Unwanted Black Bear

mmcdonough

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 28, 2019
Messages
202
Location
Lake Country MN, Transplant from ID
So we've been having issues with a young black bear recently. He's gotten into our garbage once and we caught him red handed and spooked him away. We've been keeping the doors closed and the garbage secured but last night might have been the last straw. The little bastard crawled into the bed of my truck and stole a small bag of dirty diapers that I had forgotten about. Scratched up the paint on my rear left quarter panel! This thing has no shame. I've heard him behind our garage on several occasions too mid-day. He's also been getting into both of our neighbors bird feeders and garbage. Is it time to make a rug out of him? The MN DNR will tell me they're just going to euthanize him anyways as a nuisance bear.

IMG_5313 (1).jpg
 

OFFHNTN

WKR
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Apr 10, 2015
Messages
472
I believe you can get permission to shoot a nuisance bear if they are causing problems, etc. OR, if you are in the non-quota zone, go buy a tag, you only have a week to wait and you can take him out!
 

ODB

WKR
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N.F.D.
I Have a great deal of sympathy for “nuisance” animals. They aren’t nuisances, just doing their thing. Humanity is a foreign concept to them. Hope you can get it sorted out OK if it does come down to DNR just shooting it, would prefer you had the opportunity so it doesn’t go to waste.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

Lil-Rokslider
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Lake Country MN, Transplant from ID
I believe you can get permission to shoot a nuisance bear if they are causing problems, etc. OR, if you are in the non-quota zone, go buy a tag, you only have a week to wait and you can take him out!

I'll have to check the regs in my zone. I had thought it was draw only out here but if I can buy a tag I definitely will.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

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Lake Country MN, Transplant from ID
I Have a great deal of sympathy for “nuisance” animals. They aren’t nuisances, just doing their thing. Humanity is a foreign concept to them. Hope you can get it sorted out OK if it does come down to DNR just shooting it, would prefer you had the opportunity so it doesn’t go to waste.

I certainly have sympathy for him, but my patience is starting to wear a little thin. He's becoming quite the menace. We'll continue to keep our garbage secure. I'm just worried that he might eventually start showing aggression towards my kids or dogs.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

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That bear needs to have a very unpleasant experience to make him go away or property or persons may be damaged. MN baiting season opens soon in some areas.......find someone with a tag.

I've got a friend who drew one, but he's already got a big cinnamon bear scouted out. Doubt too many would want to shoot a small nuisance bear. Maybe if I can hit him with some bear spray he'll back off a bit.
 

ODB

WKR
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I certainly have sympathy form, but my patience is starting to wear a little thin. He's becoming quite the menace. We'll continue to keep our garbage secure. I'm just worried that he might eventually start showing aggression towards my kids or dogs.

There is definitely a line. The fact it’s coming around frequently and getting in your truck means very little, if anything will deter it. He just knows where the cookie jar is now. Good luck.
 
Joined
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Colorado
I think it’s lame to suggest killing the bear, because food is left out for it, and all a bear thinks about is how to get food.

Our neighborhood bear opened 5 vehicles last week. One of the doors shut behind the bear, and it proceeded to absolutely destroy the interior...until it finally opened the door again.

No one discussed killing the bear, just that locking car doors is the next solution for this cleaver bear.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

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I think it’s lame to suggest killing the bear, because food is left out for it, and all a bear thinks about is how to get food.

Our neighborhood bear opened 5 vehicles last week. One of the doors shut behind the bear, and it proceeded to absolutely destroy the interior...until it finally opened the door again.

No one discussed killing the bear, just that locking car doors is the next solution for this cleaver bear.

Killing the bear would be a last resort. However, I have two children under 3 and they like to play outside. We've been pretty diligent with our garbage but this is honestly the first year we've had problems. It seems he's getting bolder too now coming over and checking our garage mid-day. If it shows any sign of aggression towards my kids then it's going on my floor as a rug. There's certainly no shortage of black bears around here.
 
Joined
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Dirty diapers are one of their favorite "foods" strangely enough.
Just as i was leaving the wildlife biologist life behind for a new career, a bear grabbed a child out of a stroller as the parents went into the house for something they had forgotten before their walk. Long story short, the bear got the diaper but not before too much damage was inflicted.
We used to use rubber buckshot and slugs. Removing any source of attractant is job one. Nothing interesting at your place and bear finds someone else to bother. That and a little well distributed pain will help make up their minds quickly.
 
Joined
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Messages
953
Location
Colorado
Killing the bear would be a last resort. However, I have two children under 3 and they like to play outside. We've been pretty diligent with our garbage but this is honestly the first year we've had problems. It seems he's getting bolder too now coming over and checking our garage mid-day. If it shows any sign of aggression towards my kids then it's going on my floor as a rug. There's certainly no shortage of black bears around here.


I can understand the need to protect your family.
However, if the bear has become more bold, and checking out your trash middays, then you’re not being diligent enough.
Why is there still trash for him to check out?
If you kill this bear, and still leave out trash, it’s your fault and another bear will take its place.
By leaving out trash, you’re luring a bear to your residence, where your kids are playing.
Maybe your current bear, isn’t aggressive but the next one that learns you’re the house to raid because there is usually food, will be aggressive.

Where’s Bruce’s comment is the typical gung-ho attitude.
Instead of being diligent, careful and responsible...just maim it or kill it.

You chose to live in bear country, my suggestion would be to learn to live more responsibly in bear country.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

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Lake Country MN, Transplant from ID
Dirty diapers are one of their favorite "foods" strangely enough.
Just as i was leaving the wildlife biologist life behind for a new career, a bear grabbed a child out of a stroller as the parents went into the house for something they had forgotten before their walk. Long story short, the bear got the diaper but not before too much damage was inflicted.
We used to use rubber buckshot and slugs. Removing any source of attractant is job one. Nothing interesting at your place and bear finds someone else to bother. That and a little well distributed pain will help make up their minds quickly.

That's weird, I didn't realize they were so attracted to dirty diapers. Makes a lot of sense now for why he's been bothering us so much. We go through a TON of them and they all end up in the garage. Maybe cleaning the area we put them in with bleach and then using a big garbage bin inside the garage would work to keep the smell down? Rubber buckshot and slugs sound like a great option too. That stroller story is something out of my nightmares.
 
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mmcdonough

mmcdonough

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
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Messages
202
Location
Lake Country MN, Transplant from ID
I can understand the need to protect your family.
However, if the bear has become more bold, and checking out your trash middays, then you’re not being diligent enough.
Why is there still trash for him to check out?
If you kill this bear, and still leave out trash, it’s your fault and another bear will take its place.
By leaving out trash, you’re luring a bear to your residence, where your kids are playing.
Maybe your current bear, isn’t aggressive but the next one that learns you’re the house to raid because there is usually food, will be aggressive.

Where’s Bruce’s comment is the typical gung-ho attitude.
Instead of being diligent, careful and responsible...just maim it or kill it.

You chose to live in bear country, my suggestion would be to learn to live more responsibly in bear country.

The issue isn't that we're leaving trash out. That bag in the back of my truck was a slip up. We've been really good about keeping the trash locked up in the garage. He can't get in there but the problem is he can still smell it so he keeps coming around. I'm going to try and clean up the smell with bleach to help deter him. We're pretty far out in the country and we don't have anywhere else to put it. I pay some weird old guy to take it once a week lol.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
953
Location
Colorado
Understood...
Just keep in mind, a bear has arguably the most powerful sense of smell of any animal on earth.

I’m quite amazed at their ability. It’s said they can detect a carcass up to 20 miles.

It’s astonishing, actually.
 

Rich M

WKR
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Orlando
Killing the bear would be a last resort. However, I have two children under 3 and they like to play outside.
...
If it shows any sign of aggression towards my kids then it's going on my floor as a rug. There's certainly no shortage of black bears around here.

The bear should be dead already - some folks want to go play and pet them, and they can in their own yards. Take care of it so it doesn't hurt your kids.

If the state will come in and kill it for you, then let them do it.

Bear spray might work if you are worried about hurting it.
 
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