Do you have dogs? I mean the bigger ones. I've heard that this sometimes helps. My nephew had a bear coming onto his deck to get at his bird feeder. So he put on sometime that would shock it. It worked the first night but the bear was back and figured out how to get at it without getting shocked. They are quite smart animals from what I have heard. He ended up taking the bird feeder down and making sure any of the attractions for the bear is gone. Not sure how you can do that though with hens.

I know people who have success with the dogs. I have no other ideas though. Sorry.

I feel your frustration though.

lol thanks no we dont have dogs anymore, we used to have weiner dogs though, i dont think they would do the trick. and this cub somehow squeezed himself in a 12x 12 in hole to get into the hen house..and yep they are very smart and very creative...my dad was going to do the shock thing to ill have to tell him about your note. it wouldnt be so bad but i have 2 neices and who the heck knows when those bears are around. im trying to be safe, lol maybe a little to safe, but ya never can tell it is after all a wild animal...oh and my neighbor down the road just told me they visited their house sat night too..lol bad bears

Once a bear has found food at a location, he will keep returing. When the food supply runs out, the bear will tear into anything that smells of food including your kitchen, or looks as though it may have food (based on the bear's past ecperience).

Me, I'm afraid of a raiding bear.

Do any of you deal with bears?
I mean real pain in the butt ones.

My wife will you tell you she deals with one all the time.

Pooh Bear

I was thinking of my DH when I opened this- Good gravy, I thought the deer and rabbits were bad. I can not even begin to imagine trying to deter a bear!

Trish

A bear killed one of my dogs a few years ago. Turpie was about the size of a Sheltie, and too brave for his own good. It was horrible. A Game Commission agent identified the attacker as a bear based on the nature of the injuries.

A couple of nights later the bear came up on the porch where I had bird feeders. It destroyed the feeders (made of thick metal) and smeared mud all over the porch.

I called the agent and asked him to set up a trap for the bear so he could be relocated, but the agent said we had invited the bear to our property when we put up the bird feeders. Since you don't feed this time of year (we don't now either), you might contact the Game Commission about installing a trap. The traps look like big metal drums.

An electric fence with a nice jolt.

My neighbor has several bee hives and a garden inside a chain link fence. Along the top he ran an electrified wire. It seems to be working and luckily the bears can't tell when the poser is out - but that's always a chance.

oops- I meant to type 'when the power is out'

My cousin sent me pictures last week of a black bear that came into her backyard in broad daylight while she was sitting on her deck and turned over her trash cans.She's in N.J. up in the mountains.
Kathi

jeepers thanks for all the replies....some of you scared me, and im real sorry about youre dog getting killed. calling the dec here isnt an option, well ya may as well do nothing lol. i was just wondering about how you all dealt with them when you came into contact, something i may not have heard about...guess ill go get my water early..before dark lol and bungee my door shut again..i know it wont help but it sure as heck makes me feel better. thanks for all of your replies..i appreciate it..i guess if i get near him/her...ill be running with a bear behind lol. thanks again.

House at Lake Tahoe are required to have bear-proof garbage cans that are pricey--one-two hundred dollars, I think. But this law IS making a difference in the bear problem. Maybe worth the investment.

Yeah; I'm married to one. LOL

They say we have some "small" black bears in the area. We haven't seen them yet. Harry and Wes did find some fresh bear scat out on one of their prairie runs.

have a cyber pal up in the mts of new jersey as well...her bear was even bolder..came around during the daytime...it was just a matter of time and waiting it out, it just finally got bored and left...

hey just did a check online and found this site...this was one of a couple...

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.bearsmart.com/bearsBackyard/Deterrents.html

Whenever we have a problem bear, Game and Fish traps it and relocates it. Good luck, I know how persistent they can be.

We had bears around here for years. We used to feed the birds and deer, but it drew the bears, so we stopped putting out any kind of food. We have had as many as 5 bears in our backyard at one time.

Once, a bear went into our storage shed, and was taking things out--I think he wanted to hibernate in there. They have been on our porches, and once Mama Bear came knocking at the door...with her three cubs in tow. Our wildlife people won't do anything about them. If we see a bear now, DH fires a pellet gun into the air--the sound scares the bear away, and hopefully will keep him away.

They are beautiful creatures and can be friendly--but it's important to remember that they are wild animals.

I told my DH the other day that not only was I mad at Papa Bear and Mama Bear, but also even at BABY Bear! LOL He's had his deer feeder torn totally up twice by bears. Bears just don't know the value of a $$! LOL

Don't have any close to where we live, but there must be several out on the land where my DH hunts.

Sorry for your problems - no solution, just a sympathetic shoulder!

ok i dont feel so bad now lol, im just scared im going to be outside working and there theyll be...they are way more quieter than a deer, and they sneak. lol. i swear you cant hear them they are so quiet...up here where i live you can be picking blueberrys on one side of the bush and the bear will be on the other side, and you wont hear them until they grunt....im not kidding! i keep the 4 wheeler VERY close lol i think we are getting them more and more because of developement..and we live way in the woods lol i know they are a pain but i also feel bad for them, because they are getting chased out of their habitat. oh well ill keep my door bungeed lmbo thanks for all your stories and ideas.