We live right next to the national forest and bears have been coming up to our place a lot this year. First they got into my compost pile. Then they tried and did get into the chicken run. And now they tried to get into the chicken coop. Thank goodness the screen door we built was strong enough to keep it out. Now we are trying to deter them from the coop and run altoghther. Have been thinking about putting electric wire around the whole thing and/or installing a security camera and see if we can get out fast enough to shoot it with the shotgun shells the forest ranger gave us to shoot him with. dh did hit it once or twice with these shells but it keeps coming back. These shells are made of rubber and don't seem to hurt them much. We know of 2 adults and 1 cub. Can anyone tell us how to install the fence and/or the camera? Would appreciate y'alls help. Maybe someone has another idea for this kind of thing.
Thanks
Marion
Bears trying to get into my chicken coop
YIKES Marion!!
What (kind) of bear is it? ....I could be wrong, but I'm betting that you'll have to go to a serious electric fence to have any chance of keeping bears out. Surely someone on DG has had some experience with this.....
It would make me nervous to just go out to the coop. I'd be afraid of walking around the corner and bumping into it!
Be careful!
Glenda
Marion, I live next to a national forest too and what they recommend here is removing or covering anything on your property that's drawing the bears - trashcans (or compost), bird feeders and hummingbird feeders and so on. If they can't find something to eat, they'll go away.
One of my neighbors loaded up his SVU with trash one night, planning to take it to the transfer station the next day. The next morning, he found a bear had broken into the vehicle and totally trashed it getting to the garbage.
I've never heard of a ranger telling someone to shoot a bear with bullets rubber or otherwise around here. I know if there is a bear that has become a problem, they will trap and relocate it, but I've only heard of that being done if it was in town.
I read something somewhere about putting a small electric fence around your chicken yard to keep out predators. I'll see if I can find that.
Not finding anything other than just mentions of using electric fencing to protect chickens. Maybe this will help.
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/html/pnw/pnw225/
This message was edited Aug 27, 2007 4:28 PM
Electric fencing is very effective for bears. Almost everyone I know uses it around their bees to keep out the black bears. They make an electric tape instead of wire that you string just as you would the regular. The advantage of the tape is A. it's more visable and you have less chance of backing into it (believe me this is first hand experience) and B. you can actually bait it for whatever preaditor you are trying to keep away. Think of it as aversion therapy.
You string your tape fence, (usually two lines, one about a foot off the ground one about 3 for bears) then you take something that is very atractive to bears (peanut butter, honey, jam, something that smells really good) and spread it on the tape. Mr. Bear comes up and says "Ohhh, what smells so good? I'll just take a taste." Zap! It doesn't hurt the bear, but a couple of zingers on that sensitive nose and he won't be back.
The whole set up should be around a hundred bucks or less and you can always use it somewhere else afterwards if needed. We wired a friends bird feeder once and two years later the bear has never been back. It kind of pissed off the squirells though.
These are black bears and relatively small, but are taller than me at 5'5". I don't have bird feeders with anything in them and no trash cans out except on trash day right before the trashman comes. My compost pile only has chicken poop and green grass clippings and brown leaves from last year...no house garbage at all. I do keep the chicken food inside the coop now per the ranger who came out. He actually gave us some shells for 12 gage shotgun...it has rubber or plastic pellets in it. He says that it doesn't hurt the bear. Shoot him in the rump if possible and just try not to hit him in the face with it. Dh did shoot it at 2 different times and the bear didn't even yelp but we knew he didn't like it a/c he jumped and ran a little faster. We have a trap for smaller animals and we relocate them. I did some more research on electric fence and found out about portable electric netting. They said that one of the sizes were used to keep bears out of the honey hives. So we will look into that. I called the game and fish people and they are sending the ranger back out. She said that sometimes they will trap them and relocate. So that sounds good too.
I do get kinda spooked at the wild things around here...but it is thier habitat also. So wish me good luck. Going to look into the tape also
Thanks Marion
Bears! I am so glad the ones in my area are jsut passing thru. I hope you can relocate your rouge bear and family. I wouldn't sleep at night knowing it was out there waiting to come in! You are much braver than me!
Sounds to me like you're heading in the right direction.... Good for you!! ....Keep us posted!
Short side note...
I read in a magazine once, the story of one woman in Canada who was on her hands and knees, digging weeds out of her garden one day, and suddenly she noticed the strong smell of raspberries. She turned her head and looked up to see if she could tell where the smell was coming from, and found herself nose-to-nose with a black bear that was breathing in her face!! Fortunately, there was a loud "crack" sound from the woods behind the bear and he turned to look in that direction. While the bear was distracted, she high-tailed-it to the house and was able to escape.
.....Can you imagine!!??!! Makes me sweat just thinking about it!
I think the ones here are brown bears? And less aggressive perhaps?
I wasn't worried about the bear. I was worried about you all having to shoot at him!
I think the "tape" electric fence is a good idea - it does make it easier to see.....not to mention the "zapping" sound helps too!
If you've got a Tractor Supply Company out by you - they'll have everything you need......I'm sure you could probably order online....it's a "necessity" for a lot of people who have cattle/horses. Just make sure you have enough electricity going through...I'm sure you'll need to measure how much line - and the guys at TSC can help you figure out the strength.
Good Luck!!
My husband talked to the game & fish ranger awhile ago and he is coming out this evening and installing a bear trap. I hope this will work. I think we will still put up the electric tape. Sounds like just what we need for protection from most of the predators around here although we thought we had built a Fort Knox for them as it is. Since we have seen more than one bear we think we will need to have the extra protection for my chickens. I would hate to have something happen to them. Last year I had them outside and was out with them. They went into the forest a little ways and I could hear them squaking and all of them ran out except 2. It is very dense in the forest and I couldn't go in it to help them. I can't let that happen again to them. I sit in a lawn chair between them and the forest now and I don't let them get in over there at all. They only free range in the evening when I am out with them. I'll let you know later what is happening Thanks all for you help
Marion
If by some wild chance you get a picture of the bear - we'd love to see it!
I use 3 strands of electric wire...the tape is better I think...but I have used it for the last 4 years to keep in my old stallion. Before that he would run straight through a log fence! Ever since we installed the electric (it doesnt even hurt me if I touch....just a shocking experience) he hasn't gone anywhere near it!
Even though a bear is huge and strong and tough...he shouldn't be interested in trying again if you put it up. I like the idea of rubbing someone on the wire too. Let us know what you end up doing.
So - any luck catching the bear?
will try sending picture of the trap to you guys. It was delivered yesterday afternoon. It has corn/grain in it also 4 cans of large sardines in it. The ranger also put some of the grain on the ground about 10 feet away. Nothing has happened yet. I'll let you know when it does. I will take pictures of the bear if I can. I have one picture of it in the yard but it is through the window and I don't know how it will show up yet. Have to get it printed. I will try to send more of the pics I have right now.
Marion
We actually had that problem here this spring. In our town, half of the chickens were wiped out over about a week when it was really cold after the bear had woken up. He was caught in the act, so I know it was a bear. After the other food was more plentiful he stopped coming around.
whew.