Predator continues to kill our goats

[lxskllr]

Sucks. I'd probably spend a few nights with the goats, and see what showed up. Get in the pen with them, or if I were feeling motivated, build a small watch tower.

 

[dougp]

After yesterday, this seems more likely. Kill was swift and relatively silent yesterday.

Are there no prints in the area? How big was the fence post that was bent?

 

[mizzou]

Call up bfro, theres something "squatchy" going on here

 

[BudAshes]

Why? It's like when developers build subdivisions in prime mountain lion habitat, then hysterical soccer moms get all over the news freaking out when the mountain lions continue patrolling their territory (which happens to be hysterical soccer mom's back yard now.)

We even had some on the news in Portland freaking out about coyotes. I kid you not.

I'm down to just start bulldozing sub divisions. Soccer moms can go live somewhere else as i much prefer mountain lions to yuppy bitches. Not saying the OP is one of these.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

Lights with motion sensors. And an autocannon.

 

[DrPizza]

In a lot of areas of the country, the population of bears is going up significantly. In NY, for the first time that I can remember, bear season now coincides with the opening of deer season (it was generally delayed by one week.) I see bears relatively frequently, and bear tracks almost every time I hike in certain areas. Fortunately, I haven't had any bear problems.

To the OP: Since it sounds like you might consider replacing your dogs, I'd recommend choosing from breeds of livestock guard dogs that are friendly to their owners, tolerant of kids, but also protective of the livestock. We have a great pyrenees who has done a great job so far - I've found plenty of coyote tracks that show they did a 180 when approaching our farm from the field. The downside is that on the occasional night, she'll go nuts barking, almost non-stop for an hour or more. However, the reality is that there's generally a cause; we just don't typically discover what the cause was. But, on a couple of occasions (fresh snow on the ground), I've investigated out of curiosity the next day & would invariably find fresh tracks. They've been bred to fight off coyotes and bears (best to have 2 or more), but our success with just one is that nothing comes near while she's barking. BUT, she barks at EVERYTHING! Cars driving by, people riding their bikes, Amish buggies, dogs in the backyard 2 or 3 houses away, etc.

 

[linuxboy]

Lights with motion sensors.

The entire back yard was flooded with 6,000 watts of multiple lights, was like daylight in the space between forest and pens. Did not help.

 

[AreaCode707]

Are there no prints in the area? How big was the fence post that was bent?

T-post: http://fencepost.cc/images/Studded-T-Post4.jpg

 

[linuxboy]

Are there no prints in the area? How big was the fence post that was bent?

I saw none, but it's thick grass there and dry ground right now. Fencing is t post + 4 gauge cattle panel.

 

[highland145]

T-post: http://fencepost.cc/images/Studded-T-Post4.jpg

Drove in a bunch of these around the bro in laws pasture to fence in his cows in. They're pretty stout.

 

[dougp]

Drove in a bunch of these around the bro in laws pasture to fence in his cows in. They're pretty stout.

T-Post can be bent by a cow if it leans on it. Depending how far it's driven into the ground, a person could bend it as well - it'd be easy for a bear or large cat to bend it down. Though, I'd think a cat would avoid anything with light if it's hunting at night whereas the bear wouldn't care.

 

[linuxboy]

T-Post can be bent by a cow if it leans on it. Depending how far it's driven into the ground, a person could bend it as well - it'd be easy for a bear or large cat to bend it down. Though, I'd think a cat would avoid anything with light if it's hunting at night whereas the bear wouldn't care.

I am slightly confused as well at the behavior. These were high power halogen lights I set out there. I figured it would at least discourage. And last night, unlike previous night, there was no fence damage at all. So I think cat hopped the fence, grabbed, hopped back out.

 

[dougp]

I am slightly confused as well at the behavior. These were high power halogen lights I set out there. I figured it would at least discourage. And last night, unlike previous night, there was no fence damage at all. So I think cat hopped the fence, grabbed, hopped back out.

How high was the fence? Cat's can probably lift a 60lb goat easy on a jump.

 

[AreaCode707]

sounds like some humans and goats have invaded the bears natural territory.

not sure why anyone would be mad at the bear.

You're the same guy who would say, "you live in the city, you shouldn't have livestock, period!" if we were raising goats anywhere urban.

Or heck, you could make a convincing argument that if we lived in the city we'd still be in the bear's "natural territory". San Francisco and Seattle both have wildlife regularly.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009235728_blackbearbox19.html (Note that this is from 2009; that is the last time anyone saw a bear at our house too.)

So we're screwed if we live rural because we're in the bear's territory.
We're screwed if we live city because livestock in cities is unreasonable, plus being in a city doesn't take you out of the natural territory of wildlife.

Humans and animals coexist no matter what, and it's always a balancing act that teeters one way or another.

 

[DrPizza]

How about locking the goats inside at night? Right now, almost all of my goats sleep outside or under an overhang, unless it's raining. If raining, then all the girls go into a large shed/garage, and the boys stay under an overhang. But, if I wanted to, I could shoo them all inside and close the doors, locking them in (and predators mostly out - I'd be awakened by a larger predator breaking in - weasels - they might succeed in getting to the chickens, but they won't succeed in getting past the dogs.)

 

[AreaCode707]

How about locking the goats inside at night? Right now, almost all of my goats sleep outside or under an overhang, unless it's raining. If raining, then all the girls go into a large shed/garage, and the boys stay under an overhang. But, if I wanted to, I could shoo them all inside and close the doors, locking them in (and predators mostly out - I'd be awakened by a larger predator breaking in - weasels - they might succeed in getting to the chickens, but they won't succeed in getting past the dogs.)

Yeah, I think LB has a three tier plan; bringing the goats closer into the house and putting them in a more protected shelter, meeting with the wildlife management folks to figure out what they want us to do, and keeping a gun handy.

 

[slag]

Sounds like the predator is stalking your livestock.

 

[CRXican]

mmm lamb

 

[alien42]

You're the same guy who would say, "you live in the city, you shouldn't have livestock, period!" if we were raising goats anywhere urban.

Or heck, you could make a convincing argument that if we lived in the city we'd still be in the bear's "natural territory". San Francisco and Seattle both have wildlife regularly.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009235728_blackbearbox19.html (Note that this is from 2009; that is the last time anyone saw a bear at our house too.)

So we're screwed if we live rural because we're in the bear's territory.
We're screwed if we live city because livestock in cities is unreasonable, plus being in a city doesn't take you out of the natural territory of wildlife.

Humans and animals coexist no matter what, and it's always a balancing act that teeters one way or another.

actually i am a big supporter of raising chickens in urban areas and goats too if it's legal.

it sucks that you lost goats but imo the solution is to deter the bear, not harm or kill it.

 

[alfa147x]

Kill it.




i

 

[hdfxst]

If it's a bear you have to destroy it.it knows where the food is and will keep coming back(even if he's relocated).In pa a farmer would shoot anything that got into the livestock.Check your game laws in your state,the game commission might be responsible for your losses(in pennsylvania the game commission would be responsible).SHOOT HIM ON SITE.An old farmer i know shot a bear that got into his bee hives he just drug him into the back field and let the buzzards have him

 

[Kelvrick]

That sucks. A friend of mine went camping last weekend and they had some bears come by. One of the stupid camping groups didn't use the bear box correctly (no padlock) and a mama bear and her cubs got into it. Now they'll be back again for the easy food and the rangers will have to kill it.

Are you guys moving down to the lot you're trying to develop, or somewhere else? How soon are you moving?

 

[uclaLabrat]

Not a short term solution, but two ridgebacks (I'm more than a little biased) are great dogs for this sort of thing, no problem chasing off bears or mountain lions, generally very quiet unless something is very wrong, and are very good family dogs...not sure how they'd behave around chickens, but they will probably do ok if raised with them.

 

[zoiks]

Chupacabra

 

[sleep]

the world is expanding in the bears territory, the bears don't have much to go now.

nothing you can do.