problem bear,    Underground Entertainment

The Bear Facts About Garage Doors

By Tom Chandler 10/31/2011

Last night we woke up to find a bear trying to peel back the garage door with his paws, and if I hadn't run him off by yelling at the top of my lungs from an upstairs window (a real outdoorsman would have engaged him in direct combat to protect my garbage), he would have succeeded.

A not-bear-proof garage door

Lots to do today. The bear thing is suddenly less Disney than before.

See you at the dump/hardwarestore/insuranceagent/garagedoorfolks/Fish&Game, Tom Chandler.
AuthorPicture

Tom Chandler

As the author of the decade leading fly fishing blog Trout Underground, Tom believes that fishing is not about measuring the experience but instead of about having fun. As a staunch environmentalist, he brings to the Yobi Community thought leadership on environmental and access issues facing us today.

28 comments
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WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for problem bear
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I believe you are right. I repaired it.
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Looks like Spam, smells like Spam, must be Spam... :(
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You should have used (all4doors are spammy sleazebags) to repair that garage door.
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[...] and fortune have piled up over here to the point I now suspect the recent bear assault on our garage was more a celebrity stalking than a simple food [...]
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.....Wellllll, you did say "Crack' Overhead garage door repair...might leave a little line for them too......
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Day Three Of The Shasta Bear Hostage Crisis: The stunt can was tipped over again this morning, yet little was removed, suggesting the awful powder did its work. The garage door remains un-molested. We might just get through this one, though the largely worthless garage repair people have failed to show or call (as they promised). Meanwhile, one car remains trapped in the garage, and I'm considering ... more unbolting the bottom two panels so I can at least get the door open...
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I was thinking just leave the door open, unless there is a door from your garage to your house... not sure about the (NH4)2CO3, but I did read that it is an additive in Skoal. Just leave a can out side the door, in case he needs a dip... :D Good Luck, asg
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And so the Outdoor Apocalypse continues...
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At 6am I heard the "stunt can" tumble over, and ran to the window to see... two bear cubs standing around it (then trying to get in the garage. This is disconcerting. I'd assumed the big bear I'd seen was a solitary male, and that the sow and two cubs that had walked through our yard last week at dusk (Meski got very quiet) were two separate gigs; now I wonder if the big bear was just the mom without ... more the cubs. I don't know how that whole extended bear family thing works (if the mom wanders off and leaves the cubs behind), but now it appears we've got two cubs who are learning that humans = food. Oy vey. We're going to keep up the Ammonium Carbonate treatments in the hopes of keeping our bear friends at bay until they got to sleep for the winter. By next spring, who knows...
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I like the idea of lights and video on a sensor. Add a music track and at least you have an instant YouTube success to go along with your trashed garage door.
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At our cabin in northern PA, one morning we went to the car and discovered a flat tire. Closer inspection revealed that the sidewall had puncture marks like it had been bitten through. We assumed it was a bear as there are plenty around there. We have also had the car alarm go off in the middle of the night several times. Fortunately there has been no further damage so far. Looks like a garage isn't ... more the answer either.
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You Rude Boy,TC....I'd think Yogi may change his mind about your place after this.Motion activated lights are good too(at least you can see them to hit with your Wristrocket and 5/8 ball bearing)
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The garage door on my side looks almost that bad. I won't admit that I actually did it myself, apparently under a state of diminished capacity. I wish you had posted this blog at that time as I could have blamed a bear when my wife asked WTF happened to the #@(&ing garage door. Problem is, we really don't have bears here on the orchard. How about a deranged ground squirrel strung out on all those ... more farm chemicals that Barton keeps railing on?
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I'll be watching with eager anticipation for tomorrow's follow-up. I hope you've got a video camera trained on the scene of the impending repeat crime? It would be a great video to see this bruin crying like a schoolgirl as his sinuses erupt. And video is good for SEO, and Lord knows you could probably use some help in that area. Oh, and can I borrow the video to post on my site?
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Shoot 'em? With what? My high-power 10-meter Olympic style airgun? My smallbore .22 LR target rifle? Maybe the 20 gauge Browning O/U... which is still at Browning? I'm a writer. I can wound him with words, but apparently not with firepower...
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Yes, we saw him peeling up the door. The two pulleys on the ends of the panels were both simply torn off, and one of the two support cables snapped clean off. I don't think he was even breathing hard. Because Redding's Crack Overhead Door Repair people don't actually return calls like the office says they will, the garage door remains partially peeled, though -- with the help of Raine, who supplied ... more the Ammonium Carbonate -- I've set a clever trap for our friend. This stuff is a horrifying powder, which -- if you take of the lid and take a normal breath anywhere near the opening -- feels like someone's stabbing a pair of steel rods up your nostrils and right into your brain. Despite being an extremely manly man, tears ran down my face. A sizable quantity of this stuff occupies a trash can that's innocently placed near the peeled garage door; what self-respecting bear could resist peeling off the lid and sticking his head inside? In case that fails, more of the vicious white powder is sprinkled along the base of door. Come along, Mister Bear. Trick or Treat (no treat).
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Perhaps just a trick-or-treater in a bear costume? Given what could have happened, you have bearly escaped with minimal damage!
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Tom I could use some hair for some old patterns if you decide to chase him off just snip a bit for me..... bearproofing your garage interesting challenge.....at least there was no reward for it if he didn't get in.... he may like other theives move to an easier target..... you could always smear some peanut butter on a neighbors garage after dark.....
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G Chandler: Garbage – I don't think so. He was after the Raine's 8'3″ 5wt. Then sell it on E-bay and rent a hibernation bachelor pad for the winter. These bears are smart. Aha! Now this all makes sense. Bears steal my rods. Fence them to Leland Outfitters. Leland Ebay's the rods and gives the bears dog food in payment. When the bears are caught in the act, the homeower YELLS at them. That'll ... more nip it in the bud. Do Siskiyou County natives yell at critters tearing the shit out of their homes, or just shoot em? Bend at the knees, Tom. Your knuckles will drag the ground and your garage and my rods will be unmolested.
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Tom Chandler: If only. We'd only drive into the garage door once. I'm betting the bear's coming back tonight… And the perfect opportunity to confront him! With a knife! Show him who is boss! Surprised he ran off w/just you yelling, they are getting so acclimated to humans and the free grub we supply, surprised he just didn't look at you & flip you a claw! Last bear that was in our camp ... more in Yosemite just looked at me until another Scout Master joined me to yell at him also.
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Garbage - I don't think so. He was after the Raine's 8'3" 5wt. Then sell it on E-bay and rent a hibernation bachelor pad for the winter. These bears are smart.
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Well, at least the bear didn't drive your car into a ditch though that may have been his plan.
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Loved the time a neighbor drove away from his house and noticed the garage door open. He clicked the remote and kept on towards work. He came home that evening to find his garage wrecked and a window busted out. Turns out a bear was in the garage eating his dog food and was closed in. Tore the place all to hell before finding a window to break. Country life makes for good stories...
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That must be a good sized bear... didja get a good look at 'em?
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The damage they can do. One of my neighbors got their car door ripped off by a bear trying to get some Ritz Cheese Cracker crumbs. It does kind of take the Disney out of things, eh...
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If only. We'd only drive into the garage door once. I'm betting the bear's coming back tonight...
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Okay Tom, come clean. That looks more like someone ran into it with their vehicle. And then trying to blame it on a poor bear. :-)
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