Sap And Black Bears

[johnpma]

Will black bears get in to the sap buckets, tanks ect... during the sap run? I have two monster black bears that have been hanging around on the back of my property and have concerns about the potential damage they might bring to our sap season. We have them on trail cams out deep

[sugarsand]

I'm thinking that a hungry bear just out of it's winter sleep can be very destructive. Once they discover what is in the tanks and lines, they probably wont leave it alone. Some sugar makers on here may have ways to deal with the problem.

[Maplewalnut]

yes, yes, yes

[Bucket Head]

Maybe not possible at your tank(s) location, and it might not stop all damage, but my buddy put all his bee hives in a fenced in area and electrified the fence. Has not had any damage since.
Just a thought. Hopefully they'll go elsewhere.
Steve

[mainebackswoodssyrup]

Bears can certainly do damage. We have not seen them mess with the tanks but they will bite through line. Bear damage was not bad for us this year, likely due to active logging all summer on the adjacent property. Moose damage was a whole different story. Last year we had to replace mainline because of the bears. I don't necessarily think they are after the sap, more likely just curiosity but they can do a lot of damage in a hurry.

[Daveg]

I doubt if they will find anything to their liking. Carry on with your plans. They will be looking for calorie-dense food that time of year, not plastic, galvanized steel, or 2% sap.