The key to bears is run the hottest, max joule, charger you can. That fur is a good insulator, and the best teacher is a punch in the nose so bait the wire. Hit him in the face he backs up, swat him on the rump and he runs forward so arrange how it gets hit.

This. Spent 40 years in Southeast Alaska, and was very involved with the Department of fish and game there, including bear problems. Tried pretty much every gimmick, device, noise, lights, even dogs. #1 Rule: Eliminate food sources!
Some dogs, (particularly the Karelian bear dogs), can be effective, but be careful where that dog chases that bear to. Electric fence can also be effective for small areas, such as a camp, but must have no easy food source. If not, the bear will likely just tolerate the shock for the food. Bears get used to crazy lights, loud noises, scare crows, etc. Do NOT shoot bears with buckshot. You will create a dangerous bear.
It is really simple. Take down the bird feeder. The birds don't need it right now anyway.

If running a hot wire the rule is always on, always. Believe it not critters can tell if it's off. Don't know how but I've witnessed deer cross a dead fence that was hot just days before.

Funny thing is cattle must be dumber than deer, at least the ones that never leave a pasture. That last batch dad and I had went three days with no fence at all after a tornado took it out and they never so much as stepped across. Cattle that get moved around will test a fence.

I don’t put much for feed out as I do live in their back yard. They rarely come through, only at night just crossing the yard. That being said, if them 3yr olds get stupid, they get removed. Those can eventually be the dangerous ones.
Every now & then we’ll put out some bird feeders and they usually leave them alone. If they hit it once, we take the food away for a while.

I would think rubber buckshot would make them more fearful of humans not more dangerous

My guess... White meant regular buckshot that would just wound them and thus make them potentially dangerous depending on the wound... rubber shot in the butt shouldn't to that....
White can correct us if I'm wrong....

12 gauge, no choke, bird shot in the butt at about 40 yards; works great on brown bear, and they don't come back. Other non-lethal 12 gauge methods mentioned above work too if you can find the ammo.

6 0r 18 joul

No not buckshot. A beanbag round is essentially some #9 shot wrapped in a ballistic material and loaded into a 12 ga case. Impact rounds is the correct terminology I guess.

I have used them on cantankerous moose in my yard. Whack one in the ribs or the butt with a bean bag and follow it up with a couple of "cracker" rounds over its head and they don't come back.

I did not suggest the cracker shells because of potential fire hazard.

Looks like there are several locations where you might find the munitions near you.

https://www.defense-technology.com/product/drag-stabilized-12-gauge-bean-bag-round/

4th of July coming up, lay in a supply of Roman candles, with shrieking whistle and report.

Footsnare and 22 in the earole.

Funny you mention that because 1 neigbor threw more fire crackers today in an effort to spook it if it's still in the area.

It didn't work for you.

…. Go out there and slap that sob in the mouth

Some bears get use to noisy dogs ( like yappy little dogs,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but a hot wire,, they learn

If you can get some thin electrical conducting wire ,, a real bad neighborhood dog got strrattled on my wire,,, he never ever got close to our place again...
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We own a small property in north central WI. During this time of the year the home owners in the small communitiy discontinue filling their bird feeders for about 2 weeks or so. The bears leave most of the time and the birds or other birds do come back. Bear dog training in WI starts July 1 and goes to Aug 31. Once the dogs start moving the bears around things change. In WI the northern zones can hunt with hounds. Where you live you can train, but not run dogs during the season. Find a bear dog owner near you in a few weeks and let him run his hounds. If you keep feeding the birds the bear will be near by. Being chased by hounds my well change is behavior patterns.

Bryce

I would keep 2 livestock guardian dogs with your goats, especially if you're going to let them kid. If you don't, you'll likely have problems with bears, coyotes or stray dogs at some point.

Keith