Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Bears and feeders

Has anyone had any problems with bears getting into their feeder? My pond is in a remote area of NE Minnesota and there are bears in the area. It occurred to me this weekend after seeing bear tracks in the mud that I might have a problem in the making. Any ideas on how to keep them away??

By the way we got our first Trout stocked last week and my nine year old son caught four of them fly fishing on Saturday. It was a great!!

Thanks!

Larry

Once a bear finds an easy meal you're done. There's not much can be done to deter them after they've had a taste, they'll pretty much tear up anything you try.
Best to discourage them from the start. I would try Irish Spring soap. Keep a bar on the feeder. I would even make a place (holder) for it. Bear, deer, rabbits, racoons ect don't like the smell of the soap & will not associate it with food.
Good luck!

Ric,

Maybe leaving the soap would just be an invitation for the bear to wash up before a good meal

Russ

At least you're keeping it clean Russ

I would like to say the Stren Aquapro feeders will standup anything. Sorry the bears win this one everytime. My clients up in the N.GA mountains have a tough time keeping the bears out of the feeders. They have hung them on cables only to have the bear break them and swing them into their awaiting arms. The only method that has seemed to work is surounding it with electric fence. You might try that.

I use a feeder for deer in NW Wisconsin. On my first try a bear made quick work of it, they can bite right through a thick plastic bucket. What I did was suspend it with a rope between two trees, out of the bear's reach.

If you have a spot that's good for feeding between two trees on the shoreline you could suspend a rope over the water on a pully for refilling, that'll keep bears out until they learn to fly. Then I think we're all done for.

Remember the old saying .. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure If they never figure out it's food they won't ever bother it. The soap is easy & it works. But not if you've already taught them there's food in the bucket!

Thanks for the suggestions! I decided to go with the soap and with a solar powered electric fence. Hopefully they will stay away from the feeder. I didn't have any trees I could use to keep it out of reach so I spent the extra cash and went with a fence. So far they haven't gotten into the feeder but I've seen tracks around the pond. Hopefully now they won't get into it.

Thanks again for the suggestions!

Larry

I thought I'd give you all an update. I put up the electric fence and hung 2 bars of Irish Spring soap from the feeder. Sometime on Wednesday night a bear with an 8.5" hind foot walked up to and around the fence surrounding the feeder but did not get in. It didn't knock down the fence so hopefully it's going to keep them out.

Thanks again!

Larry