How to discourage a bear. (Need answer fast!)

[Testy]

How do I discourage a bear from coming around?
I have some free-range chickens that run around the place and yesterday one of them was raising hell about something so I got a .22 and ran outside expecting to see a coyote/cat/some other predator. Instead, I bumped into a black bear. Even allowing for my automatic "holy shit!" reaction, it seemed like a huge damn bear. I set a record for the 30 meter backward dash and got a better rifle. The bear walked away while I was in the house.

Anyway, what will actively discourage a bear? I don't have anything that would encourage him, no trash where he can get at it, nothing to eat at all except the chickens running around. I don't want to shoot the bear but I don't want him wandering around here either.

Any ideas?

Regards

Testy

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Testy

nothing to eat at all except the chickens running around.

No berries? The times we have seen black bears they were eating blackberries along the edge of our yard.

[Chefguy]

Nothing will, short of killing it. A dog might help. You should call Fish & Game or whoever your local game management office is, and tell them you have a problem bear.

[Testy]

kayaker
No berries yet, too early here.

Chefguy
Yeah, maybe I'll do that. Do they trap it and move it somewhere or what? I hope they wouldn't just shoot the thing as that is what I'm trying to avoid.

Thanks

Testy

[Munch]

Reverse psychology.

[Testy]

Originally Posted by Munch

Reverse psychology.

Munch

Not exactly sure what you mean but I don't see the bear laying on a couch and telling me about his rotten childhood or how he got weaned too early or whatever.

Thanks

Testy

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Testy

kayaker
No berries yet, too early here.

Chefguy
Yeah, maybe I'll do that. Do they trap it and move it somewhere or what? I hope they wouldn't just shoot the thing as that is what I'm trying to avoid.

Thanks

Testy

In western PA the game Commission brings over a huge trap on wheels. They also set up a flood light that goes on when the trap is tripped, hopefully waking you up so you can contact them.

A friend went through this after a bear destroyed his swimming pool liner. The bear was tagged and relocated, but managed to return after a few weeks.

They look like this.

[brainstall]

You have chickens and presumably chicken feed. That would attract a bear.

When I lived out in a rural area, I had a leftover bag of chicken feed after the foxes ate all my free range chickens. I came home one night and it was gone, so I started to follow the trail of spilled grain. Then I realized that anything that had picked up and carried an 80 bag of chicken scratch into the woods was not something I wanted to discuss my missing grain with.

The bear returned the next morning to clean up his leftovers. I let my dogs chase him off, but I was told later that was a bad idea, not for the bear, but for the dogs if the bear turned.

[TriPolar]

A pic-a-nic basket.

ETA: As a distraction of course. It won't discourage a bear, just redirect him.

[jasg]

According to this, an electric fence. NYT also had a recent piece on this topic.

[KneadToKnow]

Originally Posted by Testy

Munch

Not exactly sure what you mean but I don't see the bear laying on a couch and telling me about his rotten childhood or how he got weaned too early or whatever.

Thanks

Testy

Reverse psychology would be going out into your yard and saying stuff like, "This yard makes a gooood bear playground! I sure hope some bears come around here soon!"

I'm pretty sure Munch was joshing you.

[CalMeacham]

Make sure the porridge is too hot. This will encourage him to go out for a walk.

[Testy]

Originally Posted by kayaker

In western PA the game Commission brings over a huge trap on wheels. They also set up a flood light that goes on when the trap is tripped, hopefully waking you up so you can contact them.

A friend went through this after a bear destroyed his swimming pool liner. The bear was tagged and relocated, but managed to return after a few weeks.

They look like this.

Kayaker

Well, I'd think the bear would raise enough hell at being trapped to wake me up. Maybe I'll give this a try if I can't do anything myself.

Thank you

Testy

[Ulfreida]

We don't have bears here but keep other predators away with poultry electranet from Premier1, a midwestern company which is the gold standard in livestock electric fence. If it works for mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats and stray dogs, it will work for bears. The problem with most electric fencing is that, while it keeps predators out, it does not keep chickens in. Mine will walk right through my goat fencing, which has 4" x 6" openings. Feathers are highly insulating, and even beaks and feet are dry, hence not very conductive. Electranet is very easy to move around, it is designed to be a portable temporary fence.

It will cost a lot more than your chickens.

[Testy]

Originally Posted by brainstall

You have chickens and presumably chicken feed. That would attract a bear.

When I lived out in a rural area, I had a leftover bag of chicken feed after the foxes ate all my free range chickens. I came home one night and it was gone, so I started to follow the trail of spilled grain. Then I realized that anything that had picked up and carried an 80 bag of chicken scratch into the woods was not something I wanted to discuss my missing grain with.

The bear returned the next morning to clean up his leftovers. I let my dogs chase him off, but I was told later that was a bad idea, not for the bear, but for the dogs if the bear turned.

Brainstall

Interesting. I hadn't thought about him eating the chicken feed. I had a dog for a while but had to have him put down due to advanced age and various complications with that. Maybe the dog smell is why I hadn't seen the bear earlier.

Thanks

Testy

[Testy]

Originally Posted by jasg

According to this, an electric fence. NYT also had a recent piece on this topic.

jasg

I've got the gear for an electric fence so I'll give that a try first and see how he reacts. I've only seen him once so maybe he was just passing through.

Regards and thanks

Testy

[enipla]

Dogs help sometimes. What I have to do is shoot a large caliber rifle in their general direction. That usually gets them to scadadle.

This won’t help since you have chickens, but to keep them out of our shed (we keep our trash in there) we crush up moth balls and spread them around the door and steps.

[Testy]

Originally Posted by KneadToKnow

Reverse psychology would be going out into your yard and saying stuff like, "This yard makes a gooood bear playground! I sure hope some bears come around here soon!"

I'm pretty sure Munch was joshing you.

KneadToKnow

I figured he was, it just tickled me to think of a bear undergoing psychotherapy of some sort.

Regards

Testy

[Testy]

Originally Posted by Ulfreida

We don't have bears here but keep other predators away with poultry electranet from Premier1, a midwestern company which is the gold standard in livestock electric fence. If it works for mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats and stray dogs, it will work for bears. The problem with most electric fencing is that, while it keeps predators out, it does not keep chickens in. Mine will walk right through my goat fencing, which has 4" x 6" openings. Feathers are highly insulating, and even beaks and feet are dry, hence not very conductive. Electranet is very easy to move around, it is designed to be a portable temporary fence.

It will cost a lot more than your chickens.

Ulfrieda

Yowsa! Yeah, I could buy quite a few chickens for what that stuff costs. I'm going to try a very basic electric fence to see if I can't get this thing to leave peacefully.

Thanks

Testy

[Testy]

Originally Posted by enipla

Dogs help sometimes. What I have to do is shoot a large caliber rifle in their general direction. That usually gets them to scadadle.

This won’t help since you have chickens, but to keep them out of our shed (we keep our trash in there) we crush up moth balls and spread them around the door and steps.

enipla

Great idea. Mothballs are cheap and easy and with luck the bear will dislike the smell as much as I do. I don't mind shooting rifles around the chickens. For some reason it doesn't seem to bother them that much. At least small caliber rifles. Don't know about shotguns or really large rifles.

Thanks again

Testy

[enipla]

Originally Posted by Testy

enipla

Great idea. Mothballs are cheap and easy and with luck the bear will dislike the smell as much as I do. I don't mind shooting rifles around the chickens. For some reason it doesn't seem to bother them that much. At least small caliber rifles. Don't know about shotguns or really large rifles.

Thanks again

Testy

I was thinking that the mothballs would not be good for the chickens. Not the rifle report. Though it did sort of read the other way around. Good luck.

[Testy]

Originally Posted by enipla

I was thinking that the mothballs would not be good for the chickens. Not the rifle report. Though it did sort of read the other way around. Good luck.

enipla

OK, gotcha. I hadn't thought about that aspect of things. Those beasts will try to eat just about anything.

Thanks

Testy

[BMalion]

I would nuke it from orbit.

Its the only way to be sure.

[Astroboy14]

Just tell him that you're straight. That always works for me...

[sitchensis]

Pound a bunch of nails into half inch plywood boards so they are sticking out the other side. Place the boards around the chicken coop, like a big wide spike strip.

If it starts getting into your garbage:
Secure a garbage can on its side and wire a can of bear spray into to it. Use a small piece of plywood and some fishing line as a trigger for the bear spray. Make sure the bear has to crawl into the can pretty deep before it goes off.

Check out the legality of this stuff before you start bragging to Fish & Game

[Testy]

Originally Posted by sitchensis

Pound a bunch of nails into half inch plywood boards so they are sticking out the other side. Place the boards around the chicken coop, like a big wide spike strip.

If it starts getting into your garbage:
Secure a garbage can on its side and wire a can of bear spray into to it. Use a small piece of plywood and some fishing line as a trigger for the bear spray. Make sure the bear has to crawl into the can pretty deep before it goes off.

Check out the legality of this stuff before you start bragging to Fish & Game

stitchesis

The bear spray in a garbage can sounds do-able. I would rather not say anything at all to the fish and game people if I don't have to. I'm not so sure about the nails though. A wounded bear might be a bad thing to have around.
Around here, I think a lot of people just use the "shoot-shovel-and shut up" method of dealing with bears and the like. I'd hate to get the guy killed over some chickens though.

Thanks

Testy

[jasg]

I remember my grandfather curing his chicken killing dog with one (long) lesson. He took the dead chicken from the dog and wired it around his neck with baling wire. The dog so hated the rotting chicken around his neck that he retired from killing chickens after a few weeks.

Not sure if that would work with a bear

[Testy]

Originally Posted by jasg

I remember my grandfather curing his chicken killing dog with one (long) lesson. He took the dead chicken from the dog and wired it around his neck with baling wire. The dog so hated the rotting chicken around his neck that he retired from killing chickens after a few weeks.

Not sure if that would work with a bear

jasg

I think it would be great except for the wiring part.

Regards

Testy

[sitchensis]

The nail boards don’t really hurt them in the sense of giving them puncture wounds. They just make for an impossible place to stand while tearing apart other things. We use 4x8 sheets under all the windows and in front of all the doors of our field camps. The bears can’t bash in the windows and clime in because they simply can’t stand underneath the windows. I’d imagine it would be the same for the chicken coop.

[Testy]

Originally Posted by sitchensis

The nail boards don’t really hurt them in the sense of giving them puncture wounds. They just make for an impossible place to stand while tearing apart other things. We use 4x8 sheets under all the windows and in front of all the doors of our field camps. The bears can’t bash in the windows and clime in because they simply can’t stand underneath the windows. I’d imagine it would be the same for the chicken coop.

stitchensis

Ahhh, got ya. I was thinking more along the lines of punji stakes and was worried about the potential fall out from that. Good idea.

Thanks

Testy

[Perderabo]

Originally Posted by jasg

The dog so hated the rotting chicken around his neck that he retired from killing chickens after a few weeks.

"a few weeks"?? So the dog spent a couple of weeks more killing chickens... with a dead chicken wired to his neck the whole time? Slow learner.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by sitchensis

The nail boards don’t really hurt them in the sense of giving them puncture wounds. They just make for an impossible place to stand while tearing apart other things. We use 4x8 sheets under all the windows and in front of all the doors of our field camps. The bears can’t bash in the windows and clime in because they simply can’t stand underneath the windows. I’d imagine it would be the same for the chicken coop.

Bears don't know what a door or window is. They just go through wherever they feel like it: door, wall, whatever. If your wall is not made of logs, it's not likely to stop a bear that is after food. This has happened at my brother's cabin on several occasions. Those are grizzlies, however, and they pretty much ignored the bear boards; just walked over them and tore a hole in the wall to walk through.

[panache45]

Originally Posted by enipla

I was thinking that the mothballs would not be good for the chickens.

We used to have a problem with rabbits in the garden, so we scattered some mothballs around. They did keep the rabbits away. Then we noticed that birds would come around and preen themselves with the mothballs, apparently to get rid of insects in their feathers. Don't know whether chickens would do this too.

[Ludovic]

Originally Posted by Chefguy

Bears don't know what a door or window is. They just go through wherever they feel like it: door, wall, whatever. If your wall is not made of logs, it's not likely to stop a bear that is after food. This has happened at my brother's cabin on several occasions. Those are grizzlies, however, and they pretty much ignored the bear boards; just walked over them and tore a hole in the wall to walk through.

Grizzlies don't care!

[StrangerThanFiction]

Originally Posted by Astroboy14

Just tell him that you're straight. That always works for me...

*golf clap*

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by Ludovic

Grizzlies don't care!

One only cared about the food: he only chewed open cans with meat in them. Then he took a huge dump on the kitchen floor and exited through a new hole in the wall.

[Fubaya]

Originally Posted by StrangerThanFiction

*golf clap*

A golf clap certainly won't scare a bear!

[astro]

You need to get some twinks. Natural enemy of the bear. Sure they might get along at first, but eventually the twink will say something catty about the bear's fashion choices, and horseplay will turn to tears.

[Siam Sam]

A related question -- and this may be good for the OP in case a bear still comes around -- is how to escape one. I have heard that one should run downhill, as the bear's shorter front legs will impede him to some degree. But that may be entirely bogus. Anyone know if this is true?

[R. P. McMurphy]

Are you still alive?

Need answer fast.

[kayaker]

Originally Posted by Fubaya

A golf clap certainly won't scare a bear!

Actually, black bears are pretty timid. The last one I saw in the wild didn't see/smell me for a few minutes, then I cleared my throat and it took off. A golf clap would likely work as well.

[SciFiSam]

I don't know how to discourage a bear, but I know what cheese will encourage a bear....









Camembert.

[Chefguy]

Originally Posted by Siam Sam

A related question -- and this may be good for the OP in case a bear still comes around -- is how to escape one. I have heard that one should run downhill, as the bear's shorter front legs will impede him to some degree. But that may be entirely bogus. Anyone know if this is true?

I wouldn't want to bet my life on that. You'll run out of gas long before the bear will, and I've never seen one have a problem running downhill.

[TriPolar]

Originally Posted by Siam Sam

A related question -- and this may be good for the OP in case a bear still comes around -- is how to escape one. I have heard that one should run downhill, as the bear's shorter front legs will impede him to some degree. But that may be entirely bogus. Anyone know if this is true?

I've heard the problem was that their center of balance is kind of back loaded, which allows them to easily go bipedal if they like. That would make running downhill kind of tricky and may slow them down slightly. But I'll bet they have more experience running downhill than you do, so even if true, you still get eaten, or maybe run over by a bear rolling down the hill.

[Bill Door]

Originally Posted by Chefguy

One only cared about the food: he only chewed open cans with meat in them. Then he took a huge dump on the kitchen floor and exited through a new hole in the wall.

Are you suggesting the bear read the labels, or was it a case of recognizing the picture on the can?

[Darth Panda]

How to discourage a bear.

Tell him he's lousy in the sack.

[TriPolar]

Originally Posted by Bill Door

Are you suggesting the bear read the labels, or was it a case of recognizing the picture on the can?

This ain't science, but I've heard that there's a residual odor on cans from the factory and animals tend to pick out what they like that way. Seems unlikely to me since the cans are usually all stuck together in the same cabinet and would share those odors. I think more likely the bear punctured a few cans, and only fully opened and ate the ones he preferred.

ETA: Also bears aren't stupid, he may have recognized the labels from previous raids. Blackjack is smarter than the average bear, but he recognizes the cans of dog food he really likes.

[dracoi]

Originally Posted by TriPolar

This ain't science, but I've heard that there's a residual odor on cans from the factory and animals tend to pick out what they like that way. Seems unlikely to me since the cans are usually all stuck together in the same cabinet and would share those odors. I think more likely the bear punctured a few cans, and only fully opened and ate the ones he preferred.

ETA: Also bears aren't stupid, he may have recognized the labels from previous raids. Blackjack is smarter than the average bear, but he recognizes the cans of dog food he really likes.

Bears have a pretty remarkable sense of smell, so I wouldn't be surprised if they could pick up residual scents that soaked into the paper labels at the factory.

Once when I was camping, a bear raided a tent nearby us. The only thing it tried to eat was a cardboard box. Apparently, the box had once held peaches and this was interesting enough that the bear ignored all of the real food just a couple of feet away. (Of course, this bear was noticed and people scared it away before it had time to do a thorough search.)

[njtt]

Originally Posted by CalMeacham

Make sure the porridge is too hot. This will encourage him to go out for a walk.

Then you have to get a little blonde girl to break his chair.

[BMalion]

Originally Posted by Ron Bugundy

Bear fight!

.