600# bear on deck - takes birdfeed, not compost

15 years ago

Well, we were @ church for a fundraiser dinner (& celebrating our 11th Anniv :) & our neighbors phoned - a 600# black bear (we have lots of black bear in NW NJ) visited our deck - which is about 12 feet off of the ground - and then we have a railing and then a birdfeeder extended up & over the railing - so the birdfeeder (squirrel-proof w/black sunflower seeds) was at least 16 feet off of the ground.

He took the birdfeeder & (according to our neighbors - who were eating dinner on their deck - which deck is 3 feet from ours - a townhouse - and who only saw the bear AFTER he was back on the ground w/the birdfeeder) stood in the middle of the yard eating the seed from it - then he went into the woods & came back & picked up every last seed he could find off the ground.

By the time the cops arrived he was gone. We had seen a tree in the woods nearby a few days ago that he'd ripped the bark off of, and someone else had spotted him walking through. It's been a great spring so they should have plenty of natural stuff to eat.

600# is big for this area, and on a deck that's too close, so the cops will probably try relocate to a State/Natl Park nearby - if the bears just walk through with their cubs or whatever, everyone usually just lets 'em be. Some idiots feed them & cause probs.

Any, I was VERY concerned about the condition of the rubbermaid compost bin & whether I'd get into a bunch of trouble for attracting the bear, etc. - but NO! The compost bin is 5' from the exact place on the ground he was standing to crawl up the deck post - and it was completely untouched - not even jiggled or shoved. In fact, he didn't disturb one flower or plant in the garden between the deck & the woods - he just stepped on one potted plant @ the foot of the deck - just tipped it over, and knocked over a potted dahlia that was on the deck railing (I guess when he hopped over it).

Just thought I'd share the events of living in the country in NW NJ w/a birdfeeder & an untouched compost pile!

All the Best, Tree

PS BTW, I won the war against the multiflora rose (?) thorny vine/shrub/weed today - and freed 2 tall butterfly bushes from its thorny grasp - 4 hrs & 2 huge (4'x 3'x4' each) piles of weeds later, although 1 bush has been pushed almost completely sideways instead of vertical, the butterfly bushes now have a new lease on life. Now, I just have to figure out how to pick up & haul away the piles, or get them into garbage bags. hmmm...

Featured Answer

madmagic

15 years ago

One final point, Tree: when composting, bears are greens.

I wouldn't advise putting that 600 pounder through your blender -- the average bear takes a while to debone, and all that fur and gristle tends to gum up the blades. I'm thinkin' chainsaw, or maybe an industrial-strength shredder. Make sure you mix in lots and lots of leaves, cardboard, bark, or paper. About a ton (dry weight) should do it.

You'll probably see teeth and claws showing up in your soil for a few years, but eventually they do break down. If you get a good hot pile working and turn frequently, even those will be minimal.

All the best,
-Patrick

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Comments (6)

robin_maine
15 years ago
He'll be back as long as you feed him. I don't think I've ever seen a 600 pound bear!
whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio
15 years ago
Remove all food sources, and notify the HOA. They should have a rule preventing bears on decks! :)
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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.
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annpat
15 years ago
Oh yikes! Feeding birds is going to be next on your list of forbiddens.
treeinnj
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks all!

annpat - actually, bird feeders (& houses) ARE against the HOA rules - for just this reason - I just figured that since my deck was one of the few decks that was so high off the ground, that the birdfeeder would be safe - but no! So, no more birdfeeders.

We're very grateful that our sliding GLASS door to the deck was closed - and not the screen door - which he would have gone through & ransacked the kitchen right nearby the door.

whip1 - :) that's great :)

robin - I won't be feeding him, so hopefully he won't be back. I really enjoy living in the country w/all that that means - including bears. But, it's not safe or smart to encourage them to become so comfortable to get so close to human living continually. Every couple years some person (or child) gets injured. But the rest of the time, they're just beautiful animals wandering through that we get to watch meander.

Again, thanks for letting me share - All the Best, Tree
Lloyd
15 years ago
Ranger Smith isn't going to like that Patrick!

HRC

600# bear on deck - takes birdfeed, not compost

madmagic

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robin_maine

whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio

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600# bear on deck - takes birdfeed, not compost

madmagic

Comments (6)

robin_maine

whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio

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annpat

treeinnjOriginal Author

Lloyd

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