Keeping Predators out of the Smoke House

[Big_John]

Yeah, I live in an area with a very high density of Black Bear. These critters are possibly more success in tearing stuff up to get at a left-over pizza crust that any Coon, Fox or other critters.

I have a newly built 8'x6' smoke shack and I have to admit that I am genuinely concerned my beautiful shack and anything I am smoking will be destroyed and consumed. Right now with 88 rings of sausage hanging and smoking, I didn't loose sleep last night, but I had some worry.

I wonder what folks are doing in Bear country to protect their smoked goodness?

The wife suggested an electric fence and I am considering this dude....

Does anyone have any experience or advice? Surely you Canadian and Alaskan smokers have to deal with this?????

 

[indaswamp]

No advice on bears....but I am glad alligators don't get into smokers! LOL!

 

[normanaj]

Motion sensitive camera and large caliber rifle come to mind.

 

[sawhorseray]

SHOOT THEM IN THE ASS WITH AN AIR RIFLE. WON'T MUCH HURT THEM BUT MOST LIKELY WILL MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE NOT COMING BACK.

 

[Big_John]

SHOOT THEM IN THE ASS WITH AN AIR RIFLE. WON'T MUCH HURT THEM BUT MOST LIKELY WILL MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE NOT COMING BACK.

The problem is.... If the bear shows up at 1am when I am counting sheep. The old Bore will have already torn up my shack and pulled down a full pipe of links. And if I kill him as a nuisance, his replacement shows up the next night.

I'm all about killing Bear, but only if I have a tag. I am hopeful to do a batch of Bear sausage next year!!!!!


......

 

[Winterrider]

Nails thru boards ( the Alaskan Bush way ) on the ground around the unit if don't have dogs or the electric fence.
Camera will notify you so could probably put a pellet in them. Might keep them at bay.

 

[JLinza]

Electric fence is probably your best bet.
I have a few solar motion lights around the property. Ive seen a few bears get spooked by the light kicking on, but doesn't work for all of em. The idea is to scare them so they won't want to return.

 

[Rafter H BBQ]

Look up on Mountain Men on Marty Meierotto and Tom Oar… they are both bad asses and battle bears daily. I do not have bear troubles… but if I did… I’d sure listen to them. Just my two pennies!

 

[Steve H]

Electric fence. Weed cutter. They carry a bigger charge. And flash bangs on trip wire. Buddy of mine lives in Alaska.
He uses these.

Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[Smoke-Chem BBQ]

I've no direct experience, though I suspect the electric fence recommendations are probably the way to go.

This thread reminds me of the challenges the Forest Service was having in designing garbage cans in bear-rich national parks. The challenge was not so much designing the cans to keep bears out, but in simultaneously making them reasonably easy for humans to open.

The now oft-repeated quote by a ranger on the project was: "There is considerable overlap between the intelligence of the smartest bears and the dumbest campers."

 

[Big_John]

Guess I should show my Smoke Shack.... that I need to protect....

 

[smokinstubbs]

I also say go with the electric fence route or turn up the smoke and "smoke em" out!!!! Your other option is a give them a case of high-speed lead poisoning in da butt!!!

 

[smokerjim]

Not sure but I would think if the smoke is rolling that would keep them away, smoke usually signals danger to animals. Never had bears bother my smokers.

 

[dward51]

I saw these on a YouTube video a while back. Motion sensor that flashes red and makes gunshot and dog barking sounds. Made to keep critters out of gardens, etc...

If you scroll down to the videos on the Amazon page for the product, there are several examples and one of them is a bear being run off at night by the unit.

Barking Dog and Gunshots motion sensor alarm

 

[SmokinEdge]

Guess I should show my Smoke Shack.... that I need to protect....


View attachment 732800

No predators going to mess with that smokehouse, unless they have thumbs. Hell that thing is rodent proof. Bears would be the only possible but electric wire will fix that.

 

[Big_John]

No predators going to mess with that smokehouse, unless they have thumbs. Hell that thing is rodent proof. Bears would be the only possible but electric wire will fix that.

Bears are my only concern and we have a lot of cantankerous bears. They will tear up a Chicken Coop and even break into a house if they are hungry and smell food.