When I photographed coons some time ago, getting into our feeders at night,
one of you suggested I get a coon guard. I listened to the advice and moved
the feeders from S hooks on a tree to a pole with a coon guard. We have
enjoyed watching the puzzled, determined squirrels, and even the coons.
They walk around under the feeder picking up what they can, and put muddy
coon tracks on the guard. All was well until this past Friday night..
We were gone from Friday evening until Saturday noon. Sometime while gone,
a bear tore out our feeding station. In a hurry to get back in business to
hold interest of the red crossbills, I repaired the broken feeder and
installed a new pole on Saturday. A new feature on the pole was a deep wind
chime. Okay, maybe a wind chime won't scare a bear, but will it wake us?
That night I was awakened by the chime. I scrambled for the light, only to
discover the wind was blowing pretty stiff.
Monday was the first we saw the red crossbills after the bear had torn out
the feeder.
About 4:30 this morning my wife was awakened by the chime and this time it
was the bear. He had yanked the suet block off and was about twenty yards
away, devouring my brand new block. I awakened the boys in the next room
and let them watch. In time, the bear finished and headed back toward the
feeder. He soon spied a coon that was coming across the yard to look for
spilled seeds. He ran at the coon and chased it back to the woods, then
came back to the feeder and stood up to it. When the next job on his agenda
was to pull the feeder over, I shoved the window up and told him what any
bear hunter would.
This time it was he that lumbered into the woods.
All I can say is it worked-this time. The chime saved the pole and the red
crossbills are here this morning. However, I realize I'm not going to want
to get up every time the wind blows hard. Do any of you have a plan for how
to feed birds and not feed bears? I'm thinking to run a line between the
house and a tree, and then hang feeders from the line. Does anyone have an
opinion if this will work, or will the bear tear the line down?
Thanks.
Kevin
