Bear Smart Gardening

Bears, for all their deceptively easy going appearance, can be fiercely protective of cubs, territorial, and unpredictable. Their misleading ambling gait and slow seeming movements can change in an instant – it’s absolutely astonishing how quickly a bear can move once motivated.

A big mistake people make on first seeing a bear in their yard is to admire it, take pictures of it and worst of all; feed it.

Habituated bears are the most dangerous; those bears that have lost their fear of man, and in fact, equate man and their machines, vehicles and dwellings with a source of food are what are referred to as ‘habituated’.

You are not doing bears any favors by allowing them to see you as non-threatening. Once the fear of man is gone, the bear is at much greater risk from motor vehicle accidents, being shot as a nuisance bear or shot by hunters.

A shy bear is a safe bear.

Bear smart gardening techniques that will keep bears away

• Stay alert – if you know there is a bear in your area, keep on the look out. A surprised bear can be extremely dangerous, especially if it feels trapped. Make sure you see him first!

• Own your garden, meaning use your energy and body language to make sure the bear knows that you will protect your territory. A calm assertive stance and eye contact may be all it takes to show that you possess this area. Bears respect the territory of other bears – think like one.

• Compost wisely – don’t use your compost pile as a garbage bin for those enticing food scraps. Wise gardeners use horse manure, grass clippings, moldy hay and other extreme heat producing materials to start hot composting, then a hole in the center is where you put the kitchen scraps.

  This method prevents the enticing odours of rotting food that bears find irresistible, as well as producing useable compost in a few weeks, instead of months.

  

  Remember that bears have the intelligence of a German Shepherd dog, one of the smartest of all breeds, and a sense of smell six times better than a Bloodhound.

• Avoid fish fertilizer - what can attract a hungry bear more than the smell of fish? Answer: rotting fish!
Use compost tea made from worm castings which don't have the strong smell of fish fertilizer.
• Bird feeders, both the sugar water type for hummingbirds and those that hold sunflower seeds should be removed, cleaned and put away every year before you even sight a bear.

Birds really don’t need artificial food sources during the summer months.

Let them clean up your insect pests and seed heads instead, and make sure you plan ahead and plant flowers with nectar for the hummingbirds and provide a water source for drinking and the all-important baths.

• Liquid organic fertilizer, or urine is a great bear deterrent.

As territorial animals themselves, they will respect the boundaries you set (within reason, and if there are no other strong attractants). The best urine, oddly enough, is from the male of the species, so if you have a handy man around, put him to use.

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• Clean up berries, rotting fruit, and other things that will attract bears such as dirty barbeques.

Fall is the time when bears go into 'hyperphagia' are seriously hunting for food sources that will carry them through the winter hibernation period, but they are always looking for any available food sources.

If bears find a food source that is readily available, it may in fact, prevent them from their hibernation, especially if the weather stays warm.

Several factors trigger the hibernation response – cold weather, especially at night; certain foods which create the essential fat buildup; and shortening hours of daylight.

At this time of year, bears need to acquire 20,000 calories a day for several weeks - imagine that an average human male requires around 3000 calories a day for good health, and you'll get an idea of exactly how much food that requires.

• Bear bangers are an easy and useful tool in bear smart gardening.

The size of a pen, but with a screw on projectile that is shot by a .22 caliber round built right into it, the loud noise of it when a bear simply won’t be turned away from you will deter them from anything other than a run in the opposite direction. As bears become habituated, they lose their fear of man, barking dogs, loud noises and so on, so a bear banger will quickly convince a bear that you mean business.

Be aware that a loaded bear banger is not allowed on helicopters or small planes, and if the pilot sees you have one, they will request that you unload it. Use appropriate caution when handling bear bangers, as they are a firearm, and will cause significant damage if mis-used.

• Loud obnoxious but controlled dogs are a useful tool to establish your boundaries in a bears mind.

Never allow your dog to chase, as the bear could turn and attack. Veterinary costs climb rapidly when dogs tangle with any wildlife, and bears can do a lot of damage. The goal is for the bear to recognize your territory using the loud barking as a cue.

Also, use caution when a mother bear has cubs, as the cubs will tree at the first sign of danger, which is especially dangerous for us, as the mother bear will not leave them and may attack the perceived threat. Judicious use of metal pan lids will encourage them to leave the area without treeing.

• Electric fencing has been used very successfully around gardens and bee hives.

There are a few tips on bear behavior and ideas on how to eliminate the danger of habituated bears by using their nature against them. Using Bear Smart gardening techniques will enable you (and the bears) to be safe and have a great gardening season.

I've had the unfortunate experience now of how persistent and dangerous a hungry bear can be. After cleaning out two of my neighbors chicken houses, I too have had visits from this large boar, consequently losing all my Bantam chickens. Trapping or hunting these types of problem bears is a last ditch solution, but sometimes the only one.

The criteria for a problem bear classification are:

• Persistent raiding of livestock

• Entering a closed building

• Endangering humans by their activities

This sad outcome is why I try and educate other gardeners - please be bear smart!

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