Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bear raid

I got up to the pond thurs. and found that either a bear or a 5ft racoon had taken the fish feeder. In the process he bent the pipe in half, ripped the cover off the box holding the temp. probe, and apparently tried to stand on the fish cage while he was trying to get the feeder, so there are 2 rips in the top of the netting.
I found the feeder 100 yards away in the woods, busted up but still working. As I was patching up the feeder that evening the bear paid me a visit but didn't stick around after the rifle fire.
The next afternoon I put up an old piece of pipe and hug the feeder with a small amount of feed in it. It wet off on time and the trout enjoyed their last free meal for awhile. The bear came by 2 hours later and after alot of semi-automatic fire he left.
I kept an eye on the feeder till dark but this morning it was gone, and I never found it.( it was an old feeder anyway)

I've learned my lesson and will mount the new feeder on a tripod in 6 ft. of water, it should be ok unless he takes the boat.

"either a bear or a 5ft racoon had taken the fish feeder."

Glad to see you havn't lost your sense of humor over it!

Man, I can't imagine dealing with something like that. My biggest problem when I put out an automatic feeder was that I had to build a "pen" around it to keep the cows from scratchin against it & knockin it over, or worse, in the water.

BTW, I built the pen first. Been around cows wayyyy to long to even try it without!

Good luck to you on resolving that bear problem.

BTW, LOVE your sig! Unfortunately, I'm afraid it is about to be needed.

AP:

Don't you wish you had a loaded, fully charged paintball gun? I was told that they hurt worse if they've been frozen before getting loaded into the gun......

Sounds like the much maligned GSF trained a bear and paid a visit.

SSS

I had a paintball gun there just for that purpose, but haven't used it since last year and the CO2 cylinder was empty.
Maybe I'll get that refilled and keep some paintballs in the freezer.
I don't want to kill him, that would have been easy, I just want him to go bother someone else.

It's too late now but a couple of bars of Irish Spring soap attached to the feeder will help deter varmits from raiding the feeder. They don't like the smell and/or cant't smell the food.
Works detering deer too.

That must be why I use to have trouble getting dates.

Interested in chasing "Wild Thangs"?

I also saw a GBH at the pond everyday, but he mostly stays on the floating islands, probably picking off frogs.
Maybe if I mold some irish spring in the shape of a frog he'll take the hint.

Bears really are a pain in the arse! AP, how about some GBH fishing, tie on a plastic frog and hold on! HAHA

I did have one promising thing happen this trip, after a week with the new water line increasing inflow from 40 to 95GPM the PH was 5.79, which was the highest I've ever recorded.
Now I just need to plug the leak.

That's great AP... I think all your hard work is gonna pay off. 10" PS and 20" trout!

Always something eh AP? I can relate but fortunately the bears were eliminated a couple hundred years ago here in northern Indiana!

Ever do any bear hunting come bear hunting season? They make nice rugs on the wall! Hell I'd do it for cost for you good buddy!

Thank's for the offer Cecil, I never really wanted to hunt bear cause I really don't want bear meat, but they do make beautiful rugs. I've seen them twice while hunting deer, but now the bears seem to be getting bolder and their around the cabin almost every time I'm there.
They can't reach the bird feeders cause their on a 10ft steel pole, and I'm making a tripod to hang the new fish feeder in 6ft of water, I'll try to coexist as long as they don't damage the cabin.
I ordered this new feeder which is digital and uses AA batteries, and with the feeder out in the pond I won't need a directional one.
http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/moultrie-6-1-2-gal-econo-plus-feeder.aspx?a=552646

Make sure they can't smell the fish food where ever you're storing it, esp. if that's in the cabin.

Your right Ric, I keep bird and fish food in a metal container in the shed.
Last week I put hot pepper sauce on the steel pole that holds the bird feeders to see what the bear would do, one evening when he came by I watched him sniff it but he wasn't interested.

I actually like bear meat. Reminds me more of beef than venison. A lot more fat in it.

In the words of Bear Claw, ( do you know how to skin Grizz), one of my most favoritist movies.

Mine too, AP. Loved it when JJ saw the reflection of the Indian in his horse's eyeball...

An exceptionally fine film, one of my favorites. That was when this country had a cinema.

"Watch your top knot."
"And yorn."

"Elk don't know how many legs a horse has."

As for the paintball bear deterrent. You can get paintball ammo filled with pepperspray. Might discourage him a little better.
http://www.pepperammo.com/paintball-pepperammo.php

Man up. Wrestle the bugger down! Take pictures for the cheerleaders like me...

Our police department uses pepper ball guns... Just like paint ball guns except instead of paint it's a Oleoresin Capsicum powder. You get not only the blunt force trauma but the balls hitting the subject makes them breath in hard as they powder bursts. Tends to get people and probably bears to think twice about doing whatever they are doing...