bears; how to keep them out of trashcans

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Sep 25, 2005
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150
Location
Kentucky
Anyone have any good ideas/ways to keep bears away from trash ? So far this year, I've had bears get into my trash at least 9 times...Called the local fish/wildlife...basically gave me rubber bullets for a 12 gauge. That worked for a few weeks now the bear doesn't really seem to mind the rubber bullets and tried to charge at me the other night (if you know my other posts you know that I'm not exactly a marathon sprinter at the moment), thought I was gonna have to kill it with shotgun slugs but it quit before it came onto my property again. Keeping the trash in the garage isn't exactly an option, a house three units up did it and while they were gone on vacation it destroyed their garage door trying to get in.
 
Theirs no way I could put an electric fence around it, where the garbage is is next to a area that kids play. Some of the kids play longer of the evening then I'm even up. I've thought about the resistant containers and straps. Maybe some 4X4 posts in the ground and make it with diamond mesh and latches...maybe I dunno.
 
Should mention the bears last run dumped all the trash in the local creek.......Some in spots theirs no way I can get to it...not in my current condition. Last rain (The morning after I found it) washed pretty much it all down the creek...which is not great to say the least.
 
Anyone have any good ideas/ways to keep bears away from trash ? So far this year, I've had bears get into my trash at least 9 times...Called the local fish/wildlife...basically gave me rubber bullets for a 12 gauge. That worked for a few weeks now the bear doesn't really seem to mind the rubber bullets and tried to charge at me the other night (if you know my other posts you know that I'm not exactly a marathon sprinter at the moment), thought I was gonna have to kill it with shotgun slugs but it quit before it came onto my property again. Keeping the trash in the garage isn't exactly an option, a house three units up did it and while they were gone on vacation it destroyed their garage door trying to get in.
Target a different area of the Bear.
 
Theirs no way I could put an electric fence around it, where the garbage is is next to a area that kids play. Some of the kids play longer of the evening then I'm even up. I've thought about the resistant containers and straps. Maybe some 4X4 posts in the ground and make it with diamond mesh and latches...maybe I dunno.
Much like the bears, the kids will learn quick not to touch the fence...
 
Sorry, OP I don't have an answer. 5 bears have been killed in New Mexico within a week. One fried on an electrical pole and four killed on Interstate 25. Dry in the mountains. Going to residential areas for food and water. Several others trapped in residential areas.

Coyotes going close (twenty feet) to Golfers during the day with no fear. We have encroached on their habitat.

Many years ago a bear fleeing law enforcement went to a home and used it's front paws to knock on the front door. It was caught and euthanized. It was the third time it went to the same subdivision. Black bears in New Mexico are rather small.

I think some wildlife are slowly becoming domesticated at their peril.
 
Winchester 30-06 works
I'm sure it does.

We were worried about our small dog so we started taking our bird feeder in at night. It's been working so far but that's not nearly as satisfying as a dead bear.
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In this area the deer/bears were hunted pretty extensively by the "old timers", they were never a problem until the last 5-6 years or so when the fish wildlife started going bananas. Now that their are issues they are basically hands off with "its not our issue"....which is pretty infuriating. There's plenty to eat for both of them in the mountains at the moment, plenty of water (a plethora) as well. I think my next try is ammonia dumped into the trash can and around it, see if that deters them for a little bit, if it doesn't I'll just have to take it from there. If that wasn't enough I went out a few minutes ago to a more remote area of my property and managed to limp around and the bear took out two of my bee hives in the night as well...The bees are still alive but I'm not physically able to reconstitute the hives so they're dead basically.
 
Anyone have any good ideas/ways to keep bears away from trash ? So far this year, I've had bears get into my trash at least 9 times...Called the local fish/wildlife...basically gave me rubber bullets for a 12 gauge. That worked for a few weeks now the bear doesn't really seem to mind the rubber bullets and tried to charge at me the other night (if you know my other posts you know that I'm not exactly a marathon sprinter at the moment), thought I was gonna have to kill it with shotgun slugs but it quit before it came onto my property again. Keeping the trash in the garage isn't exactly an option, a house three units up did it and while they were gone on vacation it destroyed their garage door trying to get in.
If you shoot the rubber bullet in the right spot; The Bear will not come back.
 
Target a different area of the Bear.
I'm no where near good enough of a shot to hit the bear in the same area every time, especially not at the distance I was firing the shotgun. I've hit him with 5 rubber bullets so far, a hit every time judging by the sounds it made. The last time I can tell you definitely I hit it in the throat (was aiming for the chest).
 
Anyone have any good ideas/ways to keep bears away from trash ? So far this year, I've had bears get into my trash at least 9 times...Called the local fish/wildlife...basically gave me rubber bullets for a 12 gauge. That worked for a few weeks now the bear doesn't really seem to mind the rubber bullets and tried to charge at me the other night (if you know my other posts you know that I'm not exactly a marathon sprinter at the moment), thought I was gonna have to kill it with shotgun slugs but it quit before it came onto my property again. Keeping the trash in the garage isn't exactly an option, a house three units up did it and while they were gone on vacation it destroyed their garage door trying to get in.

This looks like what you need!
 
I'm no where near good enough of a shot to hit the bear in the same area every time, especially not at the distance I was firing the shotgun. I've hit him with 5 rubber bullets so far, a hit every time judging by the sounds it made. The last time I can tell you definitely I hit it in the throat (was aiming for the chest).
Aim for the inside of the hind leg.
 
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