Blanks?

**rickwhoo** · April 2nd, 2024, 08:43 PM

I have a bear problem. What can I do about scaring these beautiful animals away? Can I use some blanks in a 22 to scare them?

**free** · April 2nd, 2024, 09:10 PM

Don't buy them from Alec Baldwin.

**father-of-five** · April 2nd, 2024, 09:54 PM

Many years ago, I successfully scared a raccoon away with an m-80.

**Krichardson** · April 2nd, 2024, 09:59 PM

Originally Posted by free

Don't buy them from Alec Baldwin.

LOL!

**Emptymag** · April 2nd, 2024, 10:20 PM

OMG I'm dying here!
Had to explain it to Mrs EM and now she's laughing too!

Alec Baldwin! BWAAAA-HAAA-HAA-HA!!!

Good one!!!

**cephas** · April 3rd, 2024, 07:39 AM

Not an expert but have gone down this road. Live close to a games land where I think they were dumping trapped bears from the high rent districts. White tag on ear was somewhat a giveaway.
Don't know if .22 blanks will be loud enough to startle them.
Seems they can also become indifferent to the same sound if used over and over again.
I rotated sound effects with air horn, Mayan death whistle and cursing at the top of my lungs while shaking and waving my arms like a lunatic. A decent body hit with a sling shot while doing this increases the effect.
I've heard 12 ga. rubber buckshot to the body works well.
It was so bad one year I strung a small run of electric fence and draped some bacon on it. Beekeepers suggestion that worked well.
Edit: After the electric fence I would still see them about 100 yds. out but they wouldn't come in the yard anymore.

**cdi** · April 3rd, 2024, 09:19 AM

I*ve played around with.12 ga. Black powder blanks. They are LOUD as F!
Don*t point them at bears at close range unless you want flaming bears running all over your property.
Sparks, smoke and fire everywhere when you touch one off.

**Ronin** · April 3rd, 2024, 09:47 AM

**wanneroo** · April 3rd, 2024, 09:57 AM

The best thing to keep bears away is to make sure there are no food sources available for them. If they find a good food source, they will be back.

As I have personally seen from my experience out west with open trash dumpsters and bears and calling in the cops to scare them away with shotgun bean bags, at first they run, then they get used to the noise and bean bag and it no longer deters them.