Big Brown Bears,

Hi,
I really don't do anything to attract bears to my garden and back yard, (no fruits, berries or vegetables, only flowers), but they come anyway. I have a 6 ft cyclone fence, points up, enclosing my yard and 2 very large dogs in that yard, but they are always prowling around anyway. My 2 grandchildren 2 and 3 like to play in the yard, but we must always be out with them, watching them like hawks, which takes away some the fun of the being outdoors. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deter bears from roaming so close to our yard? Bears are now protected in our state, and hunting them is against the law. Because of this, their population over the past few years has greatly increased. We've had several animals mauled and killed in our neighboorhood this year alone since they've come out of hybernation. It's not like we live in the wilderness, this is northern NJ.
Thanks

We have black bear problems every spring.A few years ago one killed our pet goat so we no longer have outside animals. Bears are hungry when they first come out.Till the berries and clover and other plants come out they will continue to be a nuisence since there is no food in the woods for them yet.If you have bird feeders take them in and rake up any seed that has fallen. Keep your garbage in a closed building. If you have any pets don't leave their food out where the bear can smell it.We have a very large one that has been coming every night and so far has destroyed my Oriole feeder and my large bird feeder. He's been raiding neighbors garbage cans and dragging the bags of garbage into the woods.We've lived with the bear for many years up here and are used to them. We have more nails and screws holding our bird feeders together than we have wood on them but we enjoy our birds so we put up with the bear.

Thanks so much for the input SnowHermit.
Our neighbor had a BBQ for the holiday and evidently didn't clean off her grill as well as she should have. She won't have to worry about cleaning that particular grill ever again, as the bear completely destroyed it. Your right on about the garbage. We bought special garbage cans with strap on lids, but all they do now is roll the barrel on its side and rip off the lid. We have a very old crab apple tree on our front lawn, and as soon as that bears fruit, our friends will be climbing and munching on that as well. Glad to know that you are surviving with your bears, as I seem to be frightened about them all the time. Several weeks ago, I was looking out my window and saw one of the bears walking past my Jeep, and on all fours, his back was level with the middle of the Jeeps side windows. He was huge. Teddy Bears are supposed to be cute and cuddly, but in the larger versions, they are just plain scary.