Bear Control

[my spoiled chickens]

Thank you all for the replies! I get so nervous about animals who have the capability to eat me

 

[MountainWoman73]

Thank you all for the replies! I get so nervous about animals who have the capability to eat me

As you should. I definitely wouldn't approach one on purpose, ever.

 

[avjudge]

In that case, unless the individual bear in question has shown lack of fear/aggression towards people, I would not be at all worried about meeting it on a trail ride. Just be prepared to give it lots of space, back away slowly, and be respectful, and black bears will leave you alone.

Agreed. We have plenty of black bears here in New Hampshire. A black bear is not going to go after a horse. I understand some horses don’t like or are afraid of bears — mine aren’t. In general a bear is not going to want to risk an encounter with an animal larger than itself. Enjoy the woods and don’t worry.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

My friend recently had a bear around her house and she only lives 9 minutes away from me.I like going for trail rides in my woods but our neighbor got his property logged not too long ago so that probably scared them away,but I want to be sure. Should I get bear repellent or a pepperball gun or should I just put some hunting tips on my arrows? I only have a Recurve bow so it may not peirce the skin and I don't want it just getting angry.Does anyone know the best way to defend yourself against a bear? Better safe than sorry I figure.

Bear spray. I've heard a lot of people use wasp and hornet spray but i BEG tourists up here NOT to do that. It can permanently blind and blister the bear - then you've a starving, blind and angry bear hanging around.
Bear spray is the only way to go. Most will avoid humans like the plague unless they've been "socialized" with garbage and easy food, gardens, etc.
Or a mama with cubs.
Air horns work well, loud personal sirens, 12ga (or other) round fired into the ground, even yelling and gesturing wildly.
Expect your horse to toss you. It's instinct.
But bear spray is the top defense if you run into a stubborn one. And a gun for when that didn't work.
Forget the recurve. It'll never penetrate deep enough to do anything but enrage it. Their fat layer can be literally 8 inches thick, and they have huge thick bones.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

Bear spray. I've heard a lot of people use wasp and hornet spray but i BEG tourists up here NOT to do that. It can permanently blind and blister the bear - then you've a starving, blind and angry bear hanging around.
Bear spray is the only way to go. Most will avoid humans like the plague unless they've been "socialized" with garbage and easy food, gardens, etc.
Or a mama with cubs.
Air horns work well, loud personal sirens, 12ga (or other) round fired into the ground, even yelling and gesturing wildly.
Expect your horse to toss you. It's instinct.
But bear spray is the top defense if you run into a stubborn one. And a gun for when that didn't work.
Forget the recurve. It'll never penetrate deep enough to do anything but enrage it. Their fat layer can be literally 8 inches thick, and they have huge thick bones.

When our horses get spooked they bolt but we've never had one of our current ones toss us,that's why their still here.I figured the recurve wouldn't do anything,except make it mad.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

As you should. I definitely wouldn't approach one on purpose, ever.

I don't even approach people,let alone bears

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

When our horses get spooked they bolt but we've never had one of our current ones toss us,that's why their still here.I figured the recurve wouldn't do anything,except make it mad.

I wasn't implying you weren't well familiar with your mounts, my apologies. Sometimes in trying to keep my posts shorter i sound abrupt. I've been riding for about 45 years, and yes, running is the first instinct. I should be more specific. Most folks aren't ready for that incredible burst of speed horses are capable of and fall off. That's what i meant with "toss you". Not so much bucking. Though rearing up often, in my case. I had one mare deadly afraid of snakes. Any snake. Lizard. Whatever. Not being able to see them as well as she, i found myself ground bound more often than once on trail rides in Louisiana and Texas, LOL! She'd bolt, but me, half drowsing in the heat and ambling along, uh .. i didn't bolt so much, ha.

 

[MamaPoult]

Nothing is too harsh for safety. To be honest I don't know whether my bow would be able to do the job. But I don't want a gunshot to spook my horse while I'm on her. Not one to turn down a bearskin anyway if we do have to kill it.

That makes sense. And I agree! I've taken a lot of heat before for suggesting that. But just because you carry a gun doesn't mean you have to shoot it. Maybe just scare it off. I get your horse might get spooked though.

 

[my spoiled chickens]

I wasn't implying you weren't well familiar with your mounts, my apologies. Sometimes in trying to keep my posts shorter i sound abrupt. I've been riding for about 45 years, and yes, running is the first instinct. I should be more specific. Most folks aren't ready for that incredible burst of speed horses are capable of and fall off. That's what i meant with "toss you". Not so much bucking. Though rearing up often, in my case. I had one mare deadly afraid of snakes. Any snake. Lizard. Whatever. Not being able to see them as well as she, i found myself ground bound more often than once on trail rides in Louisiana and Texas, LOL! She'd bolt, but me, half drowsing in the heat and ambling along, uh .. i didn't bolt so much, ha.

Lol I understand.Sometimes its hard to understand the tone in a group of letters. I could write a book with the times I was bolted with,thrown,and even layed down on.

 

[Snakebiteholloway]

That makes sense. And I agree! I've taken a lot of heat before for suggesting that. But just because you carry a gun doesn't mean you have to shoot it. Maybe just scare it off. I get your horse might get spooked though.

The horse spooking would be my only real concern too. Where i am in northern Maine, bears are actually a very common issue. I see at least 3 every time i go walk my place. I won't hesitate to shoot one who's not put off by other methods. Same for the moose. The bulls are actually scarier than bears. Esp. During rut. Thankfully I've only had the one issue with a bear. Before winter, he decided he needed to fatten up on my chickens. So he yanked the door right of the 10x10 coop (commercially built hardiplank shed). The 12ga ran him off without further violence. Funnily enough, I'm far more afraid of coons. Here they always carry rabies, sick or not. They have very little fear of humans. They are fast as lightning and vicious as wolverine. Anyone who's ever heard them fighting would swear two cougars were tied up in a life and deather. I shoot every single one comes on my place. Foxes, too. Not scared of those, they are simply the worst chicken killers ever. And too smart for the owners' own good. Very hard to kill. I apologize to those whom death upsets. I'm old, I'm country. I used to hunt. I still fish. I garden. I love my chickens (and kids lol) and killing for protecting or even for food is sadly a big part of extreme rural life sometimes.