Bear in the Goat Pen!!

[prometheus]

I was going to wait till I got access to the pics but.

This is how I was awoken from my well hungover short nights sleep.

THERE'S A BEAR CHASING FLOPPSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I grab the AR and haul rear outside. The bear had my goat trapped on top of the goat house and was trying to get up there too. Our poor Floppsy is the one without horns and was keeping her (the bear was female) at bay by wacking her with a hoof every time the bear tried to get up.

I was about 100yrds away and could only see the bear's butt through a pair of feed stands. Floppsy was blocking the whole front of the bear. So I did what any real homesteader would have done and gave it a "Texas Heart Shot" aka shot it in the back 40. Now I had the bears attention and it decided it wasn't really in the mood for goat after all and hauled wounded butt directly away from me but she didn't realize she was inside the 6' chain link fenced goat pen. She tried to climb one of the trees the supports the fence and this made the neck shot really easy.

Now, I love bear meat but have never had spring bear and have heard it's pretty rank. Not that I considered keeping this animal which would have been illegal, and I certainly didn't call anyone I thought might have a extra bear tag which would also have been illegal.

I made like a good citizen and called the local game warden at home. I'd heard this guy was really fair and not like most game wardens. Ever since the whole "stuffed buck fiasco" I've had the same opinion of game wardens as Albert Soady from Escanaba if you know what I mean.

I had come into town, obliviously not to find someone who would want some bear meat because that would be illegal, but to meet the warden and make sure he got up to our place without getting lost.

The warden came up and said I was well within my rights to kill it and we loaded it in the back of his truck. I'm sure all that meat will be wasted, but I got the oh so good feeling of being a good little citizen and doing the right thing.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Oh, my gosh. I don't want bears. Ever. In my goat pen.

[Minelson]

To me this is a terrifying story!!! All I can say is - good shot!

[farmmom]

I'm glad you got her before she injured anybody!

[catdance62]

wow I'm glad you got the bear and that your goat is OK

[deetu]

I say good for Floppsy for keeping that bear away from her with her little hoof!

[mtcougar832]

What a wake-up - good shot though. Glad everything ended okay.

[Starsmom]

What a brave goat for keeping that bear away from her until you could get there. Great shot BTW.

[KimM]

Gotta love those ARs! How's Floppsy doing?

[prometheus]

Floppsy is doing just fine, but I couldn't get any of the goats out of the unfinished greenhouse last night. One other doe got a very slight mauling; one puncture wound and a bunch of slobber. The three missing goat kids over the last week now make sense.

[LittleRedHen]

Ooooh that would have been quite the rush for me and I coudlnt have reacted better than you did!! We have a few bears around here but they seem to just attack bird feeders

[Backfourty,MI.]

Around here if it endangers your livestock you can shoot it, you don't need a tag or I don't beleive need to call anyone but not sure about that. If I was justified I wouldn't call anyone that is.

Thank Goodness it woke you up. Poor goats are still shook up. Too bad about the 3 little goat kids but hopefully you got the culprit & no more hanging around.
There was just another post from Chalk Creek about a bear attack in her goat pen too.
They must have woke up crazy this spring.

[kreddish]

Just horrifying!!! I am so glad you are OK!!!!

[Ernie]

What kind of bear was it? And what drove it down to attack your goats? Is that common in Montana?

[prometheus]

Originally Posted by Ernie

What kind of bear was it? And what drove it down to attack your goats? Is that common in Montana?

Back40, most people around here do the three S. but I'm fairly infamous with the local politicians and since I knew I was in the right followed the letter of the law.

According to the Warden this is fairly common. The yearlings (which this was) go for easy pickings because of lack of experience. Guess he didn't figure I pick back. She was a blackie. I think griz is a little trickier.

[Minelson]

I just keep having this vision of Floppsy fighting off the bear with her little hoof I'm so glad she is ok.

[DairyGoatSlave]

my gosh! Im so glad that floppsy was okay! sorry bout the yearlings, I hope you wont have to go through that again!

[SouthernKnight]

UMMMM fresh bear, Yummy!