When the Wild Breaks In: A Bear Attack on the Homestead

Sometimes this homesteading life is hard—really hard. It can be unpleasant, heartbreaking, and full of loss.

I’ve been fortunate in many ways, but I won’t chalk it all up to luck. I take serious precautions to protect my animals: a large livestock guardian dog (LGD), strong fencing, motion-sensor lights, zero feed left out overnight, and a 12-gauge shotgun by the back door.

But even with every safeguard in place, things can still go wrong.

The Visitor: A Yearling Bear


Last night, a young black bear paid us a visit—likely a yearling, based on the tracks he left behind. In hindsight, my LGD Orsa had been trying to warn me for over a week. She's often vocal, especially with stray cats visiting after dark, so I’d dismissed it. The trail cam picked up a fox the night before, which I assumed was the source of her unease.

But I should have listened more closely.

Her intense focus and barking toward the woods south and west of the house were more than her usual reaction to a fox.

The Attack

In the early pre-dawn hours, the bear crept in behind the lights, crushed a five-foot-tall goat fence, and
ripped the doors off my coop. The hinges were torn apart like they were made of taffy.

Six of my hens were killed and carried off. All that remained were feathers and blood.

The Aftermath

The loss of the birds is devastating, but the trauma extends further.

The rest of the flock is shaken, and my very pregnant rabbits—housed just 100 feet away—are visibly stressed. The does were whimpering this morning, seeking comfort and reassurance. (The bucks, in typical fashion, were only interested in breakfast.)

This kind of event doesn’t just cause immediate loss—it ripples outward:

  • Reduced egg production

  • Possible pregnancy loss in the rabbits due to stress

  • Increased costs from repairs and added protection: electric fencing, motion lights, sound deterrents

  • And the gnawing anxiety that returns with every creak or rustle in the night

Why We Stay


This life is not for the faint of heart.

Loss happens. Setbacks happen. Sorrow happens.

But we keep going—not because it’s easy, but because it matters. Because the life we build here is worth defending, even when it breaks our hearts.

We keep on truckin’.


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