Need advice for deterring black bears!

[coastalrichard]

I'm having unusually frequent encounters with black bears this year. I have a bear resistant trash can that they constantly try to get into. Does anyone have any tips?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

in northern WI and Michigan's UP, there are cages for the garbage cans. however the garbage pickup isnt done by automated truck loaders like it is in more urban areas.

other than that
put the garbage out the morning of pickup and not the night before. Bears are generally nocturnal.
use ammonia to disguise the smell of the garbage.

you will have to break the bear of the habit he/she has of getting fed.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Noise... fireworks, canned air horn.

Or you can call your local DNR and report a problem bear.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Remove all food sources and it is usually a seasonal visiting that you will get.

Send MTboatguy a PM and ask about Bear Spray which you might want to keep around.

Oh....and is your life insurance up to date?

 

[coastalrichard]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Prior to having the resistant trash can, I built what I thought was a really stout full enclosure. The bear ripped it apart within days. Next came the newer can and the ammonia. That did help by eliminating the constant clean up in the yard but doesn't deter them at all. I've installed motion detecting flood lights that make my yard light up like a ballpark when activated. They just look around and keep lumbering through the yard. Our forestry guys won't come out and trap it.

Jig, I'll try the air horn, got a spare right here in the boat!

 

[emoney]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Add a good-natured Labrador to your arsenal that spends his nights outdoors. Bears are like the rest of animals and generally try and avoid confrontation. The eating is too good and too easy around the neighborhood for anything else to work.

 

[Tim Frank]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Remove all food sources and it is usually a seasonal visiting that you will get.

Send MTboatguy a PM and ask about Bear Spray which you might want to keep around.

Oh....and is your life insurance up to date?

Some archived advice on that:

This notice is to inform you on how to protect yourself when in areas that are occupied by bear.

While hiking, fishing, hunting, or doing outdoor studies on nature, one should always take precautions on alerting the bears that you are near. It is a very good idea to wear bells around your neck so they can hear you coming. If for some reason this does not work, a can of pepper spray could be, and may be, your last line of defense.

Also one should learn the difference between black bear feces and grizzly feces. Black bear feces will have nuts and berries while the grizzly will have bells in it and smells like pepper....

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Black bears climb trees to eat you and the grizzly just tears it down before he dines

How about talking your neighbor into having a compost bin outside.....the bears will be busy there.

 

[jigngrub]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Jig, I'll try the air horn, got a spare right here in the boat!

Aim it directly at the bear and push the button... you should be cleaning up bear poop the next morning where the bear was when you pushed the button.

 

[The_Kid]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

I don't know if it will work for bears, but I had a raccoon that kept chewing the a corner of a bin in the garage that the dog food was stored in. I took a plastic bag and put some dried hot pepper flakes in it and taped it over the corner they were chewing on. Evidently racoons don't like a mouth full of hot peppers since that was the last time it got chewed on.

The same idea might work for bears. Tape a bag to the top of the trash can and rub some kind of food on the bag to leave a scent. A couple of mouth fulls of hot peppers might convince the bear that the trash can is not a good place to look for food.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

I'm having unusually frequent encounters with black bears this year. I have a bear resistant trash can that they constantly try to get into. Does anyone have any tips?

Jeez..... Desert Eagle 50.

 

[HT32BSX115]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Dig deep!

 

[southkogs]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Jeez..... Desert Eagle 50.View attachment 164349

Bear burgers ... mmmmmmmm

 

[aspeck]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Yep, I like a .30-06 for my bear deterrent. Works for me ...

 

[Tempelton]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Raccoons might not like red pepper flakes but skunks sure do like those red hot cinnamon candies as long as there is a huge mud puddle to drink from.

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Well it seems as you all have the answers, so this will be the only post I contribute..

I could help, but machismo is getting in the way.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

 

[rivermouse]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

Ok....Get a santa costume and put it on. Wait till its real late and then go hide in the trash can. When the bear sneaks up you jump out and scare the chit out of him.

 

[generator12]

Re: Need advice for deterring black bears!

When a Packer fan has this problem, he solves it by painting a goal line around his property. Every Packer fan knows that a Bear seldom crosses a goal line.