composting in bear country
bruce_z
17 years ago
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Comments (9)
joepyeweed
17 years agogonefishin
17 years agoRelated Discussions
**BEARS (First disease, then bugs, then squirrels, now bears!!)
Comments (19)Bears happen. Here in Montana black bears do wander into our town (well, small city) and cause a lot of problems in orchards and dumpsters. Fish and Game or Wildlife and Parks will humanely deal with them pretty quickly. Usually they dart them and relocate them, sometimes trap. They almost never find it necessary to kill them. I've taken to carrying pepper spray when I'm in the mountains now (as much for wolves and cougar as for bear) and you might consider it. This is a pint aerosol that goes off with a very loud bang and sends a cloud of capsaicin. It has been known to turn charging grizzlies, which is a good trick. One experience with it will convince Black Bear to seek friendlier neighborhoods. Expect to pay forty or fifty bucks for a can. Local bear expert Jamie Jonkel says it will, in fact, deter 9 of 10 grizzlies .... There's no warranty for the tenth bear. You'd have to lay in wait for your bruin, so it may not be practical. I can imagine trying to convince my wife that I needed to sit up and stare at my trees until daybreak! Good luck. We all sympathise. :-)M...See MoreComposting with the neighborhood bear.....ideas?
Comments (6)I have some experience gardening around bears. I'd suggest not using kitchen scraps if you have bears coming around. You could still compost your yard waste, because I don't think the bears would be very interested in it. But don't put anything outdoors in your pile or lasagna bed or anywhere else that would be a treat. A few comments on living around bears in general ... Any cub is extremely dangerous because the mom is always nearby, and a lot closer than a few houses away, IME, more like within 20-30 feet. One place you do not want to be is in between a mom and her cubs. Second, a bear that has learned to get food from humans quickly learns not to fear humans. They become problem bears and usually don't live long because they have to be destroyed. The biggest favor you could do for this cub and his mom is make sure they cannot find any food whatsoever anywhere in your neighborhood. If he becomes a pest, your state Wildlife agents will be called in to 'dispose' of the problem bear. For this reason, feeding bears, even negligently or accidentally, is illegal in Alaska and may be in your state, too. In Alaska, your neighbor whose bird seed the cub ate could be fined and you could be, too, because the bear ate your scraps. Whether or not that is the law in your state, anyone who lets a bear have food is contributing to the problem where bears always end up the losers. I don't mean to lecture and I hope you will take my comments constructively. It's neat to see wildlife, but you do have to be cautious and responsible when you are lucky enough to live so close to them....See MoreDarn Bear again...I guess no composting for me...
Comments (23)I was talking to someone today who has a cabin in the mountains, and is pretty savvy on bear issues. They meticulously haul out all food stuffs when they leave, and wash down the sinks and drains with disinfectant, to make sure there is nothing left that might attract bears. On top of that, they have welded 1/4" mesh on all the windows and doors. So, they went up this past weekend, hoping to spend the week, and came back down for stuff to repair the damage. A bear had pulled the weld mesh off the door, broke the door, got into the kitchen and tore open the pad-locked fridge, which had nothing in it. Some sort of residual smell or something. Around here, we only see them in the fall when they're out and about from the canyons into all the old orchards. The absolutely worst thing you can do is have an over-ripe cantaloupe in the garden or the compost. They'll be there....See MoreComposting in Bear Country
Comments (4)Thanks for the info. Although it was a little disappointing. I had another thought. Could I use a composter like this one in my garage? http://www.composters.com/compost-tumblers/patio-tumbler_36_2.php I am mainly looking to use my organic waste, paper towels and plates, dryer lint etc. Not really trying to do huge amounts of yard waste or anything. What do all the experts think?...See Morejoepyeweed
17 years agoplot_thickens
17 years agogardenerupnorth
17 years agojeannie7
17 years agoemily_ak
17 years agooldmainer
17 years ago
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