rachels.haven's Journal

[farmerjan]

Black bears are not normally aggressive, but if it is "having a bad hair day" so to speak, they can go off. The bear might have a cub ( they stay with them normally for at least a year) and the bear might have seen the dog as a threat. The bear could have an injury, the dog could have disturbed it while it was foraging, the dog may have just gone after it and then realized too late that this thing was bigger than he was.....
There are a couple of bears here that we have seen, and one is big, 350 lbs by several estimates by several who have seen it. Another that we think might be it's cub from 2 years ago when we saw a sow with a cub a few times around the area. They have been seen right up against several people's houses at bird feeders. Tried to get in one friends smaller cabin on the property where she has her broom making machine and keeps her cat and bird food.... in metal cans.
Don't know all the laws on them, but one farmer gets kill permits every year because these bears will tear into the silage piles they have in the concrete bunks covered in plastic so it ferments. They are a PITA in many areas, can wipe out a half acre of corn and pile it in a big messy heap....

 

[rachels.haven]

I hope it's just a sow with cubs. There's a private school that's been having bear issues with them coming up to windows and trying to come in two miles away(and they had to put the kids on lockdown until it left) and one of my neighbors a few days later put up overnight security footage of a bear tearing up their kids' yard toys then coming up on their patio and trying to come in. Based on the reactions to these posts, I still think someone is feeding the "cute bears" and "sweet innocent babies" (none of the bears in either set of footage were immature). I'm allowed to shoot a bear as a farmer the same as I'm allowed to shoot a coyote, but I'd rather not. Plus, you're supposed to report and get a tag for what you shot and I'm SURE they will charge you the big bucks for the animal you didn't want to have any interaction with in the first place. Because our property is so stony and hard to dig holes on I'd pay if they disposed of whatever was shot in defence of my family and stock, but not out of the goodness of my heart as a donation for the help they never provided. I doubt they'd dispose of anything for you. (Plus, I'm fairly sure shooting a bear requires bigger guns than I'd be comfortable learning and carrying around.)

I don't hear the dog yet this morning, but if he was in a pen and not tied out that night he may have made it (I hope). I'm not going to worry too much about that. It's the neighbor's dog. At least until they sold off their alpacas they seemed to be taking good care of things. They may also know more than little old me. If not, it's on them.

Btw, we've decided to find someone who can fence JUST the house and barn portion asap if possible, which should not require town paperwork. I may consider adding a little electric on one side at the top for bears so they don't damage it since they're so friendly here, but electric around kids, especially my kids who are very, very clever but not always very bright, sounds like a bad idea.

 

[Baymule]

Your kids will brighten up REAL FAST if they grab hold of a hot wire. A one time grab the hot wire versus a bear on the porch trying to get in sounds like a darn good idea to me. Tell the kids what it is, what it will do and if they grab it, laugh at them. I bet they won't do it again.

 

[Bruce]

Lol, you sure you're not under water there, @Bruce ? Do your slippers go *squish* when you step into them and out of bed in the morning?

Quite sure and the only water we get in the basement is from rain. Need some work done on the foundation. The man made pond behind the barn is occasionally spring fed, the area just south of it is sometimes wet. Doesn't help that there is a ton of ledge and clay here, water doesn't perk through rock and clay.

Probably correct, but she gets by. This place has a protected temporary pond. If you someday wind up with a pond, I recommend making sure the pond stays all year round. Semi-dry ponds are yucky.

Yep, then there are vernal pools. SOMETIMES they dry up in the summer and sometimes they don't but they are important for certain amphibians. There are a couple out in the woods here. There is a property line marker right in the middle of one where the line takes a turn.

but electric around kids, especially my kids who are very, very clever but not always very bright, sounds like a bad idea.

Bay covered it. IF they are dumb enough to not trust you when you tell them it will HURT A LOT, it won't kill them but it will ensure they never do it on purpose again. It isn't a light socket tingle.

There was a report last week of a black bear in the Hundred Acre Woods. Town property about a mile north of here. I'm not putting out any bird seed!!

 

[B&B Happy goats]

My brother opened his door last week (NH) ...and a very large bear was standing on the deck facing him......be careful !

 

[rachels.haven]

I don't think the dog made it. Something non-coyote was yelping and screaming early this morning in the woods today. It stopped before I could consider going to investigate (I shouldn't have though, I had a kid in tow). We also haven't heard a peep from the direction of the neighbor's yard. Rough.
Got in contact with a fencing guy from Townsend. He wants to come out Wednesday and we can go over phase 1 of fencing and see if we can get it in asap.

 

[Baymule]

I hope you get the fence up pronto!

 

[Bruce]

Do you have your gun yet?? I don't think I'd go out investigating with protection.

 

[Bruce]

My brother opened his door last week (NH) ...and a very large bear was standing on the deck facing him......be careful !

Did it say Trick or Treat?? You play him a trick or you'll be the treat.

 

[B&B Happy goats]

Did it say Trick or Treat?? You play him a trick or you'll be the treat.

Scared the crap out of him and his wife...they are building a 8' stockade fence around their deck and putting up a locking gate...that was way to close for comfot for them...