After an uneventful spring and most of the summer, I've had three bear encounters this week on my property. Its not too surprising that they are close, since we live among wild blueberries and a host of other berries that they love. The first of the berries are starting to turn ripe and that is what they are after. So they are about. Fortunately we have never had one try to get in our house as we do what you need to do to minimize them wanting to come in.
We've tried all sorts of tricks to try to keep them away. Most of the tricks are stuff the wife thinks of. She has wind chimes on every outbuilding (2 dozen windchimes easily) with the hopes that the human noise keeps them away. She puts moth balls on the avenues of approach. She keeps fresh coffee ground in cans around the house as she hears that masks human food smells. We have a great dog that always stays close and barks only at bears and wolves (and humans, but the human bark is different). When the bears are near we bang a 2 foot long 2x4 on the deck fencing, and if they get close enough, I chase them off with a BB gun (don't worry, I have a real gun on me too). This has worked well in previous years and I've got my BB gun on the deck loaded for another year of having to deal with them.
I have most of the brush cut back more than 100 feet (or more) from the main structure and major outbuildings, and they tend to stay at the edge of or in the brush. They do often stroll right through the middle of the open area. I suppose I can extend where the brush is cut back, but this will only help a little.
Are there any other good tricks that can discourage them from getting to close? Its the natural food that grows in the wild that brings them near each "fall" as the berries ripen. Mostly black bears and an occasional brownie in my parts.
Probably something I will always have to deal with.
We've tried all sorts of tricks to try to keep them away. Most of the tricks are stuff the wife thinks of. She has wind chimes on every outbuilding (2 dozen windchimes easily) with the hopes that the human noise keeps them away. She puts moth balls on the avenues of approach. She keeps fresh coffee ground in cans around the house as she hears that masks human food smells. We have a great dog that always stays close and barks only at bears and wolves (and humans, but the human bark is different). When the bears are near we bang a 2 foot long 2x4 on the deck fencing, and if they get close enough, I chase them off with a BB gun (don't worry, I have a real gun on me too). This has worked well in previous years and I've got my BB gun on the deck loaded for another year of having to deal with them.
I have most of the brush cut back more than 100 feet (or more) from the main structure and major outbuildings, and they tend to stay at the edge of or in the brush. They do often stroll right through the middle of the open area. I suppose I can extend where the brush is cut back, but this will only help a little.
Are there any other good tricks that can discourage them from getting to close? Its the natural food that grows in the wild that brings them near each "fall" as the berries ripen. Mostly black bears and an occasional brownie in my parts.
Probably something I will always have to deal with.