# Big Bad Bear



## peglegdeb (Sep 18, 2007)

Does anyone* have any experience w/ bear bothering their plants?  My plants are very close to being done and I have tried Irish Spring soap, mothballs and dryer sheets.  Have a couple of plants that they actually ripped a few branches off and dropped on the ground. This is probably my fault as I didn't realize I was planting near berry bushes at the time.  Nevertheless, would like to protect what's left!*


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Sep 18, 2007)

*Reach in your pants pull it out and do your thing around your plants. Don't do it right on them but about 1 to 2 feet from them. You can also try using some human, dog or cat hair.  *


			
				peglegdeb said:
			
		

> Does anyone* have any experience w/ bear bothering their plants? My plants are very close to being done and I have tried Irish Spring soap, mothballs and dryer sheets. Have a couple of plants that they actually ripped a few branches off and dropped on the ground. This is probably my fault as I didn't realize I was planting near berry bushes at the time. Nevertheless, would like to protect what's left!*


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## medicore (Sep 18, 2007)

Yeah great idea TBG.  Bears are top of the food chain out there and they know that.  The only thing they might be afraid of is the smell of humans or dogs, only because of the correlation of dogs and hunters.  I was gonna say get some Cougar piss but I don't know if that will work for sure.  Good luck on that.


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## bombbudpuffa (Sep 18, 2007)

I've got the same problem. Weed Bear


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## peglegdeb (Sep 18, 2007)

Thanks- I've heard that before but so far I'm usually in and outta there just as fast as I can check the plants.  Take my dog w/ me (a lg. German Shepard) but don't want her to run into the bear either.  Maybe a jarfull filled in the comfort of my own home...hmmm...


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## peglegdeb (Sep 18, 2007)

Cougar urine??  Now that's one I hadn't heard.  I don't think dog urine would do it.  The smell of my dog is all over down there and it hasn't seemed to deter the bear.  But I like your suggestion...now, where to get cougar urine...hmmm...


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## THE BROTHER'S GRUNT (Sep 18, 2007)

*That will work.   I would brush your dog up real good and get some of the hair also and bring it with ya. *


			
				peglegdeb said:
			
		

> Maybe a jarfull filled in the comfort of my own home...hmmm...


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## peglegdeb (Sep 18, 2007)

Your kidding??  The FIRST person I have actually talked to that has the same problem.  So far it's been only second-hand accounts I've read about.  What if anything do you do??  or maybe they don't bother your plants??  I could see the day after I shaved pieces of Irish Spring Soap all aroung my plants that the bear were walking _around all the plants- keeping to the perimemter of the plot but that only lasted a few days.  So I hung strips of dryer sheets from some of the branches...and didn't that feel wrong...like I was flying a white flag saying 'here I am- come steal my plants or bust me.
That was 3 days ago._


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## peglegdeb (Sep 18, 2007)

DOG HAIR!!  Ya know she's been shedding like crazy getting ready for winter and I've been bagging most of it up as I brush her so it's not absolutely _everywhereI'm gonna get get one of those bags and take it w/ me this afternoon.  Thank you_


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## peglegdeb (Sep 18, 2007)

bombbudpuffa said:
			
		

> I've got the same problem. Weed Bear


*Guess I should have looked at your picture there BEFORE I took you seriously*


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## Capt. Skinx (Sep 18, 2007)

BBP: I nearly choked to death..... weed bear..... LMFAO....


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## peglegdeb (Sep 19, 2007)

Capt. Skinx said:
			
		

> BBP: I nearly choked to death..... weed bear..... LMFAO....


Me too- like I said though- should have looked at the picture FIRST!  Really thought he had the same problem but now I see that he's got an altogether different sort of 'problem!'  PLD


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## bombbudpuffa (Sep 19, 2007)

> Guess I should have looked at your picture there BEFORE I took you seriously


Just a joke. Hope I didn't upset you, peace.


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## peglegdeb (Sep 19, 2007)

bombbudpuffa said:
			
		

> Just a joke. Hope I didn't upset you, peace.


No, not at all- was disappointed at first but got a laugh outta your bear- if only i could get my bears to try that...I'm sure they'd stop destroying my plants.  PLD


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## Siccmade (Sep 19, 2007)

just a thought but i think itll work.. bear mase!..... like the stuff that dog the bounty hunter uses.. im sure u can prolly order it offline or maybe find it in a sporting goods store..


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## Siccmade (Sep 19, 2007)

oh yea.. and i probably wouldnt spray it on your plants.. just because i dont know whats in that stuff it might harm them.. but maybe spray it all over the area where the bear might want to eat and stuff.. spray it on other plants and bushes and trees.. and also u can try that dog hair stuff too.. be careful to not get the bear mase on u.. that would **** lol


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## peglegdeb (Sep 19, 2007)

Siccmade said:
			
		

> oh yea.. and i probably wouldnt spray it on your plants.. just because i dont know whats in that stuff it might harm them.. but maybe spray it all over the area where the bear might want to eat and stuff.. spray it on other plants and bushes and trees.. and also u can try that dog hair stuff too.. be careful to not get the bear mase on u.. that would **** lol


Hey Sicc- now that's an idea too.  Spread the dog hair around late yesterday afternoon.  Bear mace- ya know- I never thought of that.  Just want to get my babies outta the ground before the bears ruin them...well, w/o running into the bear in person either.
Thanks for the suggestion.  PLD


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## Lady Green (Sep 19, 2007)

Dog hair for sure......get some wood ashes too!
Moth balls and a container of used motor oil!

That'll do the trick~


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## peglegdeb (Sep 20, 2007)

Lady Green said:
			
		

> Dog hair for sure......get some wood ashes too!
> Moth balls and a container of used motor oil!
> 
> That'll do the trick~


Thanks Lady G- I've used moth balls (and moth flakes); have a wood stove so wood ashes will get a try too- never heard that one before. Also had not heard about used motor oil- but, hey, I'll give that a shot too.  Again, thanks for the input.


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## Old Bud (Sep 21, 2007)

Are you sure it is bears that are harming your plants. I am up to my *** in bears around here, have even had them take the garbage can off my deck and  crap in my driveway but have never had them touch my plants. Rabbits and deer though are another story, for them I use scoot.


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## walter (Sep 21, 2007)

THE BROTHER'S GRUNT said:
			
		

> *Reach in your pants pull it out and do your thing around your plants. Don't do it right on them but about 1 to 2 feet from them. You can also try using some human, dog or cat hair.  *


this wont work for bears sorry,, its prolly a deer prob he has anyway ,, and it will work for deer,, bear are an animal that dont have restriction limits,, like territory,, or claiming territory by urine ,, their not like mountain cats,,wolfs ,cyotes,or foxes,, they dont mark their territory,, just thought id let you no,, bears are the hardest big game animal to get rid of ,, its almost impossible ,, when they smell somthing they like they go for it ,, and you could put out anything and it will not bother them,, other that a trap or shooting it,, bears are know to steel gas cans and eat them so fuel wont work eather the only thing i could think of is mabey a wind chime ,, they are very weiry around new noises thats about it, i get my information from myself ,, and i am a bear hunter and have been for years,, also a seasonal fishing and hunting guide so i am familiar with animals and they way they work thanks,,


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## walter (Sep 21, 2007)

Siccmade said:
			
		

> just a thought but i think itll work.. bear mase!..... like the stuff that dog the bounty hunter uses.. im sure u can prolly order it offline or maybe find it in a sporting goods store..


what?????????? that just somthing you would have to spray inn its eyes..hat are you going to do wait for it then spray it ,, even as a beatr hunter i think this would be cruel


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## walter (Sep 21, 2007)

hey siccmade,, im not trying to be ignorant ,, but bare mace is just peppersray ,, if you want you can spray it on you stake and bbq it if you want,, bear mace is somthing you have to get in its eyes ,, it dont matter if you get it all over you it will not harm you anymore then your house hold pepper shaker would,, yes pepper spray and mace are 2 diferent things ,, but just in the name ,, bear mace is just a more powerfull pepperspray ,, and they call it bear mase so that it makes it legal to sell youn tour local stores , and it wont matter if you spray 20 bottles of the stuff all around ,, it wont help in anyway,, im not being rude it might sound like it but im not ,, and i just thought you might learn about it by what i had to say,,,,, once again the only thing i could think of would be a wind chime of some sort and even that prolly wont work ,, but its prolly your best bet


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## peglegdeb (Sep 22, 2007)

Old Bud said:
			
		

> Are you sure it is bears that are harming your plants. I am up to my *** in bears around here, have even had them take the garbage can off my deck and  crap in my driveway but have never had them touch my plants. Rabbits and deer though are another story, for them I use scoot.


Yes Old Bud- am sure it's bear- have seen their footprints and scat.  Have had deer problems in past years as well but this is totally different.  As I mentioned in an earlier post it is probably partly (all??) my fault- I never planted in this particular spot before and didn't realize it was LOADED w/ blackberry and raspberry bushes.  Was picking blackberries yesterday (in a different area though) and actually saw a bear.  Suprised the hell outta me- think I'm done picking blackberries for the year.


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## peglegdeb (Sep 22, 2007)

Hey Walter- well it wouldn't work for me anyway 'cause I have nothing to 'pull out' to do my thing w/.  I'm a female.  I do know it's bear though.  Have been living and growing here for enough years that I know the animal signs.  Am NOT a hunter so would not harm any of the animals here.  Actually, there are a few things I did that actually detered the bear for a few days anyway- could see their trail around the perimeter of this particular plot.  But nothing has worked for more than a few days at a time.  Berries are just about done there now, however, so I'm hoping...plants are just about ready to be harvested.  Thanks for all the info!


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## peglegdeb (Sep 22, 2007)

walter said:
			
		

> what?????????? that just somthing you would have to spray inn its eyes..hat are you going to do wait for it then spray it ,, even as a beatr hunter i think this would be cruel


He meant to spray it around the plants-told me that in another post.  I sure as hell wouldn't stand there waiting for the bear anyway.  Besides, I very rarely see them- am sure they take off as soon as they hear or smell me (as a bear hunter I'm sure you know what an exceptional sense of smell they have.) Will not plant in this spot again for sure.  Thanks for your input.
...thought it was odd that you considered mace cruel- compared to hunting them??


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## peglegdeb (Sep 22, 2007)

Old Bud said:
			
		

> Are you sure it is bears that are harming your plants. I am up to my *** in bears around here, have even had them take the garbage can off my deck and  crap in my driveway but have never had them touch my plants. Rabbits and deer though are another story, for them I use scoot.


What's 'scoot?'


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## Old Bud (Sep 23, 2007)

Scoot is an animal repellent sold in Canada. I forget the active ingredient but it comes with a warning not to drink alcohol while or shortly after use, It protects for about 3 weeks. Google it and I am sure it will show up.


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## medicore (Sep 23, 2007)

walter said:
			
		

> like territory,, or claiming territory by urine ,, their not like mountain cats,,wolfs ,cyotes,or foxes,, they dont mark their territory,, just thought id let you no,, bears are the hardest big game animal to get rid of ,, its almost impossible ,,


Not trying to be a jerk but Bears do mark their territory, not like Cougars or Deer.  Bears mark trees within their territories by biting, clawing, rubbing and straddling.  If they know the smell of humans and associate it with a bad experience they will stay away, but if they associate it with a good experience they will be drawn by the scent of human or human urine.  Bears also do not like dogs, anyone who is a hunter knows that, and if they smell dogs they will usually stay away from the area.  If they smell something they want though it is harder to keep them away.  Only real way would be to install an electric fence but that would be really hard to get away with in the forest.  You gotta expect these problems, that's why it's called guerilla growing.


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## walter (Sep 24, 2007)

yes i definatly agree with you but ,, you answered the questin that i am explaining to you ,, but yes they do mak terrtor ,, but NOT like wolfs or foxes or  cyotes ,, but yest theyll make theitr territory ,, but not to claimtheir land to others and stay out ,, they justn leave their mark ,, as in i was here and this is where few uf us hang out type of thing ,, not to make and claim as their own ,, do you no what i mean or would you lie me tio furthe explain it,, also ty yoe dog ur in theb middle of the rockie mountains for a night ,, and gho back the next fday and find nothing but poor rovers chain,, yesd dogs are used for hunting ,, but when on a chain oor kennal ..youll find poor rovres chain ,, cuz cougars and bears will descover the doggs stree and will become meat pie to the preditor


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## Sophiesdad (Sep 27, 2007)

THE BROTHER'S GRUNT said:
			
		

> *Reach in your pants pull it out and do your thing around your plants. Don't do it right on them but about 1 to 2 feet from them. You can also try using some human, dog or cat hair.  *


Excellent advice on the hair, works almost every time, unless the animals are used to humans, in that case, it's bear season where I live......


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