how to scare a bear away from your house

Some might, but humans are not particularly targeted. Thank you. So while a bear poking around your woodpile might be looking for food, it's not going to eat the wood. If your door opens . Do not store food in your tent, as that may encourage a bear to come rummaging around while you're sleeping. If you are with other people, stand together to pres… When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Pick another answer! If you do have bird feeders, hang them up high. If you spot one, get out of that area. Additionally, you should remove any trash that is outside, use heavy shutters on your windows, and remove any pet food in your garage. I honestly do not know if the shots would scare a bear away. If you find yourself confronted by a bear, create a ruckus -- the louder the better. In this case, it's not to let the bear sneak away, because it's already seen you, but to show it you're a human and not to be bothered with. Make a schedule to regularly sanitize and deodorize all cans with bleach to take away the odors. There are hunting ethics, regulations, and proper handling every hunter must be aware... Buying a fishing reel comes along with buying your own fishing rod. Try another answer... You're not wrong, but there's a better answer! My garage was left open and I heard a "thump". The man was hiking with a friend when the bear approached them How to scare away a bear from my garage? Even if you have a truly massive amount of firewood, a woodpile won't have enough space for a bear to make itself at home. Bears occasionally break into summer homes to den, especially when they are sure humans have vacated the area. To. Don’t use ammonia balloons to deter bears. Nope! By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Bird feeders should be cleaned regularly or you will definitely have bears trying to check it out. This is a book about a group of kids that try to scare a bear away. How to Scare a Bear. ", https://www.houselogic.com/organize-maintain/home-maintenance-tips/how-bear-proof-your-property/, https://www.farmersalmanac.com/pest-of-the-month-black-bears-12208, https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5423652.pdf, https://defenders.org/publications/living_in_bear_country.pdf, http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/bears/tips/solving_problems_black_bear.html, http://dnr.alaska.gov/parks/safety/bears.htm, https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/livingwith_wildlife/bears/camping.html, http://www.bearsmart.com/about-bears/behaviour/, https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/bearspray.htm, consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Will keeping your camp area lighted with a lantern or fire at night keep bears away? You're on the right track, because standing your ground is a good idea, but this isn't quite the way to go about it. Use your voice aggressively and be mad at the bear, and mean it. That encounter reminded me that I needed to do a few things differently. These work particularly well in areas where bears may already … We ship to most countries and accept credit cards from them. Swing it out at least 4 feet (1.2 m) from other branches and the trunk. When the motion detector senses movement, the Scarecrow sprays a 3-4 second burst of water, and then resets itself. Camping trash includes things like food wrappers or food scraps, which can be enough to attract bears to your campsite. Keep compost piles and bins away from the house and don't add fish, meat, fat, oils, un-rinsed eggshells or any cooked food to compost. Pick another answer! Bears won't make a home there, but small mammals like squirrels or rabbits might. So, to scare a bear away, you want to yell, in your loudest possible voice, “GO AWAY BEAR!” and keep repeating it until the bear leaves. Try again! There are many accounts of sundials being in used throughout... © COPYRIGHT 2021 Outdoor Federation All Rights Reserved, Bouldering Vs Rock Climbing: Any Differences, Why It Is Important To Be Careful When Hunting Big Game. Then, before you go to bed, move the trash away from your campsite and hang it at least 10 feet in the air. How to get rid of a bear may be as simply as employing noisy deterrents in the landscape. If the bear approaches and you have bear spray, spray the bear as he approaches. Another option would be to get rid of the chickens. Garbage cans should be placed outside only a short time before pickup time. Read on for another quiz question. Nope! Get excessively close, […] ", ways to keep bears far away. If you have beehives, consider bear deterrents like electric fences to keep bears away. Yes! However, the smell quickly fades, and for that reason, it's not an effective deterrent. Bears are much stronger than people, so if you try to fight one, it will most likely win. To use the spray, release the safety and press down on the nozzle. Bears won't eat your firewood, but some insects will. Nevertheless, what you've read isn't totally false; as usual, it depends on the type of bear. They may charge if they feel threatened or if you have food that has attracted them. Block a 2 nd door from the inside with 2x4 brackets lag screwed into … Spray when the bear is about 30 to 60 feet (9.1 to 18.3 m) away. Throw a rope over the limb and hoist your food in a bag off the ground. wikiHow's Content Management Team carefully monitors the work from our editorial staff to ensure that each article is backed by trusted research and meets our high quality standards. Outdoor Federation is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Put your trust in bear spray. Take your garbage out as close to pickup time as you can. Choose another answer! And even if you're in a more well-traveled area, you shouldn't rely on having other people come to your rescue. But there are other things to be mindful of when you're trying to keep bears away as well. Approved. Bears are highly sensitive to sudden lights and will probably be scared off. References Black Bears will also eat your dog’s food too, so bring their food inside as well as their bowls so they won’t produce a smell that entices them towards your house. They're also sturdier than other trash cans. Know the difference between a grizzly bears and a black bears and remember that knowledge is power. Aim for at least 10 feet (3.0 m)off the ground with no nearby trees. Similarly, bolt and reinforce doors on cabins and add heavy shutters to the windows. Never mix bleach and ammonia, as it creates toxic fumes. You should also keep all of your food, as well as other fragrant items like deodorant and insect repellent, in a bear-proof or airtight container to mask the smell and keep bears out. Just like when you're hiking, you should make noise when confronted by a bear. "Ammonia or bleach as scents to keep bears away from containers helps. Believe it or not, the smell of hygeine products like deoderant or soap can be strong enough to entice a bear over to your campsite. Right! It’s not just food that can attract bears. Place your food in a separate aluminum liner and then in the bag, which the bear can't rip into. Spraying takes some practice, so try it with an inert can. I love to watch wildlife, but when a 450-pound black bear crosses your path at 9:30 in the morning, it’s a little disconcerting. A bear might view direct eye contact as a threatening gesture. Jason Houser - March 7, 2016. Plus, you can use bear spray with impunity—and with positive benefits for bear and human alike. Bears have a very acute sense of smell, so unless a container is airtight, they may still be able to smell your food even after you've put it away. This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. Bears are omnivores, which means that they can eat both plants and animals. Sing, talk, and play music from your phone. Click on another answer to find the right one... Not necessarily! Better yet, try to leave scented items at home, and pick unscented items when possible. When my kids were young we’d go there and camp occasionally. There are 34 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. For beginners, it is best to use starter rods while you are... Sundials are some of the oldest devices mankind has used to tell the time. Yes. It may growl at you in an attempt to scare you away. In some cases, using chili pepper spray … Also, when you finish grilling, clean and de-grease the deck and also clear out the shed or garage when not in use. Black bears will climb after you. In this case, several readers have written to tell us that this article was helpful to them, earning it our reader-approved status. Hunting big game is not as simple as shooting large animals. Learn to Create a Bear Proof House. My neighbor has chickens. I sincerely doubt it. Hide your garbage with bear-proof trash cans. Do this before it gets too close. If cleaning bins or trash cans, use one or the other, not both together. Read on for another quiz question. A large black bear has torn the side off the coop. Not quite! Camp in Open Areas: Keeping open sight lines around your camp is a good idea.You can see what’s coming and the bears can see you. Why is it a good idea to make noise while you're hiking if you want to avoid bears? You should make noise, but not for this reason. Read on for another quiz question. If a bear does approach, use your bear spray. Bears are attracted to food smells, so they will want to dig through your garbage. If you need a few ideas for how to scare bears away from your garbage, take a look at today’s video: Ingenuity, we call that. ! Remove these if they are outside when they are not being used. Black bears are big, beautiful creatures that are naturally curious, and for people that live in bear country, bear encounters are common. If you love grilling, be good about never leaving food outside unattended. Click on another answer to find the right one... To keep bears away while you're camping, try to eat canned or dried food since fresh food is more fragrant and likely to attract a hungry bear. Store food in campers, trailers, or vehicles, which bears will have more trouble getting into. Hunting big game is not as simple as shooting large animals. Wash your trash cans often to decrease lingering scents. I am planning to do some hiking and camping in the bear country, and I don't want to carry anything larger than my Glock 23. However, don't look the bear in the eye, as it may see that as a threat. What should we do? If you don’t want to talk, carry a satellite radio and set it to a talk show. Make as much noise as possible by yelling, banging pots and pans or using other noisemaking devices. Before you actually see a bear at the cottage, there are tell tale signs to look for around the property that will tip you off that the bear has been visiting while you were away. Leave the smelly hand soap or detergent at home, especially … Not even 1/4 mile away from the house. Ensuring that bears stay away from your personal property is more common sense than anything else. The first way to keep bears away from your house is to make sure the food you throw out doesn’t produce a scent that they will love to investigate. The garbage should be bear-resistant, meaning that it reduces odors, and is placed inside a trash container. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. There are literally millions of Americans that live in small towns and rural areas where bears roam quite freely. If you're hiking in the deep woods, it's unlikely that there's anyone within earshot. Slowly back away. Read on for another quiz question. Another option is a locked shed to hold your garbage cans. No really, it’s always a good idea to keep the bear from coming near you in the first place. Motion-activated water spraying systems, made for all kinds of animals, may also deter bears. Our favorite night would be the weekend of the Perseid Meteor shower in mid August with no Moon . Bears can be attracted to a campsite by any powerful smell. Pick another answer! If you are in a developed area (e.g., campground, parking lot, lodging area) or if a bear approaches you, act immediately to scare it away: make as much noise as possible by yelling very loudly (don't worry about waking people up if it's nighttime). ", daughter who is moving to an area where black bears live. Close! Use motion detectors that trigger loud music or flashing lights to scare bears off. Man emerges unscathed from encounter with a BEAR by screaming at the top of his lungs to scare it away. Nice! Strain the food out of your dishwater before disposing of the water. Never bury or burn food garbage, as bears will find it. Contact your local wildlife officers. Screw it, I’m outta here!”—and you’re positively conditioning it to associate that lesson with future hikers. Black bears are notoriously skittish, and a snapping stick might be enough to startle me and make me high-tail it away from you (some Forest Service regulations recommend breaking sticks along with yelling and banging pots and pans to scare away a black). This just goes to show you how dumb people can be. Take hummingbird feeders inside the house once it gets dark. If a bear charges, use bear pepper spray to discourage it, whether it's a black bear or a grizzly bear. With vivid illustrations, the book helps you to get an idea for how to scare the bear. As scary as it might sound, face the bear and slowly back away. But food containers aren't the only things that could attract bears. If you want to get away from your day-to-day routine and do something different that won’t break the bank, then... Sundials are some of the oldest devices mankind has used to tell the time. % of people told us that this article helped them. Plus, running may make it want to chase you, which is exactly what you don't want. We put all our fireplace ash and grill ash/gunk/grease in a pile outside our fence and it was clearly rooted through by bears so it had no effect in repelling them. However, even with all the precautions, you may have a bear encounter and it is best to be prepared with pepper spray. Will spreading fireplace ashes around my trash cans help to keep bears away? Once upon a time when summer had come to California, the family piled into two cars and headed for the land of chipmunks, tall pine trees, jagged peaks and…BEARS. Educate your child about bear behavior and make sure they are close to you on the trail. Will a coating of mint or any other herb keep bears away from a bird feeder pole? Predator urine powders or granules can make small animals run scared from your property. Definitely not! Shake it vigorously as you yell at the bear to leave, and then, perhaps, throw it beside the bear. In general, bears don't want anything to do with humans, so if one hears that you're coming, it will head away from you. Never fight a bear unless it is a life or death situation. Electronic personal alarms can also help scare bears away. Stand and face the bear directly. Remain still and calm and begin to back away. Why might a firewood pile attract a bear to your home? Don't spray it on yourself or your gear. Share this post on social media: Leave a Reply. Keep your barbecue in a locked area if possible so bears can't get to it. I would prefer to never find out. Pick an open area to set up camp, where you can spot bears and they can see you. Keep enticing smells hidden or masked. These creatures are like skunks. Also, as an Amazon affiliate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Guess again! Practice in headwinds and crosswinds, as well as with the wind at your back. Make sure it is at least six feet from the trunk or any other branches. Don't try to climb a tree. Majority of bear technicians have been trying out various strategies on how to keep nuisance bears from assaulting campgrounds and picnic areas. Also, when you're finished cooking, immediately pick up food scraps and put them in the trash. If you live, work, or play in bear country, it's important to keep yourself safe. Bears in the wild are scary . Wipe down any cooking surfaces with soapy, warm water, then rinse it off with clean water. However,you should make sure that there's no way for a bear to get under your deck or porch, because those are places a bear might like to hide. Do you know how to scare a bear? Keep chickens in a secure building at night. Although they are thrilling to see in the wild, they are far less charming when they are rummaging through your garbage or in your backyard raiding for food. If you do see a bear while you're hiking, back away slowly and take a different path than the one that goes toward the bear. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm, but I didn’t want to give him a chance either. Never run away from or approach him. Why Bears Bother You wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. Do moth balls keep away bears from a camper? It is hooked up to a normal garden hose and mounted in the ground. You can shout, scream, clap your hands or bang pots together. A bear bag is made of very strong polyethylene. A bear spritzed with pepper spray gets a good spanking—“Hey! To learn how to keep bears away from your home or while you're hiking, keep reading! Keep bear spray within easy reach, such as in a holster. Take hummingbird feeders inside the house once it gets dark. However, bears have a very acute sense of smell, so sticking to these types of foods will not be a deterrent by itself. Strongly scented items, such as food or garbage, should be kept away from your campsite, vehicle, and home. Here are some guidelines to keep your place bear-free: Black Bears have very strong noses that can pick up scents from several hundred feet away. There's definitely a single right answer here. Hang it at least 10 feet (3.0 m) in the air, away from the trunk and other branches. No. By using our site, you agree to our. Coyote Repellent Tip #1: It’s All About the Smell. In this case, your best coyote deterrent is not to tempt them in the first place! [1] X Research source Another option is a locked shed to hold your garbage cans. It's always better to be overly cautious when it comes to avoiding bears, rather than to be insufficiently cautious. Avoid advancing on a bear, while making loud noises; ensure he has a way to retreat. A well-aimed stone can help drive your message home. Bear biologist Rachel Mazur has been working on the problem – and published a study on how best to scare a bear. If you're camping in the backwoods, lock any food away in a bear-proof container and hang it 10 feet (3.0 m) from the ground. Making eye contact could therefore make it more likely to attack you, not less. However, if you do meet a bear, don't panic; keep yourself safe by vacating the area if you see a bear. So I was wondering if anyone knows that if you come cross an aggressive bear in the wilderness, would firing off a round in the air scare a bear away or not? Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. Forget the car alarms, pots and pans, clapping, whistles, or whatever else. 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