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Author Topic: Bobcat problem  (Read 14953 times)

Offline MarkR

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #20 on: September 07, 2007, 06:05:49 pm »
okay, wow, lesson here is always wear your glasses when you're running throught the yard at night after what ever is making your chickens make that awful noise.   Judging from nice scat, and the damage to the run, I'd say what my deflicted eyes thought was a bobcat was really a bear.  Crap, now what do I do.  I have to rebuild the coop AND fence the hive.  Good thing it's the weekend.

Mark

Offline Shawn

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #21 on: September 07, 2007, 07:30:52 pm »
Ok now I woud say you have a problem. In Colorado the Division of Wildlife could be contacted and they would trap the bear and relocate it. Im no animal expert but if there is food, it got food once, I think it will continue to come back. You should know by the tracks what it is.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #22 on: September 08, 2007, 02:57:57 am »
Have no mercy, locate this predator, to where?  Another human's problem.  Hmmm....Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline MarkR

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #23 on: September 08, 2007, 10:05:55 am »
Called the Game Warden, he'll get back to me in the next couple of weeks. . . when he has time. . .maybe.   I think I'll just deal with this on my own.  Cindi, I could relocate him to where he probably came from, but there are about 200 lovely ne McMansions out there.  grrrrrrr.  Actually, that might work. heh heh heh

Mark

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #24 on: September 08, 2007, 12:25:06 pm »
Bears.  Recently in our area (about 5 km away) a child was playing in her back yard, a bear (single one) came out and began to maul her.  The parent was able to get the child away and into their home before any significant damage was done.  This bear was known to the area and an officer came out and shot the bear.  Obviously had been causing trouble other times, otherwise this bear would have been relocated too.  Bears are terrifying animals and we live along a bear path that runs alongside my property.  The bears travel along the ravine.  It is deep, surrounded by heavy bush and they have not so far ventured up the banks to come onto my property.  I think the bears know how many dogs we have and this deters them.  But I hear our neighbour yelling at the top of his voice sometimes to go away, and I am sure it is the bear he is shouting at.

One year the bear did come up and eat all my corn in the patch.  That was a substantial amount of corn, probably 200 corn stalks.  There was a pile of husks left behind, that was weird, and all along the bush I could see where he had made a trail and there were corn stalks scattered along this trail. I think there must have been a couple of them to cause so much damage and eat so much corn.  Hmmm...greeedy things, aren't they.

No use for bears.  Our neighbour had a bear in her driveway about a month ago, the bear wouldn't get out of her way and she had to sit in the car until it finally decided that it would carry on its merry way.  Oh brother.  Have a wonderful day, best of our great life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline Kev

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #25 on: September 09, 2007, 07:49:02 pm »
Cindi,

Was that a grizzly (alaskan brown?) bear? If so, very different best from the black bears in the eastern US. Blacks are much more timid.

I still think electric fence is the way to go. I use old beer bottle caps wired to the fence and baited with peanut butter to keep deer and racoons out.

kev
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Offline Shawn

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #26 on: September 09, 2007, 08:09:46 pm »
MarkR,

Being in law enforcement I have seen the ways on how people get what they want. If the game warden did not help or says he is busy call your local sheriffs office or police department. Tell them you and your property are endanger and see what is done! Granted they might say to call the game warden or there is nothing they can do but, the squeaky wheel gets greesed when it squeaks too much.

Offline MarkR

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #27 on: September 09, 2007, 09:25:32 pm »
Actually, he came out last evening on his way home.  A very cool gentleman with lots of good suggestions.  I do have a 30 day kill permit now, but I'm going to try some other stuff first.  So. . . any tried going after a bear with a paint ball gun.  He said it wouldn't come after me, but I'll be putting on my track shoes anyway. . . you know. . . just in case.

Interesting thing:  they don't relocate bears here in Albemarle County.  They do in Shenandoah Nat'l Park and they somehow end up here . . . twenty miles away from the south end of the park.  .  . hmmmmmm.  I would say that my bear didn't have a park tag, but hell, without my glasses I thought it was a cat. 

You know, in hind sight, it's good I couldn't tell what I was yelling at.   :shock:

Mark

Offline MarkR

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #28 on: September 09, 2007, 09:27:06 pm »
Oh yeah, here's the bear confirmation (warning graphic scat shot):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/markrough/1349971103/

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #29 on: September 09, 2007, 09:59:03 pm »
markr,  suggestion on taking out bear. probably stuff you know......use a weapon adequate for the job and don't stop shooting until it's dead or you can not safely shoot at it any more.  black bears are usually not to aggressive, but when you put holes in them, that can change.  good luck and keep us posted.  :-)
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #30 on: September 11, 2007, 11:18:38 am »
Kev, was not a grizzly, we have black bears around here.  Thank goodness for no grizzly, now that is a scary bear.

What!!!!!  Shoot a bear with a paintball.   I think that anyone that would do that would be asking for death looking the in the face.  Hmmm....every seen an animal in pain, like a bear.  I would bet your bottom dollar that that bear would be on a death wish for you, unless you could run faster than him and I doubt that very much.

Kathy is 100% right, shoot to kill and only until there is death.  A bear with holes in it in pain, not dead and hurting, is going to hurt you.  Lots of stuff to think about.

See what I was talking about when I said relocate the bear?  To another person's area.  That is the issue with relocating trouble bears, they become someone else's headache.  They don't belong around the human being's area.  Have a wonderful day, best of our life.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline MarkR

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #31 on: November 03, 2007, 03:30:40 pm »
So, I've been really busy since getting out of traction after the bear attack. . . just kidding.

I've just been busy.

The bear and I have developed a respectful attitude with each other.  He's been back a few times to snack on spilled chicken feed.  I've bombed him with homemade noise makers (cans filled with gravel) and pegged him with a couple of paint balls (I stayed on my deck) and he truly does run away.  I think getting hit on the nose and having a yellow nose for a week was probably embarrassing for him.  When I got the run repaired I did bait the electric fence.  Truly, I think that's mainly why he stays away now.  I do see him going around the edges of our property.  We sort of give each other leery looks and go our separate ways.  (For those of you who are worried for my sanity, I was armed as well, but wanted to try the noise/paint ball idea first).

I hope this continues as I've now got two dozen chicks in the basement and 14 viable eggs in the incubator.  I'm not sure why  he's never expressed any interest in the hive or the bird feeders, but I did go ahead and fence in the hive while I was refencing the run.

Busy around here.  The hive is much slower, though during early afternoons there are still quite a few out flying.  It's ready for the cold.  We've had a couple of frosts this past week but days are still in the 70's.  Ahhhhh.

Happy fall everyone!

Mark

Offline reinbeau

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #32 on: November 03, 2007, 07:50:20 pm »
Mark, this is a lesson to everyone with an electric fence and bees (or chickies!!).  You've got to bait that wire.  A suggestion is sardine tins, partially opened, so you can hang them on the wire.  The whole tin will be electrified, and the bear won't be able to resist taking a snack - and then whack!  They won't be back after that.

If you don't make sure the bear gets poked first off, he or she will go right through your fence.  Unless the wire touches their nose, their fur is so dense the shock won't get to them.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #33 on: November 05, 2007, 01:01:40 am »
Mark, good, sounds like things are going great over at your place.  Good to hear that stuff.  Have a wonderful and great day. Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Bobcat problem
« Reply #34 on: November 18, 2007, 10:44:21 pm »
I had to shoot a bobcat this last summer in my pigeon coop. That is a fact about easy meals, Just ask all the Red-tail hawks I've thrown out of my coop. I had an owl once also! He was great! he was a screech owl and he was about the same size as my pigeons. I wouldve left him in there but I figured he'd eat the youngsters at nite so I put him out.
Anyways,when it comes to shooting, you gotta do what you gotta do. I fish...But if the fish laid in the bottom of the boat crying and watching me move around I probably wouldnt fish either. When I was younger I had a different heart, one that was sometimes cruel to animals. I mean, I always loved all kinds of animals but sometimes did stupid stuff..I wont go into that.
 Huntings' not my bag.. Ive eaten my chickens and pigeons before but that was because I sometimes had to cut back on population and didnt want to kill for nothing.
 Now,...There are people out there who like to shoot coyotes. sometimes justified, sometimes not. I prefer to yell and holler and chase with a stick. Besides, the coyotes cant get up into my coop anyways. But, what REALLY pee'd me off is when you see dead coyotes hung for miles on barbwire fences! The people who do this, I have no use for! Oh, YEH...What do they say?..."Hanging the coyotes makes the other coyotes afraid to come around"...BULLCORN!!Thats just another excuse to kill something.
 Anyways,....I better quit ranting and raving on the coyote thing. As a matter of fact, any minute now the coyotes will be calling! I LOVE that old sound! So do my dogs, unfortunately!
yalls friend,
john