[bywaterdog]

"What kind of damage can a bear do?"

Any kind that they want to!

A barking dog is a good bear deterent, but if the bear is hungry chain-link fencing would not stop it from going after your chicks.

 

[Grace]

It should be "What kind of damage won't a bear do."

I've had a bear punch out my truck window to get to some salmon flavored
dog treats. He also ate several candy wrappers. He came back several
nights after that, untill I let the dogs out after him. They are very capable
of breaking stuff. Dogs so far have been my best deterrant.

 

[Imp]

Sorry to say that there have been a few posts about bears ripping apart coops and killing everything. Sounds like there is not much that can be done to stop one, aside from a gun or rifle. Be careful.

Imp- Maybe an electric fence?

 

[panner123]

I have battled bear for years. The damage they do can not be told, you have to see it. There is no fence that can stop them. I use a beefed up electric fence to slow them down.
Think of it this way, you have a candy bar in a locked car with the windows up. A bear comes along and wants the candy bar, it doesn't know how to use the door handle to get in. So what does he do, he rips the door off and gets the candy.
Some will tell you to have a state trapper relocate it. (I can e-mail you photos of the trap they use. I can also e-mail photos of what the bear can do to your fence and chickens. I will not post photos nor will I e-mail of the dead bear.) On paper that works, but just a few months ago a relocated bear attack a man not to far from here. You hear of the relocated bears breaking into homes all the time. Your relocated bear becomes someones else problem.
I will tell you the ONLY way to deal with a bear that is killing your chickens, is to kill it.
Yes, I believe in protecting my flock above most predators. Yes, they are only tring to feed themselves and doing what comes natural to them.
We have move to thier feeding ground. First they break into your coop, next they break into your house.
Here is the BIG question for all those that want to protect the bear, "What do you do if the bear comes into your house and goes after your family?" Will my chickens are part of my family, the bear loses for I call on the aid of my two good friends, Mr. Smith & Mr. Wesson.
If your state has a bear season, see if you can get a hunter to help you out. That will place the deed on someone else if you can't do it yourself.
You can also foogle bear damage for some photos. That will give you an idea of what you are up against.
Good luck and be safe.

 

[peachlover]

If it were me I would definitely get rid of the sardine scent. Bears can smell extraordinarily well. Bears are capable of doing about as much damage as a john deere tractor, plus they can problem solve without an operator. You could try to charm them, but this time of year you would have to be better than great. Good luck and get yourself some bear repellent.

 

[PortageGirl]

Oh my. A bear certainly will eat chickens, ducks and turkeys. They can get into pens etc, but they might have a little more trouble than they'd like getting into a building. They CAN do it but are pretty lazy so if there's easier pickings around they may move on. (may)

This is what a smallish black bear did to the side of a house near here.

It's not common for them to bother but black bears eat almost anything. They are omnivores and they are not picky in the least. IF you have a bear nearby, don't leave dog food out, for that matter, be careful about the dogs you leave out, if you have a slow old dog, watch em... don't leave chicken feeders out, they'll even eat wild bird seed, they'll eat goats, pigs, chickens, ducks, rabbits, calves, not much bigger than that, and not large calves, so this time of year they may be ok, but really they'll eat anything they can find that is the least bit edible if they can reach/catch/find it.

 

[mxpres]

I had a bear totally destroy seven beehives several years ago,at $175.00 per hive to replace,you can bet I was very upset and sick,the bear came back for another meal the next night,he left with hot lead cutting the air all around him,I don,t know if he was hit or not,but he didn,t come back for more,a game warden inspected the damage and said ,,too bad,he found a fresh track in the soft dirt and measured the track,he said the bear would go over 375 pounds,,later that fall hunters took one that weighted close to 400 pounds in my area,,,bears can do untold damage,to buildings,livestock,

 

[the Old Rebel]

Well, thanks, everyone. Needless to say, that wasn't what I wanted to hear. But I NEEDED to hear it. Ha! Here I thought the bear might keep the weasel or mink away. Now I think the bear is a bigger problem. Whoopee!!!! My POOR chickens, turkeys, ducks, rabbit, guinea hens, pheasant, peacocks, quail, dog, and cats. Maybe it's time for us to move!!!

 

[panner123]

No need to move, you just need to increase your protection. Get a good electric fence and use barb wire for the hot wire. This is the only way for the electricity to reach the skin. The little round wire is no good. The fur insults the skin. Keep things clean and be sure all the food is up. I used to keep my critter feed right under my bedroom window. The window is open year round, so the bear would show up looking for the feed. The next day I would start up the smoker for bear bacon. Remember, if you kill it, you eat it. Nothing goes to waste.