Author Topic: A case of almost terminal stupidity with bears (Read 5405 times)

41magsnub · « **on:** November 15, 2011, 04:08:54 PM »

http://missoulanews.bigskypress.com/missoula/of-claws-and-coops/Content?oid=1508797

Article in the local free hippy rag about bears and chicken coops. The author went out, unarmed in any fashion, to run black bears out of the chicken coop. 3 times. the last time it ended up with the author inside the coop pushing against the bear at the door.

Even the fish and game said to shoot the bear. The author is currently working on a bear proof chicken coop. Good luck with that...

wmenorr67 · « **Reply #1 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:23:22 PM »

Darwin candidate soon?

makattak · « **Reply #2 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:26:03 PM »

That poor bear. I sincerely hope he didn't catch anything in his up close encounter with a hippie.

At least he was smart enough not to put it in his mouth.

HankB · « **Reply #3 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:29:12 PM »

One of the most asinine examples of human stupidity around bruins was witnessed by a friend's sister - she and her boyfriend were in Yellowstone, watching some people hand-feeding bears from their cars. That's bad enough, but one family got out of their car - while Mommy was holding a camera, Daddy tried to put Junior on top of a bear for a picture.

Junior was unhappy with this and was making his displeasure known in a very loud and vocal manner . . . whereupon the bear, looking rather perplexed, ran off into the woods.

When last seen, Daddy and Mommy were scolding the tearful Junior for being so noisy and scaring Yogi away.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #4 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:30:19 PM »

how do bears handle electricity? my coop has a gulag look with hot wires run to tickle the coons and possums. its a fence charger designed to charge 5 to 7 miles of wire for livestock i have about 1/2 mile of wire run. it kills squirrels. would it discourage a bear?

Harold Tuttle · « **Reply #5 on:** November 15, 2011, 04:51:09 PM »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0S2yacCR5c

Jocassee · « **Reply #6 on:** November 15, 2011, 05:10:04 PM »

Quote from: makattak on November 15, 2011, 04:26:03 PM

At least he was smart enough not to put it in his mouth.

"Don't eat that, you don't know where it's been"

Stand_watie · « **Reply #7 on:** November 15, 2011, 05:18:15 PM »

   Actually, from reading the article, it sounds like he's willing to listen to reason and attempt to see the issue from the viewpoints of others and to perhaps learn from his mistakes. He doesn't sound like a Treadwell wannabee, and even espouses some valid wildlife principles in the article ("bears aclimated to humans are a danger to themselves and humans").
   If he's willing to sacrifice the chickens and the elbow grease and the $$ in the process, I don't begrudge him the attempt at bearproofing his coop. He might come up with something that would be even more useful for folks in locations that don't have the option of shooting nuisance bears.

CNYCacher · « **Reply #8 on:** November 15, 2011, 06:45:57 PM »

Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on November 15, 2011, 04:30:19 PM

how do bears handle electricity? my coop has a gulag look with hot wires run to tickle the coons and possums. its a fence charger designed to charge 5 to 7 miles of wire for livestock i have about 1/2 mile of wire run. it kills squirrels. would it discourage a bear?

Wait, there's 1/2 mile of wire on your chicken coop?

S. Williamson · « **Reply #9 on:** November 15, 2011, 06:51:00 PM »

Remember, this is C&SD we're talking about here...

charby · « **Reply #10 on:** November 15, 2011, 07:01:10 PM »

Quote from: wmenorr67 on November 15, 2011, 04:23:22 PM

Darwin candidate soon?

Actually I probably would have done something similar to what the chicken guys did. Only exception is I'd probably be armed in case the bear wanted to stand their ground. Black bears for the most part are very timid around people.

I whacked a bear pretty good one night though my tent, heard it rub up against the tent and smacked the side of the tent as a hard as I could getting a piece of the bear. It took off and didn't come back.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #11 on:** November 15, 2011, 07:07:01 PM »

Quote from: CNYCacher on November 15, 2011, 06:45:57 PM

Wait, there's 1/2 mile of wire on your chicken coop?

i've got 3 acres broken up into 3 areas. plus 2 smaller pens a coop and a run in shed. i ran wire on all of it. turn on whichever sections i want

wmenorr67 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 15, 2011, 07:19:00 PM »

Quote from: charby on November 15, 2011, 07:01:10 PM

Actually I probably would have done something similar to what the chicken guys did. Only exception is I'd probably be armed in case the bear wanted to

This makes a difference. Most if not all of us would go out there prepared to defend ourselves, not become dinner.

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #13 on:** November 15, 2011, 07:24:03 PM »

Quote from: wmenorr67 on November 15, 2011, 07:19:00 PM

This makes a difference. Most if not all of us would go out there prepared to defend ourselves, not become dinner.

i had a problem bear that i wanted to discourage with stinger rounds. at one time i had put all my guns in a friends gun safe while i got over being depressed. i called him up asked him to bring me a 12 guage so i could scare the bear off. the dirty sob brought me a single shot. he said i should only need one shot for one bear. i was less than amused. the stingers worked as advertised but i bit down so hard on the 2 rounds of back up double ought i had in my teeth i bent the brass. i wasn't scared

Matthew Carberry · « **Reply #14 on:** November 15, 2011, 07:26:28 PM »

Quote

it kills squirrels. would it discourage a bear?

Electric fences work for camping in bear country.

http://www.electrobearguard.com/

dm1333 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 15, 2011, 08:24:33 PM »

I hope the author figures out that there are a whole lot of options between "no protection for the coop" and "kill the bear". Bear spray, electrify the fence, stingers, noise makers, dogs, etc.

41magsnub · « **Reply #16 on:** November 15, 2011, 08:30:15 PM »

Quote from: wmenorr67 on November 15, 2011, 07:19:00 PM

This makes a difference. Most if not all of us would go out there prepared to defend ourselves, not become dinner.

That is my point. We are all aware of black bear behavior, but bear spray.. a gun.. something would be appropriate here. Getting into a shoving match over a flimsy chicken coop door with a bear with no backup option is not the best idea in the world.

Perd Hapley · « **Reply #17 on:** November 16, 2011, 01:15:26 AM »

Quote

Dev Carey is a contributor to Writers on the Range, a service of High Country News (hcn.org). He runs an environmental nonprofit in Paonia, Colorado.

I wish I could live the good life, scamming people of out of their money.

Tallpine · « **Reply #18 on:** November 16, 2011, 09:39:01 AM »

This sort of thing is one reason that I carry a sidearm all day every day at home (and most other places).

The "wild" is right outside my door, assuming the wild doesn't tear down the door and come inside. (no, I don't have a bear proof refrigerator in my kitchen

)

Lot's of times I grab a rifle also if I am going out in the yard to check out something.

Plus we have a couple of psychos living in our neighborhood now

cassandra and sara's daddy · « **Reply #19 on:** November 16, 2011, 09:47:40 AM »

Plus we have a couple of newpsychos living in our neighborhood now sad

Tallpine · « **Reply #20 on:** November 16, 2011, 09:49:45 AM »

Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on November 16, 2011, 09:47:40 AM

Plus we have a couple of newpsychos living in our neighborhood now sad

Most of the others are just new age idiots that don't threaten to kill people and/or burn down their house.

doczinn · « **Reply #21 on:** November 16, 2011, 11:35:36 PM »

Quote

That poor bear. I sincerely hope he didn't catch anything in his up close encounter with a hippie.

At least he was smart enough not to put it in his mouth.

FTW!

gunsmith · « **Reply #22 on:** November 17, 2011, 02:18:47 AM »

allegedly there was a case in the 70's where mom and dad poured honey on their toddler to get a film of yogi licking junior. ... lick lick lick-bite. ... supposedly all caught on film

News:

Author Topic: A case of almost terminal stupidity with bears (Read 5405 times)