More Thoughts on Bears

[MountainDon]

Alright, so I'm getting stuff together to haul up to the mountains this coming weekend. I'm about to lift the Weber Grill off it's stand and carry it to the side yard, when I realize I'm holding Bear Bait. Last nights grilled chicken still smells great!

So I think I need to come up with a Bear Proof storage box for it. 

[Redoverfarm]

In a pinch smear some Noxema on it.  It works with bears to disguise odors.

[MountainDon]

On the grill or the meat, John?

[peternap]

I put ours in the storage building Don. Just a heads up, change after grilling. A large percentage of attacks are because the people were wearing the same clothes
they cooked in.

[MountainDon]

A good point Peter. I don't have anything but a Gazebo, the RV, a huge woodpile and some guns up there so far.


When I used to sleep in a tent while camping I'd bag the clothes from the day and sleep in something fresh or dedicated only to sleeping. Now that I sleep in the back of the Cherokee when camping out I'm not so fastidious. But when 4 wheeling I also have grown more lazy and don't bother with much real cooking on the trail. I cook at home and warm it. Simpler, fewer dishes, less work.

But around the mountain property I love to grill.    A big grilling apron might be a help.

[John_C]

But around the mountain property I love to grill.

Best steak I ever had was black bear.

[MountainDon]

Hmmm.  I've never eaten bear.

[glenn kangiser]

I've eaten bare.

[Redoverfarm]

Grill unless you like menthol meat.

[peternap]

I've eaten bare.

No pictures ......Please. 

[glenn kangiser]

Hmmmmpf....normally everyone wants pictures here....are you trying to tell me sumpthin?

[John_C]

I've eaten bare.

Ummm   thanks for sharing 

[Redoverfarm]

[glenn kangiser]

Like the two buddies talking -- One told the other "I don't have to outrun the bear, I only have to outrun you."

[John_C]

FINALLY!   A use for the ex-wife.   

[Redoverfarm]

Up close an personal today.  As I left the cabin about 1/4 mile into my decent off the mountain a sow and two cubs jumped off the bank just yards from my truck.  The sow was proabably 175#-200# and the cubs obviously late arrivals didn't weight more than 12-15#.  Well Mommy and one of the little ones decided to make a run for it over the bank.  But the curious one thought it was best to climb a small tree at the roads edge to take a closer look.  Even with it's small size and adolesence he performed the task with ease.  But one problem when was that guy in the truck going to leave.  I sat there for 10-15 minutes and watched as he dared to come down eye level no more than 15 feet from the truck window.

We carried on an unintelligble conversations of wines and grunts. Him going back up and down the tree. Even at one point he was about 2' from the gound and leaped like a monkey to the adjoining tree(2' away) and climbed it a few times.  Eventiually he decided that I was there to stay (not really) and he was going to make a run for it so he did.  Wish I would have had my camera for it would have made for a great shot.  I am sure mommy was well with hearing distance to make sure nothing happened.  But I am no fool either. I didn't get out to look but I really didn't need to get any closer.  It was about the same size of one I started to raise in my teens.  I would say that one is dead by now.

[peternap]

Had the same thing happen to me last year on my Atv John. I did have my camera though. Cute little buggers, aren't they.

[NM_Shooter]

Hey Don, can you string an electric wire around your perimeter?  They have cheap setups at Village Mercantile in Corrales.  Could run it off a battery and a small solar panel. 

Does anybody know if electric wires will repel bears? 

[peternap]

Hey Don, can you string an electric wire around your perimeter?  They have cheap setups at Village Mercantile in Corrales.  Could run it off a battery and a small solar panel. 

Does anybody know if electric wires will repel bears? 

It would help but it wouldn't keep a determined bear out. The best way to keep them out is not have anything they want.

I tried an electric fence with an Old English Sheepdog I had once. When he wanted out, he just scooted through it.

[Redoverfarm]

Frank I seriously doubt that electric will help.  They will pretty much go where ever they put their mind to.  Here is a couple of photo's of split rail fence at the house the morning after.  We came home late and he was beside the driveway.  At first I thought one of my cows had gotten out and was ready to get the light and put it back in.  But as I got closer I realized it was a bear probably about 250-300# running along the car.  It never broke stride and ran through the fence and broke the bottom rail which in the middle was about 3-4" diameter.  It didn't even break a stride and continued through the hay field to the woods. You can see the swoth he cut in the hay going toward the woods.





The only thing I worry about is the sons 4-H pigs.  A friend who is also in 4-H lost one of his show pigs last week to a bear.  Hopefully the dog will get wind and bark at it to discourage it. I hope.

[MountainDon]

Counter Assault has a bear electric fence designed for food protection. Their webpage is HERE.

The system has been tested by the USFS against blacks and grizzlies. They placed a carcass on the ground and setup the electric fences. They tested different makes. The one sold by Counter Assault kept the bears away. Within 2 days of the removal of the fence the carcass left there was eaten or carried away. The above Counter Assault pager has a link at the bottom to the test results. (user ID and passwords are provided for access).

The question is, Can the fence be expanded, lengthened and remain effective? Oh, the other question is do you have or want to spend $369?  I believe there's a little more to this unit than the average ag fence.

[Redoverfarm]

I think there secret is the multiple wires.  Just the standard 2-3 would probably not be enough contact.  With multiple wires the contacts would be several at one time. 

[peternap]

Just to stray from the fence for a second, I got a picture today of the saddest, skinniest little yearling. I've ever seen.

[glenn kangiser]

Looks a lot like my brother.