Bear Encounter

[skid]

I was digging potatoes in my gardens today when I had a visit by a sow black bear and her three cubs. I was working behind some grapes and she didn't see or hear me, and I didn't notice her until I stood up. About thirty feet away, she was startled and looked ready to take a run at me, but I yelled loud and clapped my hands. She went with the cubs behind some nearby trees and I came out of the garden with my shovel ready and threw a few rocks at her and she disappeared.

Now I know who ate all my plums, prunes, hazelnuts and apples...

I don't want to kill her, but came back armed with a pellet gun and a real gun just in case. Shooting with a pellet gun causes enough pain that it sometimes discourages them for a while, but it depends how hungry they are. I couldn't find them but I'm sure they'll be back tonight.

I'm kinda worried about my kids being outside. The dog will bark, but she's a big chicken otherwise...

[Glass]

Animals will always go for the easy pickings. Just watch any stockbroker for confirmation of this fact.

so the answer is to make your pickings less easy. Sounds like you have a veritable garden of eden going on. Soon you will have 4 full sized appetites to deal with OR soon you will have 4 full sized bear skin rugs for the floors of your home.

[bellevuebully]

If I had a bear visiting my house with young kids, she'd be on the bar-b by noon....no question. Fuc the cubs, my cubs count more.

[bellevuebully]

Where abouts (very generally) are you located Skid, if you don't mind? I'm curious of the range of blackbears these days.

We are getting loads of them in ontario right down to the lake between Kingston and Toronto. I don't know if they are in the golden horseshoe yet though (Hamilton to Niagra).

[Dogman]

I was digging potatoes in my gardens today when I had a visit by a sow black bear and her three cubs. I was working behind some grapes and she didn't see or hear me, and I didn't notice her until I stood up. About thirty feet away, she was startled and looked ready to take a run at me, but I yelled loud and clapped my hands. She went with the cubs behind some nearby trees and I came out of the garden with my shovel ready and threw a few rocks at her and she disappeared.

Now I know who ate all my plums, prunes, hazelnuts and apples...

I don't want to kill her, but came back armed with a pellet gun and a real gun just in case. Shooting with a pellet gun causes enough pain that it sometimes discourages them for a while, but it depends how hungry they are. I couldn't find them but I'm sure they'll be back tonight.

I'm kinda worried about my kids being outside. The dog will bark, but she's a big chicken otherwise...



Whoo Wheee do you have a problem!

Even if it was legal to kill them, that would only be a solution of last resort. First off you have some very tasty bear magnets growing in your garden. Bear proofing would be very expensive I would think.

Setting up a watch on the garden so if they show up again may be more trouble than you would want to do.
Pellet guns may or not do the job as you have said + they cause wounds that in time could kill or maim them.

If it was me I would booby trap the living hell around that garden! Non-lethal big noise traps (depends on how old your kids are and if they would not bother them) armed at night.

For noise I have made them , shotgun shell blanks, also have made my own firecrackers HeHe
now that may be illegal. The shotgun shell ones are easy take the shot out of the shell and stuff them with card board disks so back pressure can remain = bigger boom.

Here is a triggering description and a warning of what not to do.. ;D

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BOOBY+TRAP+GARDEN%3B+He+planted+mines+Rigged+trip+ wires+Set+up...-a060680013

On home made firecrackers , I used black powder or you could use smokeless. Take a small cardboard tube and fold over one end twice, fill tube with powder and fold the other end then wrap the tube with tape to hold the ends folded. Punch a small hole in the center of the tube and place fuse. Then wrap the hell out of the tube with electricians tape , the tighter and thicker the wrap the bigger the boom + no shrapnel to harm any one or any thing. ;D The cardboard and tape can cause no harm.

On fusing , in the past have used 2 ways.

1. cannon fuse with electronic ignition.

2. This is the best , a model rocket ignition wire with a battery using a trip wire to close a micro switch type to complete the circuit. use a second switch for arming and or making safe

Placing these babbles where you want to scare the stuffing out of a bear and arming them at night or whenever you want.

Just a thought of one way to maybe teach the bears that your neighborhood is not bear friendly with out harming them.

[bellevuebully]

Dogman, why not just shoot the bear. It's food. It's in a garden where Skid is trying to grow food. That seems like a good enough connection for me. ;D

Seriously though, why the debate. Shoot the bear, dress the bear, butcher the bear, eat the bear. No more bear in the garden. Simple.

[Dogman]

Dogman, why not just shoot the bear. It's food. It's in a garden where Skid is trying to grow food. That seems like a good enough connection for me. ;D

Seriously though, why the debate. Shoot the bear, dress the bear, butcher the bear, eat the bear. No more bear in the garden. Simple.


Yes I agree, if it is legal to do so. I was just showing alternatives.

[Dogman]

Dogman, why not just shoot the bear. It's food. It's in a garden where Skid is trying to grow food. That seems like a good enough connection for me. ;D

Seriously though, why the debate. Shoot the bear, dress the bear, butcher the bear, eat the bear. No more bear in the garden. Simple.


Yes I agree, if it is legal to do so. I was just showing alternatives.


In my post I did take the not kill option looking at it again. Was not thinking of the food angle. Plus rug option or blanket option etc, etc, ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

:ROFL:

[cedarchopper]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.

[Dogman]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.



That was the major reason I posted the no kill option post.. ;D

[bellevuebully]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


As I said, fuc the cubs, my cubs come first.

Eat those little critters too.........do 'em up just like you do a pig with an apple in its mouth. Thanksgiving is coming up.

[bellevuebully]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.



That was the major reason I posted the no kill option post.. ;D



More reason to shoot her. Where do you think those cubs are going to go in the spring when they are 90 lb.er's. Hmmmm?

Shoot the bear before someone get hurt, or a lot worse.

[bellevuebully]

Animals like bears are hardwired to be fearfull of man. Bears that come in close to settled areas are displaying a behaviour that is not natural, and thus, can be trusted even less than a bear that is displaying normal ones......which isn't saying much.

[cedarchopper]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


As I said, fuc the cubs, my cubs come first.

Eat those little critters too.........do 'em up just like you do a pig with an apple in its mouth. Thanksgiving is coming up.


May I ask, how many bear you have killed?

[MNeagle]

Dumb question, would electical fencing help secure your property from bears? Or do they just crash through them in search of food?

[bellevuebully]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


As I said, fuc the cubs, my cubs come first.

Eat those little critters too.........do 'em up just like you do a pig with an apple in its mouth. Thanksgiving is coming up.


May I ask, how many bear you have killed?


Only a few. One at 10 yards with #6 shottie shells and 3 cubs up a tree 5 ft behind my head. That was a doozie of an experience. But I've been around bears, armed and unarmed my whole life. I can tell you some pretty good stories.

Why do you ask?

[Dogman]

Dumb question, would electical fencing help secure your property from bears? Or do they just crash through them in search of food?


Good point! But with all of that fir, not sure it would work , unless the bear is touching the wire with nose (zap) (sorry zap!) ;D or paws for a e-fence to work. Unless the voltage is high enough to jump an air gap (fir).

[cedarchopper]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


As I said, fuc the cubs, my cubs come first.

Eat those little critters too.........do 'em up just like you do a pig with an apple in its mouth. Thanksgiving is coming up.


May I ask, how many bear you have killed?


Only a few. One at 10 yards with #6 shottie shells and 3 cubs up a tree 5 ft behind my head. That was a doozie of an experience. But I've been around bears, armed and unarmed my whole life. I can tell you some pretty good stories.

Why do you ask?


Was curious if you were speaking from experience or not...I give more credence to people with experience in what they are recommending.

[bellevuebully]

The bear has 3 cubs, some consideration should be given to the bigger picture.

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


As I said, fuc the cubs, my cubs come first.

Eat those little critters too.........do 'em up just like you do a pig with an apple in its mouth. Thanksgiving is coming up.


May I ask, how many bear you have killed?


Only a few. One at 10 yards with #6 shottie shells and 3 cubs up a tree 5 ft behind my head. That was a doozie of an experience. But I've been around bears, armed and unarmed my whole life. I can tell you some pretty good stories.

Why do you ask?


Was curious if you were speaking from experience or not...I give more credence to people with experience in what they are recommending.


Gottcha.

Bears appetites are directly connected to their habits. That is why I advocate shooting the bear, and if possible, I always eat what I kill.

[hoarder]

The old adage "A fed bear is a dead bear" is based on the fact that you can't unlearn a bear from their bad habits. From now until the time they're shot, that sow AND 3 cubs will be problem bears.
If you don't want to kill them, I'd hang my smelly socks and t shirts around the garden and even poop nearby to encourage them to raid someone else's garden instead.

If you do kill them, save the fat and render it. It was highly prized by pioneers for frying and even to this day people use it on leather. It really makes leather supple.

[Half Sense]

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


I'll say they're smart. They got a human to feed them for life. :D

[bellevuebully]

The old adage "A fed bear is a dead bear" is based on the fact that you can't unlearn a bear from their bad habits. From now until the time they're shot, that sow AND 3 cubs will be problem bears.
If you don't want to kill them, I'd hang my smelly socks and t shirts around the garden and even poop nearby to encourage them to raid someone else's garden instead.

If you do kill them, save the fat and render it. It was highly prized by pioneers for frying and even to this day people use it on leather. It really makes leather supple.


I believe rendered bear fat makes one of the most effective waterproofing products for boots and such.

I'd look at this bear as a gift from heaven.

[cedarchopper]

My GGF had a bear he raised from a cub...someone shot the mother and he took the cub in and raised it. Bears are pretty smart.


I'll say they're smart. They got a human to feed them for life. :D


Yeah, except it wasn't my GGF. He raised it to full grown and then a circus came through town (Artesia, New Mexico) and he gave it to the circus. A couple of years later the circus came through town again and he went to see if they still had the bear. The bear recognized him immediately and started braying and embracing him. Bears must have good memories and bonding instincts...which gives me some hesitation in knocking off the mother with cubs on a whim ;]

[skid]

This bear has been a problem in the (rural) neighborhood for a few weeks now. My neighbor has fired bear bangers and their effectiveness is now reduced. The bear is showing signs of being not afraid of humans anymore, and charged another neighbor who stood his ground. I'm surprised no one has shot it yet.

I live on the south west coast of BC. I'll call the conservation officers and see if they can relocate it. The little cubs are pretty cute and I wouldn't want them to die unless absolutely necessary.

[Hillbilly]

Don't monkey around with a Momma Bear. Leave that pellet gun at home. If you are going to shoot, shoot to kill. Bears can run pretty fast and you might not get off a second shot.

[skid]

I called the conservation officer. Hopefully they do something with her before she gets shot.

[Glass]

Someone already posted the rules that apply in BC. A fed bear is a etc.... Still there's hope but probably not much I'd say. I was there one summer and they had one on the north side wandering around. Rules is rules apparently.

[osoab]

skid, I would stay armed. Or you could always use zuchinni's ;D

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39325889/ns/us_news-weird_news/Mont. Woman Fends Off Bear Attack with Zucchini (http://)


Missoula County Sheriff's Lt. Rich Maricelli says a 200-pound black bear attacked the woman's 12-year-old collie just after midnight Wednesday on the back porch of her home about 15 miles west of Missoula.

When the woman, whom police did not name, screamed to draw the bear's attention, it charged her and swiped at her leg.

Maricelli says the woman jumped back into the doorway and reached for the nearest object on her kitchen counter — a 12-inch zucchini from her garden.


The woman flung the vegetable at the bear, striking it on top of the head and causing it to flee.

Maricelli says the woman did not need medical attention. Wildlife officials were trying to locate the bear on Thursday.


Lucky woman.

[bellevuebully]

Well Skid??? Dinner and a movie or a drive in the country??

[skid]

Well I called the bear alert number and the lady said she had almost 400 calls that day (for all BC) for problem bears. Doesn't appear that they will do anything.

The wife saw the bear/cubs again today in our garden and I went out to see if it was still around to see if I could permanently discourage it, but it was gone by the time i got there (this garden is 500 feet away from the house behind some trees). We haven't seen it for some time (before today) so hopefully it will move on, as there isn't to much to eat anymore in the garden. bears don't seem to like carrots, beets, or potatoes which is all I have left in that garden.

[bellevuebully]

Glad to hear everyone is ok.