Dogs and Bears

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by Wittgenstein's Ghost

...

I also doubt coyotes want to tangle with a 65 pound boxer if they don't have to. I see a coyote on my street about once a month, and most of my neighbors have dogs. I haven't seen any of the pooches go missing. Most coyotes are under 65 pounds.

I would sort of agree with that, except that sometimes coyotes are in packs of 2-4. That might make them more likely to attack even a larger dog.

[bontrager]

I'm not concerned about coyotes. We had tons of coyotes at my previous house and they left my boxer alone. We just purchased a house near Cheyenne Mountain and the former owners told me that black bear come in the yard on a daily basis in the summer. Last summer there was a mother with two cubs. There is a very small pond on the property and they like to bathe in it. The pond is right outside the front door lol.
So bears on our new property will be a regular occurrence. We obviously did not know this when we purchased the home, and now I'm a bit concerned. I guess I'll have to live with it lol.

[curiousgeorge5]

Originally Posted by TCHP

Coyotes are common in the city and it is entirely possible to have a home within the city limits that comes up against a wild land interface. Shooting animals in your yard inside the city limits will lead to a host of complications.

I live near the downtown area of Cos. I have seen within my yard: deer, coyotes, fox, bobcats, and skunks. Within three blocks of my house I have seen bear, moose, and cougars.

Generally speaking, most wildlife don't attack humans and rarely go after large dogs. Small children and small dogs I would certainly keep an eye on if you are anywhere near a water source or near a wildland interface. The storm drainage system in Cos is like wildlife highways that provide them access throughout the city. This is how we get cougars stuck in trees near Academy Blvd.

Good post. I guess a person would have to wait until their pet is attacked before shooting.

I love bears and would love to pet one if a crystal ball told me I wouldn't be attacked.

[bontrager]

Just saw a homeowner in the neighborhood post a picture of a large mountain lion outside his bedroom window a few days ago. Bears just became the least of my worries lol. Wow. I have 3 girls age 5 and younger. I really hope mountain lions fear humans too....

[wilberry]

" "We found that pumas almost always ran from the sound of humans—and almost never ran from the sound of frogs," said Smith, now a postdoctoral researcher at UC Berkeley.

too bad for the frogs

[TCHP]

On your next visit to the Cheyenne Mtn Zoo, go to the cougar enclosure. While you are there, step back and observe how the cougars watch the children and ignore the adults as they go through the glass tunnel.

Look, I've lived in CO my whole life and have had numerous encounters with wildlife to include some of the more fearsome apex type critters in this discussion. I've never been attacked, never had to shoot them in defense, and never lost a pet to them. You don't need to live in fear of them provided you take some basic precautions; be attentive at dawn and dusk, watch out for those around you, make just enough noise so they know you are there.

[suzco]

Let's not forget that a woman was killed by a bear attack while out walking her dogs just a few weeks ago.

Woman killed in southwestern Colorado bear attack

May 4, 2021
DURANGO, Colo. — On Sunday night Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) reported finding human remains inside the stomachs of a black bear and her cub suspected of killing a 39-year old woman Friday near Durango. The woman, who went walking with her dogs on Friday was found dead several hours later, the victim of an apparent bear attack, according to CPW.

[otowi]

Originally Posted by suzco

Let's not forget that a woman was killed by a bear attack while out walking her dogs just a few weeks ago.

But let's also keep the perspective that that was only the fourth fatal bear attack in the wild in Colorado ever documented.

[dr.frog]

Originally Posted by TCHP

On your next visit to the Cheyenne Mtn Zoo, go to the cougar enclosure. While you are there, step back and observe how the cougars watch the children and ignore the adults as they go through the glass tunnel.

I've observed this cougar behavior at other zoos, too. When only adults are around, they tend to lounge around or pace around their enclosure, but as soon as any small children show up they instantly snap to attention and practically start salivating over their next meal. Last time I was at the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo, I was with friends and their children, and I told the kids that cougars like to eat little boys and girls for breakfast and that if they ever saw a big cat in the wild they needed to get their mom and dad to chase it away, fast. Not sure mom and dad appreciated me scaring them like that, but....

[Curly Q. Bobalink]

Personally, I'd build a dog run (at least a 6' tall fence, and maybe with a roof, mostly to minimize having to shovel snow in the winter) just outside the back door for most of your Boxer's bathroom breaks. Then, if you want to let her run loose when you're with her in the yard, knock your socks off. One thing, though, if it sees a critter, it may give chase and you'll never see her again, so you may need to do some training or install an "underground fence" setup. Depending on number and ages of kids, I'd also keep a rifle handy and know how to use it. Bears breaking into homes is not unheard of, but I am more wary of big cats than bears. More than likely, though, you'll never need to use anything except a couple of pots and pans, but "hope for the best, plan for the worst". Pepper spray is also very effective against nosy bears, and probably the safest option.