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Showing 19 | Next 19 | Display 50, 100 at a time | View by Threads
- Wed, May 23, 2012, 9:13 A
BEAR!
I am not in any way shocked by the behavior of bears, I grew up around them in Michigan and have always respected them for exactly what they are. I knew I was taking a chance leaving my feeders out into May and now I've paid the price - it's only money. And no bear is going to get shot on my account.
This is a free country. I've found that my consciousness has been (sometimes painfully) gradually raised about the consequences of my actions on all living things near and far in so many ways. I''m still learning. I think we all are.
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 8:56 P
BEAR!
I'm not recommending anything to anybody -- I'm just describing my experience.
When the bears got to some of my feeders, those feeders were gone, so to that extent I'm following 'the rules". But I like having a compost bin and I like feeding the birds, and I don't want to let the bears ruin it for me. So far, they haven't. (To quote Steven Wright, "My goal is to live forever. So far, I'm on track." :-)
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 7:21 P
BEAR!
Don't understand why people are shocked by the behavior of bears. This is what they do, they are wild animals. They will survive no matter what it takes, just like all wild animals. Don't. Fear them, just respect what they are capable of doing, and the space they need to do it.
Mark2
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 12:42 P
BEAR!
Al;so best to bring in the hummingbird feeders in at night.. At 15 bucks a pop it gets old fast. Also lost a shepards hook when it leaned against it to get the feeder.. Also had a mini cherry tree that was about 12 ft high and around 4 in around and had a pair of young climb it to get the cherries and broke most of the limbs. My yelling didn't faze them at all.
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 10:24 A
BEAR!
The bear outside my window was not the least phased by my dog barking inside. There was no way I was letting my dog outside with the bear - I love my dog!
I'm thinking birdbath for the deck now.
Now I'm worried about starting a compost pile like I was planning.
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 7:12 A
BEAR!
Dogs make a huge difference in terms of keeping bears away. We've had 3 or 4 bear visits in 15 years, while most of our dogless neighbors have had many more. We still don't leave bird food out, but we have a tasty compost pile about 50 yards from the house and they've never hit that.
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 7:08 A
BEAR!
http://www.joe-ks.co...l2005/BearFeeder.htm
They are crafty little buggers
Mark2
- Tue, May 22, 2012, 6:35 A
BEAR!
I personally would not take the kind of gamble you are. There is little to no evidence that birds need spring, summer and fall feeding. There is plenty of evidence that this behavior ends up in dead bears.
Mark1
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 11:20 P
BEAR!
Mark1 - maybe so, but I've been here for twenty years and my system has worked fine so far. If that stops, I'll have to readjust, but, let's face it, it's only a matter of time before I'm not around any more and someone else will be doing their thing here. Right now, it's a race between me and the bears ... :-)
Also, we've got neighbors with dogs, and I think they harass the bears. We used to have deer coming through pretty regularly, but since the Winthrop Street houses went in we haven't seen so many. I try not to be stupid, but I'm not convinced that all the birds will "find food somewhere else". I've read that a lot of birds don't make it, and I like to help out the ones that I can. If the bears put a stop to that, so be it, but so far they haven't .....
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 11:10 P
BEAR!
Mike, it's only a matter of time until your system gets tested by bears, and it might not be so enjoyable any more.
The gradual reforestation of MA is leading to better habitat for deer and bears. And so we must adjust - to Lyme disease and to the behavior of bears.
Mark1
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 10:59 P
BEAR!
Not to be a contrarian, but I like feeding the birds all year round. My feeders are on a rope between two trees about twenty feet off the ground -- I've got a pulley system to raise and lower them, and I've even got baffles and barriers that (mostly) keep the squirrels away. Every two or three years a bear wanders through here, but they don't get to the feeders and they don't stay.
Years ago, we had feeders on posts closer to the house, but one time a bear got to them and so we stopped. I agree you've got to be careful, but I think there are ways to do it .....
Now if I could just convince a family of foxes to move in and help me out with the squirrels ... :-)
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 8:16 P
BEAR!
I had a bear in my yard a year or so ago. About 7 am he's in the back yard and my kid was in the front yard. By the time I got to the ole gun cabinet he was gone. No time to dial 911. Bottom line if they came to your house once for food and were successfull they will be back again. Good luck
Mark2
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 6:31 P
BEAR!
Ah, yes, Mark1, that's one of the morals to the story I had in mind.
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 5:05 P
BEAR!
Mark1 -- that's a very good bit of info, "a fed bear is a dead bear." Good mantra to keep in mind.
Cheers,
Jonathan
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 3:35 P
BEAR!
It bears repeating (ha, ha) that once bears break hibernation (April-ish), it is IMPERATIVE that bird feeding stop.
There's a reason they say "a fed bear is a dead bear": bears become hooked on birdseed and other human-supplied food (garbage, or heaven forbid, intentional feeding). If they have a human encounter, will likely be killed by wildlife officials because the bear has lost its fear.
The birds will find other food. The bears will find a loaded gun and a death sentence.
Mark1
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 3:16 P
BEAR!
I live on Turners Falls Road in Montague Center. I hear bears travel a 200 mile circuit to raid birdfeeders. I'm not putting mine out again until they go into hibernation.
By the way, the birds are pissed. We had built up enough trust that they would feed even when my dog and I were 6 feet away. Now, when I go out on the deck, I get a chorus of super angry chirps.
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 10:09 A
BEAR!
Whoa -- glad that no one was injured! Without invading your privacy, whereabouts -- generally -- are you located?
Best,
Jonathan
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 10:09 A
BEAR!
We had a similar situation a couple years ago. The dogs woke up around 3 AM and, once let out , were barking like crazy. When they came back, we were just thankful that there were no quills or skunk smell. In the morning we found out what happened: we had removed the bird feeders, but left a big tub of seeds on the patio, and the tub had been dragged about thirty yards and dumped on its side. Now we make sure to put the bird seed away and out of reach.
- Mon, May 21, 2012, 9:23 A
BEAR!
3 am last night I awake to my dog's crazy Cujo barking. Then I hear the sounds of fur(?) paws(?) brushing and brushing against my window screens (my bedroom is on the lower level) and the rattling of the storm door nest to my bedroom. Next comes sounds of scuffling and crashing on the deck off the main level above my bedroom, then more brushing against the screens (what I can hear above the Cujo barking, anyway.) Obviously, whatever is out there is not in the least phased by my dog.
I feel a little sheepish about this, but I fall right back asleep. This morning, my big fancy schmancy, heavy duty, squirrel proof feeder is gone (just GONE). My fancy schmancy, heavy duty feeder hanger is bent this way and that, and a side table is broken - at the site of the alleged entrance and exit to the deck. I didn't really know bears could climb. All the other deck furniture and all my plants are completely undisturbed. All in all, a pretty surgical strike for a BEAR. I went looking for the feeder but it was GONE, no doubt tucked in the armpit of some huge critter.
I know there are several morals to this story...
